Can you tell by looking whether others are wearing high or low end make-up?

[stefnicholas]

I'd say it depends. I believe with many products, no. I have some wet n wild eyeshadows I swear by, and conversely I have some higher end shadows (well, had. When I moved a lot kinda stayed behind) that I barely wear because they're just not great. Foundation is one thing though I can typically just tell is cheap. Not necessarily because of quality - I've used some fabulous drugstore foundations - but because in my experience people are more likely to wear the wrong coloured foundation from the drugstore. I work in a cosmetics department and I know me and my coworkers try very hard to ensure foundation is matched as perfectly as possible. If I see a person with cakey orange foundation, I feel like they probably didn't have the chance to take the time to find the right fit before buying! I wanna do a face off challenge! I wanna guess!! Lol

 

[Lumaday]

I would say generally yes on a few things based on a couple of factors:

1. Foundation - as Stefnicholas said, I feel like it's more likely to be lower end if it doesn't match correctly or is streaky/very obvious

2. Eyeshadow/Eyeliner - I can sometimes tell a lower end eyeshadow or liner by whether it's fading, migrating, chalky, has poor color payoff, or is getting stuck in the creases.  But I'm an eyeshadow junkie so I always notice people's eyeshadow.  I have at times called out other UD eyeshadow wearers by the name of the specific color they have on!  I think it's a disease.

3. Lip products - can sometimes tell by finish or glossiness, whether it leaves color behind (like a lower end lipstick that leaves your mouth colored or lined when it fades), lower end lipgloss that has shimmer (can sometimes have a gloopy look to it or just an awful looking finish - I'm thinking of this Wet N Wild lipgloss I got in a bronze/rose shade that was so ugly it went directly into the trash)

4. Bronzers - too orange or sparkly can be a sign.

But I have also tried many great drug store brand products as well, so I'm not saying those products are bad!  I used to swear by the Maybelline eyeshadow Quads and still have a few, but it's just the color payoff and wear time doesn't compare to my UD shadows so I use those more often.  I love Almay lip gloss and balms, Rimmel lipsticks, and most drug store mascaras are great too.  I go high end for eyeshadow, foundation, blush/bronzer, and eyeliner.

I think drugstore can look just as great as high end when first applied - most of the quality issues arise after a few hours of wear.

 

[Kristine Walker]

 I can't tell the price scale, but I can certainly tell if someone has no skills for application nor an eye for color.

 A $100 foundation is still going to look horrible if poorly applied or the wrong color.

 

[turntrekgodhead]

Referring back to my "I can tell by the smell" comment, it's not even that I smell something and go "ugh, what a cheapo-smelling product". I've just catalogued the scents of different products and brands in my mind over time? Like, someone gets 8 inches from my face and I think, "Ah, they went with Smashbox today. Nice."

 

[iPretty949]

No, but I'd love for people to post 2 looks and then guess which is which

That would be a fun game! Like "Spot the Dupe" /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Courtnee]

I totally agree with @@Kristine Walker, I don't have any idea about price or whatnot, but, if someone puts way too much on, or doesn't apply products properly, then I suppose it doesn't matter about price. All I think is, it stands out that it is quite bad application.

/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Angelalh]

i think i may just have to raid my collection tomorrow and see if i can find high end/low end dupes in colors for everything and do a side by side and take a picture!!!!

 

[Angelalh]

ok so its 330 in the morning and i decided to to it lmao
again ITS 3:30 am and i worked 10 hours I DO NOT LOOK GOOD!!!! nor is my application that good hahahahahaha
 
but i did full half and half on my face, one side drugstore/low end  the other all high end try to guess and i will update when theres enough guesses and if you want products listed too otherwise i may just add up the value on everything on each side

i also took pics in 2 different lightings

the following makeup products used:

primer (eye and face)

foundation

powder

blush

eyeshadow (4 colors each eye)

eyeliner

mascara

highlight

bronzer

lipstick

 

[Angelalh]

after seeing these on here, there really is no difference... i think it would be more noticable in natural light

 

[Courtnee]

OK, so if I can guess...

Is the left (your side) the drugstore and the right (your side) the high end.

I have no idea, but might I just say, either way, you don't really show that its 3:30 in the morning. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Kristine Walker]

  I don't see a difference. I want that lipstick color though. What brand and shade please?

 

[Angelalh]

products used high end:

primer= benefit porefessional =$31

foundation- tarte Colored Clay SPF 15 Liquid Foundation with Brush $43.50

powder= bare minerals hydrading mineral veil = $21 (i really hate this version though it hydrates less than original)

blush= the balm hot mama = $20

bronzer= tarte amazonian clay airbrush powder in sunkissed = i cant find price of it was a duo with foundation and brush maybe around $35

highlight= the balm mary-lou manizer $24

brush for all cheek products tarte= blush brush= $28

concealer= bare minerals correcting concealer= $20

concealer brush= bare minerals maximum coverage concealer brush= $20

lipstick= bare minerals moxie in get ready= $18

eye primer= too faced shadow insurance= $20

eyeshadow the balm balm jovi= 39.50

eyeshadow brush=bare minerals rock n roll (this is the only high end shadow brush i own haah) $28

eyeliner= urban decay 24/7 velvet = $20

used my elf contour brush for crease= $3

mascara= benefit theyre real=$23

omg thats alot of products LOL

disclamer most products especially high end i do not buy at full price i get in kits or on special promos

TOTAL VALUE= $394 at regular retail prices!!!!!

products used low end/drugstore

primer= pixi flawless and poreless= $9

foundation= revlon colorstay whipped= $12.50

brush= elf powder=$3

powder= elf high definition = $6

concealer= elf maximum coverage concealer=$3

brush= elf flawless concealer brush=$3

blush =elf $3

highlight=elf baked blush=$3

bronzer=pixi= $14.50 (that includes a brush too)

brush= elf blush brush=$3

eye primer= elf=$1

eyeshadow= coastal scents revealed palette= $20

elf eyeshadow c brush=$3

elf contour brush=$3

eyeliner=nyx slide on glide on=$8

mascara=elf waterproof lengthening and volumizing=$3

lisptick=nyx goddess (i cant find it on the website but it was the extra creamy round) $4

lipgloss(the lipstick was more matte and needed a bit more pink) sxy by unforgettable moments light up lip gloss (these were sold at payless where i work discontined now like a creamy peachy pink =$6

drugstore/low end $108

difference of $286 wow

 

[Lrking1999]

A bit late to chime in on this one but nope. I've seen people doing their makeup with high end products with poor skill, and drugstore with good skill and that's what it always comes down to--skill.

Although, I think high end makeup is more about the experience than actually being of better quality. The only "high end" item I could see making a real difference is brushes and even then there are great alternatives to high end too.

 

[Kristine Walker]

 Well bust my buttons! I have both of those lipsticks in my stash, I'll have to dig them out now. Thanks for the info.

 

[lex]

1. 
   

   Quote: Originally Posted by feemia /img/forum/go_quote.gif
   "High-end" and "low-end" are meaningless terms which don't indicate quality.
   
   This. You can't tell because you don't know if the high end items are crap quality and the cheap ones are good. I have some lipsticks from milani that look just as nice as one I tried from Mac. 

   Yeah true !   I don't think you can know, I guess if it looks really bad then you might, but if it has been done well and probably then its not a problem and im not saying about products from a $2 shop , The stores where they sell beauty supplies and ect.
   

 

[aTropicalTwist]

I've been able to a few times...most times though it's technique that makes more of a diference, than the brand used.

 

[stelmaria]

I would guess the left side (your right) is high-end? The lashes look a little longer, the foundation a little more even, and the lip color a bit more even as well. But I could be seeing things!

 

[yousoldtheworld]

I definitely can't tell unless I recognize a specific, unique product/shade. And even when it comes to things like wear time, some of my drugstore products wear longer/better than my higher end ones...and some things that look/wear great on others look cheaper/not as great on me, and vice versa. 

For me, a lot of the time, the experience of high end products might be superior (prettier packaging, nice scents/textures, etc) but when it comes to finished looks, I don't think the difference is really noticeable. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[TwirlyGirly]

I think the difference in the quality between high and low-end cosmetics has narrowed considerably in the past three decades or so.

I remember when I first began working for a major corporation (and was finally earning a living wage), a friend took me into a department store and introduced me to Borghese cosmetics (yep - dating myself there!). I bought the Borghese foundation, powder, blush, two eyeshadow duos, lipstick - the works. Prior to that I had only used "drugstore" brands exclusively.

Fast forward a couple of months, I was at work one day and the guy sitting next to me looked at me and said "You use really expensive makeup, don't you?" and I told him yes, I use Borghese exclusively. He replied "You can tell. Your makeup never looks 'cheap'."

Back then, there was a much bigger difference between the quality (texture, pigmentation, etc) and also the colors offered between the high-end and low-end brands. I recall drugstore makeup (especially eyeshadow) was often dry and chalky, the colors more garish, and as for finishes it was usually a choice between matte and SUPER frosty.

Cosmetics companies have come a long way since those days. Not only can you find high quality cosmetics at reasonable prices, but paying high prices is no longer a guarantee you'll get a quality product (I'm thinking specifically of all the bad reviews I've read of late of some of the recent releases of MAC eyeshadows).

I think most companies, whether high-end, low-end, or masstige, offer some products that perform really well, some that are so-so, and some that are just terrible. So consumers can't just base their decisions on price alone anymore.

 

[Angelalh]

those of you who guessed are correct!!! lol my right side was high end (the left side when you are looking at it)