Drugstore vs. Name Brands??

[nataliej]

I usually buy lipgloss and nail polish from the drugstore brands and eyeshadow from the name brands.

 

[Aniger86]

Both can be equally good I think. Some of the name brand cosmetics I have are total crap in my opinion, yet some of the drugstore stuff are the ones I use regularly. For name brands, I recommend Shiseido mascara base, Clinique Pore Minimizer (a whitish base that conceals enlarged pores), and Stila Perfecting Concealer (not the best (haven't found my HG yet) but is light and pigmented enough for very dark undereye circles). Personally for lip glosses and blushes, I don't have a problem with drugstore brands, and usually go drugstore with them unless there's an unusual colour of lip gloss or blusher that drugstore lines do not offer.

 

[norfolkchica]

I stick mainly to D/S brands, I have some higeher end mixed in too but I actually like that D/S is cheaper and I also like the element of "surprise" when you first test it out lol. I find that even if I test something in store as far as high end goes, doesnt mean that once I buy it and get home I actually like it and thats more disapointing if I spend more $$$

 

[LipstickLez]

I decided back in December to literally chuck my entire bag of drugstore brands and completely replace everything with MAC.


I just always heard that MAC was a good brand and quite frankly, I like being fancy!!

 


OK I guess it is a little deeper: MAC seems to be a good go to source with every product you can think of. They seem to be innovators and a company interested in keeping a steady stream of new products to feed makeup fiends' addictions. I also like that they have such a wide variety of foundations; when it comes to black skin, most brands either a) carry one or two colors, one of which is inevitably generically called "dark" (*involuntary flashback to generic black Barbie who looked NOTHING like me or anyone I knew...) or B) they don't carry much for black skin at all. Drugstores - oh man, don't get me started on the endless line of "for black women" brands. THey all look so cheesy!!!!

 


I'm not yet an expert on makeup, though I surpass the average woman walking down the street with a big white stripe drawn under her eyebrows. However, I can say this much: cheap mascara will always clot, cheap e/s is powdery and will get all over your face and cheap lipstick requires about 19 sweeps before you can see it. So point me to the MAC counter!

 


PS - I have tried some Benefit stuff and though I live for the packaging, I must admit, I'm not necessarily impressed by the colors and actual products. I like Cargo lip duos.

 

[Ricci]

Anything to do with my hair and body I use Organic and Good reputable name brands as the store brand shampoos stop my hair from growing & the body washes feel so freaken waxy its disgusting

I used MAC for Eyecolor and Mary kay for face care

 

[twisted]

it's a combination of both

 

[fellybabe]

Now i know

 

[sooner_chick]

Originally Posted by Chrystia /img/forum/go_quote.gif Drugstore brands are ok. I do stick to counter brands (MAC, Smashbox, Urban Decay, etc) because I can try them before buying. I hate opening a package of lipstick and finding the color is all wrong. I've never returned a name brands cosmetic because the color wasn't what I thought it was. But some name brands are good, I did end up buying a lot of Revlon's limited edition collection recently and am loving it. But as far as quality, it depends on the brand I think.
THe biggest place I notice the difference is in staying power and pigmentation. I just can't get colors to stay with drugstore brand (except milani and revlon). But sometimes drugstore brands are nice.


Mac,Stila,Smashbox,etc. are wonderful expensive brands to use. I find that using cheaper brands

are better for your money,esp. if you are on a budget. Cheaper brands do have the staying power and really good pigmentation. You just have to experiment.

Good luck!!

 

[bC_0614]

Drugstore brands are what work for me...the only thing i splurge on is foundation and other skin products

 

[aprilpgb22]

I will buy drugstore brand mascara or lipgloss(only as back ups) and that is about it. My mom always said that you get what you pay for and it don't pay to buy cheap... trust me I found out that she was right(learned the hard way)...

 

[pourlemieux]

Drugstore brands are cheaply made and might contain lead.

 

[Lesley-Anne]

just found this as i was browsing around bored and got confused? drugstore brands i take it are like maybeline, bourjouis, l'orel and stuff (all sp probably lol) but dont you get testers of all of them? dunno if its a uk thing or i'm misunderstanding but when i go into boots or wherever they have the stands for all the different brands with testers of pretty much everything all laid out bside the actual products??

 

[Vidia the Pixie]

Combo of both. I use DS mascara, but I can't find a good DS foundation or eyeshadow...maybe I just need to look harder, but Mac has the best eyeshadows ever imho

 

[xiulan]

I enjoy trying both drugstore and counter. I have noticed that I lean towards the counter foundation since I need to match my skin. As far as eyeshadows, I can usually wear anything as long as I use a base. My favorite drugstore eyeshadows are NYX, Milani, and Covergirl. I have even noticed that LA colors, lose powder works good for me when I want to have a special look.

 

[reesesilverstar]

I do a combo also.

 

[Dalylah]

I think since this thread was started, drug store brands have come a long way. Some great stuff comes from there now. Milani, some Revlon stuff, Wet N Wild, etc.

There are duds with all types of makeup sometimes. It isn't specific to low or high end.

 

[Makeupp Addictt]

drugstores are cheaper (obviously!) but sometimes cheaper is bad quality. BUT drugstore brands such as revlon and covergirl are good. and some drugstore brands test on animals, and that's not good. and drugstore braands you can't tesst out before you buy them... and name brands you can. and name brands are expensive, but the more expensive the better in my opinion.

 

[shubbee]

I use both but for eye care products I trust only revitalash....mascara, eyelashes conditioner and the revitabrow. No other brand can replace it for me I been using this for a long time already.

 

[Makeupchick23]

I only buy mineral makeup because my skin is sensitive and I've found very few drugstore brands that don't irritate my skin and give me a natural look. I now buy my makeup online from pinq.me because they don't contain any nasty stuff and give me a great natural look with medium coverage! Drugstore makeup does save you money but not quality.

 

[helyli]

hm...considering much of a makeup's price is its packaging + marketing and the same few companies own almost all the brands, I'd say it's trial and error for drugstore product or pay for the mua's and experience at the counter