Random observation...

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I can think of better ways for me to spend the $4 or whatever that i save buying drugstore. Im not quite as "addicted" to makeup as alot of people on here though hahahah

 
I agree definatly. I live 2 hours away from Sephora and MAC and about..30 mins away from Walmart and those types of places. I agree that MAC isnt that much more expensive then some of the DS brands at all. I mean, yea I spent 30$ on MAC foundation when I could have gotten it for $10-$15 at a DS but the DS foundations never appeal to me - but MAC's do. So if I was to buy the DS foundation, I would probably and up buying another 1 a week later because I wouldn't be happy with the first one so i'd basically be spending the same as buying 1 GOOD one from MAC that im actually happy with. If I lived closer to a MAC and had more money (im only 16 so I basically have to ask my mom still for money for makeup) I would definatly be buying pretty much everything from MAC or which ever company had products that worked well. I don't care about brand names I just care about quality so i'd be willing to spend the extra $$ for good products, and the fact that MAC isnt that much more expensive then the cheap crappy brands makes it even better. I just hate where I live!

 
MAC occasionally has free online shipping codes. This makes it even more affordable especially when you live far away.

 
Originally Posted by emily_3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is what i said in the L'oreal hip thread. I mean their stuff is like 9.99 and up, for that reason ill just get mac stuff. The only good thing about drugstore stuff is that you can get BOGO and get two for the price of one. I agree its nearly as expensive as MAC and MAC is actually one of the cheapest "high-end" cosmetic. Yup...ITA!!! MAC is actually one of the cheapest "high end" cosmetic lines out there, and I think that's one of the reasons why it's so popular. I was really tempted to try loreal's HIP pigments, but it was like 11.99 or 12.99 I think from ULTA. I was like, okay for a couple bucks more you get a huge MAC one. The only way that would make it worth it to buy that is if it is BOGO, which ULTA occassionally has. That's why I pretty much stick to my one true love when it comes to drugstore brands, which is NYX. One e/s is like 3.99 or even cheaper at some places and the color payoff is very comparable to MAC. Milani is super cheap too, and they almost always have BOGO sales or half off sales. As for foundation, I stick to my Revlon colorstay because I have sensitive skin and I'm scared to try anything else. I just bought a backup for 11.99 BOGO at Walgreens! That's a deal! But yeah, pretty much I stay away from drugstore stuff that's too expensive except for some drugstore HG makeup!! LOL
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I buy both. Some things I will wait for the BOGO in the DS, others I will bite the bullet and pay the big bucks...But I'm starting to spend more money on the expensive brands thanks to all of you here
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I've always bought everything in between whether it's ds or dept store brands. I only buy ds when it's bogo bc it's so not worth it when its not. But sometimes its easier to find things in ds than at walmart or target. to me, a whole lot depends on what i'm buying and the reviews i read. before I ever buy anything i review it all over the place whether it's a ds or dept item to find out if it's even worth trying out. if i'm lookin for new eyeshadows i usually try the cheap stuff to see if the color even suits me and then buy the good stuff. the only real stuff i buy at the dept stores is my basic face products such as foundation and concealer and thats merely for the fact that you can test stuff out and you always have way more colors to choose from instead of doing the hit and miss stuff at the ds. the rest (eyes, lips, cheeks) i just get at the ds (somethings always on bogo). Usually if you got the bare canvas perfect then the rest falls into place.

 
Some of my HGs are drugstore products because I haven't found any high-end products that work as well on me. I love MAC, but I have actually found drugstore stuff that's better in some cases. *please don't hit me* LOL

 
I know that drug store brands and MAC are similarly priced. I bought a L'Oreal mascara from the drugstore the other day and paid about $10 for it. The only thing for me is that the drugstore is not consistent with their products: sometimes they have it; sometimes they don't.

I love MAC products, but I love L'Oreal's mascara.

 
i buy more expensive make up because i like the quality and packaging. Now i've tried better stuff, i rarely use ds makeup

 
I have to disagree, don't hit me either haha! To some people, that is a big difference. If I can save 4 bucks on one thing and 5 on another as you said, that's money for something else, such as a meal at Wendy's that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Also, your examples are the extremes. Yes, some drugstore products are priced similar to MAC, such as Loreal HIP, but many more are not. Brands like Maybelline, Covergirl, Rimmel, Jane, nyx, etc are all considerably cheaper. For instance, a single eyeshadow at MAC is $14, while they would be around $4-7 for these brands. Also, a MAC lipglass is $14, and I've never spent more than $7 for a drugstore gloss. So some of these products are half the price, which REALLY adds up!

I do agree about accessibility too, the closest MAC to me is about an hour away, and I much prefer being able to run to the walmart 3 minutes from my house to get what I want. I agree with whoever said they didn't want to be bothered while shopping too. I can't stand pushy salespeople, I just want to look at the makeup myself!

 
oh well everyone is different. I rather go to a HE store which is very accessible to me as i live in the city instead of buying something I wont like in a drugstore and then being hassled because i have to return it.

 
Originally Posted by emily_3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif oh well everyone is different. I rather go to a HE store which is very accessible to me as i live in the city instead of buying something I wont like in a drugstore and then being hassled because i have to return it. Valid point! You can't really return/exchange DS brands without a huge hassle. And even if MAC doesn't BOGO or have sales, what about brands that DO have GWP? To me, with the exception of a few select items, I haven't had much luck with DS items. To me, it was just a constant waste of money that I could've spent on something else.
And yes, we will all have our preferences and opinions. I'm not saying we won't. I don't think my cases were all extremes though. L'Oreal (not including HIP), Revlon, Rimmel, Maybelline and CG e/s don't hold a candle to NYX! I've never once had a good experience from them. And even most blushes by those brands haven't been good with me (with the exception of any LE blush - those all seem to be great)! Lipsticks are really the only thing I don't have a lot of negative experiences with.

Not to mention, there's an issue with being able to access NYX, Prestige, and Jane for some. I've lived here for going on 3 years and only have found ONE store that carries Jane, and two that carry Prestige, but NO ONE carries NYX! So, I end up having to order online (unless I drive 3 hrs. to NYC for it). So, there's still an accessibility issue with even DS brands.

 
For me high-end is stuff like Chanel, Mid-range is Cargo, Mac etc, and lower-end is Maybelline, Rimmel etc.

 
I find that with department store brands you get more quantity for the price, as well. For instance, every drug store foundation I have tried has had much less product than a MAC or Clinique foundation would

 
Good point! It's funny, I haven't even touched any of my drug store stuff since November! LOL I might be turning into a snob! Anyway, another way to save lots of money is with Stila's value sets. I picked up 3 value sets when Sephora was having their 20% off and that alone saved me probably 70% off of retail!

 
I've been thinking that ever since I made the realization I was spending loads of money at rite aid for like same amount of products I get at MAC - then when I turned into MAC-hoe. So, I stopped going unless it's something I really like. Like, DS mascara is always way better to me than high-end ones and eyelashes...

I rather spend that extra dollar on something that'll look better. Although some DS are very comparable to higher-end stuff. Like L'Oreal HIP and MAX Factor.

 
Especially in a country where we pay more for cosmetics anyway.

Bourjois here is a drugstore brand but most of it is only a few ££ cheaper than MAC. I buy Max Factor Masterpeice mascara for £8.99. I can get a MAC one for £10.

What you have to consider is accessability. I can walk into town in 10 minutes and buy these brands. I have to get on a train for nearly 2 hours to get to my closest MAC counter.

 
I am finding some drugstore products are going up in price. Lipsticks, foundation and blushes are becoming higher in price. Luckily the Shoppers Drug Mart near my house is really good about returns. The cosmeticians know me, lol. So if I try something I hate they will take it back and I always return within a day or two of the purchase. Walmart is cheaper compared to SDM. But by the time I drive or take the bus (gas or bus fare), it is cheaper to walk 7 min to Shoppers. Most of my drugstore purchases are mascara, eyeliner, brow powder/pencil, and cosmetic brushes. If there is a product I really like or want to try, I try to wait for a sale.

I haven't found a drugstore foundation I like so I am willing to spend more on one that works for me. I also like MAC eyeshadows because of the pigmentation but have also discovered NYX and Milani are good. I haven't found a decent drugstore powder blush so I will spend more and buy MAC blushes.

 
I think that most pople who can only afford ds products wait for them to go on sale or clearance at the drugstore. It seems like you can't get MAC on sale.. I know I wait for my Maybelline mascara to go for $4 on sale, which is about a $10 difference if I was to go get a mac mascara.

 
I am not really into MAC, not like a lot of people. But I do love Smashbox (which in a lot of cases is more pricey than MAC. That is why I always get it when it is on QVC, I get a ton of stuff for under 50 bucks. I have also gotten a few things from Smashbox super cheap at ULTA, so I agree you might as well get the high end stuff if it is only a few bucks more. especially since the quality is so much better (n most cases) I have to have my Telescopic mascara that stuff is like gold here, lol.

In the case of gloss, I have been really loving the ELF stuff, I mean for a buck there is not a whole lot than can touch that price, even if you have to apply it more than a few times a day, lol.

 

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