I feel horrible buying HE (High End) makeup

[zadidoll]

Originally Posted by Annelle /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Keep in mind that high price doesn't mean "high end" -- I determine high end by quality.  Just because something is overpriced does not mean you'll be getting better quality.

I so agree.

 

[imonabhaute]

I work at a facility that in addition to producing cosmetics for our own company's products, does contract manufacturing of pressure packaged, powder and liquid cosmetics.  There are regulated mixes that are made to the T of the instructions of the contracting company.  However, don't think the barrels of chemicals used to make the stuff are switched to different ones just because product A costs 5x what product B does; chemical Y is chemical Y no matter what brand the label says.

That said, I read reviews and buy what works for me.  High End, Middle or Drugstore.

 

[musingmuse]

I usually go on makeupalley.com to see what the average rating is, then decide to purchase the item. lol
 

Originally Posted by imonabhaute /img/forum/go_quote.gif


That said, I read reviews and buy what works for me.  High End, Middle or Drugstore.

 

[imonabhaute]

Originally Posted by musingmuse /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I usually go on makeupalley.com to see what the average rating is, then decide to purchase the item. lol

Love the reviews there, but the forum format is straight out of my childhood.  It makes me nostalgic for crappy internet pages from the 90s; and after the nostalgia quickly fades I realize how much I hate that format and high tail it over here.

Their reviews combined with here and youtube do play a part in what I'll try too.

 

[divadoll]

...in case you are wondering... Shiseido purchased Bare Escentuals (bare minerals) for $1.7 bil last january to expand their cosmetics line to include mineral makeups.  It has over 20 brands and is the largest cosmetics manufacturer in Japan.

 

[zadidoll]

I wonder if that explains why Bare Minerals got rid of the Rare Minerals line. Well more like repackaged it under the Bare Escentuals label.

 

[MakeupCritic]

Originally Posted by zadidoll /img/forum/go_quote.gif




If you don't get it that's fine but I'm done arguing about it after this. Again look at my cake analogy. You have the ingredients for a chocolate cake but you mix in those ingredients in different amounts and you're going to get a different chocolate cake. Mix it in a different order or in a different way - using a paddle versus a whip - and you'll get a different texture. Makeup in essence is the same thing. The quality of the ingredients are the same but the formula is different. Add more dry ingredients and you're going to have a drier cake, add more wet ingredients and you're going to have a more moist cake and even a cake that's too wet. So those who argue that the ingredients in a so-called high end product is better than a drugstore line I have to disagree with that argument because the ingredients are the same as required by the FDA to be.

Yes, people are paying for the NAME of a product versus the quality. I see so many people who use ONLY Mac because it's the so-called "best". It's not just in the cosmetic industry but ALL fashion. If you were given the choice between a Coach purse or one from Target which would you choose? Most people would choose the Coach purse. Why? Because of the name associated with it not because it's a better purse.

So since this topic is starting to derail, let's get back on the topic about feeling guilty about buying HE stuff. If a person wants to buy it because they like that brand that's fine. If they buy it because they swear by it that's fine as well. It's that person's own money to spend as they see fit. Personally I'll buy and use what I like be it an item from the drugstore like Wet 'n' Wild to a so-called high end item. Just be aware of what you're buying because most so-called high end makeup can be duped with drugstore brands.

In my previous comment I have written, that YES, you're right buying an expensive cosmetics we’re almost sure about its high quality but we are sometimes deceived by tricky cosmetics marketers: we  pay for brand name but not products quality. So I didn't argue your position that it is better to buy cosmetics from drugstores.

However, you're too categorical about HE cosmetics. I just want to said that there are quality cosmetics both among HE and among drugstore cosmetics you just need to find it. People who tend to buy HE just need to check the ingredients and decide WHY this product is more expensive than drugstore cosmetics, while whose who buy drugstore cosmetics need to study label properly and decide WHY the product is so cheap.

Do you agree with me or not?

 

[MakeupCritic]

Originally Posted by Annelle /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Keep in mind that high price doesn't mean "high end" -- I determine high end by quality.  Just because something is overpriced does not mean you'll be getting better quality.

I agree with you. I think we need to pay for QUALITY. To check is product overpriced or not we need to check the label.

 

[musingmuse]

Totally! I know too many people who buy not for the quality but for the brand name...and only the brand name. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
 

Originally Posted by MakeupCritic /img/forum/go_quote.gif





I agree with you. I think we need to pay for QUALITY. To check is product overpriced or not we need to check the label.

 

[CellyCell]

I buy whatever works good, High or Low end - but my collection overall consist mainly of higher end products because they offer better quality and range of products.

I used NYX and those 88 shadow palettes before it became well known, I was so anti-MAC... until I started using it. NYX, WNW, ELF, etc. just can't compare in terms of quality and/or range than to some of the higher end stuff. I definitely feel horrible if I buy something pricey and find a cheaper match though.

 

[satojoko]

I totally understand and agree with what Zazi is saying. I mix up a great deal of skin care products, as well as some cosmetics, at home and have been buying ingredients wholesale for about 20 years. Base ingredients are pretty much the same, and it does make a big difference how you use them, as well as HOW MUCH of them you use and what you mix them with which determines how a product turns out. As she said, like when baking a cake. Nobody would argue that there is a 'higher quality' type of egg that is going to totally justify charging $20 more for a cake. That's just ridiculous and boneheaded. I know that I can completely change the consistency of a product often by just adding a tiny bit of a inexpensive ingredients like a certain type of clay or specific oil which can turn my formula from a gloopy mess into a smooth product which applies amazingly. Likewise when I'm mixing up pigments with other ingredients which make them adhere to the skin better, or make their texture smoother and which make them apply much better. Sometimes just a specific filler type of ingredient, for example, can completely change how smoothly a product applies and how pigmented it actually looks as it glides across the skin. Often all it takes is just a tiny bit more of a SUPER CHEAP ingredient and BAM the product is suddenly spectacular. I made a mask the other day which I wasn't happy with the consitency of, so I monkeyed around and added a bit of this here and a bit of this there - the SAME common ingredients that very large companies use in their products - and it was suddenly perfect in texture. Before that, it was falling off my face. I know what to look for when purhcasing products and personally think it is bloody foolish to think anything with a high price tag on it is automatically better than one with a low price tag. More often then not, I always question that high price, always read the ingredients label, and am always able to determine whether or not something is worth buying from just that. Of course I will also try to apply the product to test how well it goes on, and am usually disappointed with the higher priced products. Most NARS shadows I have tried, for example, are rubbish compared to my other cheaper ones, to be quite honest. No staying power, over priced, poorly pigmented, etc with the exception of a few I have tested out. 2 days ago I was also testing some matte Clinque eye shadows, which were absolutely horrible, yet had a $17 price tag just for ONE. Dusty, poorly pigmented, very poor adherence to the skin, hard to pick up on a brush. Absolute crap. I then finally received my Coastal Scents order today, in which there were some matte eye shadows of the same colors as the Clinique products, and they are spectacular and far out-perform the Clinique shadows. Yet I paid approx $2.49 each for these. 'Spending just because we are women and it's what we do' is one of the most ridiculous things I have heard, quite frankly. That's just a prime example of an immature, irresponsible woman that doesn't use her god-given brain IMO. And also a woman who will selfishly bankrupt herself and her spouse in the end just because she thinks she has the right to spend whatever amount of money she wants on whatever she wants to buy. 

 

[DropsofKarma]

I don't mind spending money on both High End and drugstore quality makeup. It comes down to two things; One, how often am I going to use this product and two, how much good product am I getting per ounce? MAC eyeshadows are about $2.90 per .01 oz. In my experience some MAC eyeshadows are great and some don't have that color payoff that I was looking for. SugarPill's single eyeshadows are .85 cents per .01 oz and the color payoff is AMAZING! But SugarPill's color selection is limited to only bold colors and it's only available online. It's all about finding that perfect balance.

I love using Wet 'n Wild eyeshadow trios for a everyday and even a dramatic night look. Some people ask what eye makeup I use and they are pretty shocked when I say Wet 'n Wild. I save my two Lancome palettes and my Laura Mercier liquid foundation for special events. 

You shouldn't feel horrible about buying high end unless you used up your Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation in less than a month and you are on a tight budget. I understand that sinking feeling you get when you ALREADY have to buy a 50 plus dollar foundation.   

 

[KaytieBaybie]

I totally understand the feeling. I spent almost $100 at Sephora today and bought the UD Naked Palette and a powder brush. I don't even want to think what that amount could have gotten me at the drugstore. I prefer to buy HE because I know the quality would be better and if I don't like it I can always return it (even if it was used). To me I think the biggest waste of money is paying for drugstore products that I honestly may use once and then never again. I have a collection of drugstore products that I don't even touch. If you use it everyday then I see it as more of an investment.

 

[GirlyEnthusiast]

I go for quality products. I'm definitely not going to pay $50 for a "high end" Lancome foundation that's full of parabens, chemicals or fillers. If I'm going to shell out THAT kind of money for one product, it's going to be for something that has a better ingredients list than what's typical on the drugstore shelves. 

That being the case, no, I don't feel guilty.

 

[LadyDragonFire]

I usually feel guilty for spending a lot of money on high end makeup, clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry, perfume or any other high end item I don't really need. (I'm making it sound like I buy high end stuff constantly. Truthfully I don't buy expensive, fancy things all that often.) However, if I know that a higher priced item is actually higher quality than the lower priced version of the same type of thing, then I will splurge and spend more money to get the more expensive thing. Low quality and shoddy products annoy me more than spending lots of money. That said, it kind of also depends on how much I need or want the item too. If I really don't need whatever the item is, then I often feel less inclined to buy it, even if it is fantastically good quality or whatever , lol! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I'm not rich enough to spend tons of money on a lot of things I don't need. That said, I still splurge a surprisingly large amount of the time considering my limited funds. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[SarahNull]

You should never feel guilty or regretful about treating yourself to certain beautiful necessities that you need. Just remember, you bought them for a reason.

 

[satojoko]

*sigh* I am sooo tired of companies claiming their products are 'paraben-free' formulations, and even more tired of people falling for this rubbish and believing everything they are fed. Ask yourself: 'So what are they replacing those parabens with? Products still need preservatives'. Parabens have been replaced by a highly questionable, deemed-as-dangerous ingredient which can actually end up being worse than parabens themselves. It is either strictly regulated or banned in other more on-the-ball countries in Europe, as well as Japan. PHENOXYETHANOL. Go check the labels of your 'paraben-free' products and see how many have this little butt-nugget in them.

Quote: This organic chemical compound is known to adversely affect the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Diarrhea and vomiting are also noted as side effects.

Quote: The most common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, due to its antibacterial properties. Additionally, larger doses can be deadly.

Quote: Side effects of topical application include, but are not limited to, allergic reactions and urticaria. What is urticaria? you may ask. here's some very sexy photos at Wikipedia for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urticaria

 

Yeah....sounds like a stellar replacement for parabens. Dig some more and you will find even more info which should raise your eye brows.  Yet it is allowed in 'organic' products in North America, go figger. 'Organic', another big fat lie if you are not aware of ingredients or how to properly read a label and realize this, as well as where you are being lied to. The regulations have many loopholes which companies exploit to the max, all in the name of profits. Another issue to keep in mind: parabens are in every day foods, even berries, and are impossible to avoid in anybody's life. I still don't believe all the hype about parabens after finding this out for myelf. In addition, high end brands are no more likely to have parabens than  'drug store'  brands, or vice versa. BUT many of each price range WILL have phenoxyethanol. It is THE paraben replacer pf choice at the moment. Personally, I am now choosing products WITH parabens, or better yet with plant preservatives, as often as possible as a lesser evil when compared to phenoxyethanol.

 

[satojoko]

Oh my god, WTH happened to my post?? I didn't use all those fonts *gah*

 

[ByHester]

Dont feel horrible, makeup is supposed to make you feel better! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

In some cases its def better to go for the high end options espacially when talking about foundation and blusher.

Eyeliner, nailpolish and lipstick are items were you can skimp on a bit.

Products that dont last long like a lipgloss are best to buy cheap, unless you love the pretty packaging. Difficult choice!!

With a premium brand you pay for the packaging, commercials but also for the research. All major beauty brands have big fancy labs where they develop the products, they will use the new technology they discover in their premium brands first. After a couple of years they use it on their lower end products aswell. Like Loreal will use thier new technoly onfor example lancome first before it puts the new found product also in their Loreal drugstore products.

If you want the latest discoveries go premium!

Curious, did you buy the lipstick in the end?

 

[satojoko]

LOL I have ELF blushes and bronzers which are at the very least the same OR better quality than my NARS, MAC and other ones which I shelled out far too much for  As for foundations, every single mid to high-end brand I have tried in the past 2 to 3 months or so > NARS, Tarte, Korres, MAC, Makeup Forever, etc etc etc - have broken my skin out. They are garbage for anything other than coverage. Loaded with cheap fillers which prevent the skin from breathing. The exact same filers as the drug store brands. I am now getting some liquid foundation samples sent to me from Monave - free of charge thank god - which actually has spectacular base ingredients and won't suffocate my skin.