Four years ago I began blogging; I was unemployed and living off of what little savings I had at the time. A trip to Superdrug let alone my local Chanel counter was a treat, so I do become a little angry at myself when I disregard a product due purely to it's price bracket. Sometimes I need to remember I am more Jenny from the Block than J-Lo! Before you call me a make-up snob hear me out...
It wasn't so long ago that budget brands (I'm talking MUA, Boots Natural Collection et al) were awful, I'm talking foundations filled with oil that felt like you were slowly suffocating under a thick blanket of orange. Yes orange, as little as six years ago other than the budget brand heavyweights (L'Oreal, Maybelline et al) foundation shades were abysmal. That is why I am so reluctant to try certain brands when it comes to base products. Bourjois Healthy Mix and L'Oreal True Match are two of my favourite foundations ever, but a base product that costs less than £5 will have me thinking and questioning why is it so cheap? Things have definitely improved ten fold but in the same vain I seldom purchase budget eye pencils - not liquid liners but more the traditional pencils. In the past they were dry, tugged on my eye area and didn't present all that much pigmentation. I adopted the why bother approach and shelled out the extra few pounds for a product that I knew would deliver. I can't help but feel like perhaps I have missed out on some really wonderful products?
Lip products and blushes don't faze me at all; some of my favourite finds costs less than £5 let alone £10 but foundations and eye liners (and to some extent mascara) are where I am most picky. Let me state it is not actually the price that puts me off from purchasing (I love a great bargain) but rather the formulation that more often than not comes with cheaper brands. I am a huge advocate of SPF and most budget brands tend to skip that element - I guess to keep the price down? I liken it a little to the once bitten, twice as shy analogy - I know I should give discounted bases and eye liners a fair crack of the whip and yet I more often than not pass them up.
Reading this back, it does seem to be thinly veiled with snobbery - I promise that was not my intention, rather I wanted to reach out and ask if anyone else shared a similar view to foundation? Or perhaps could shed a light on some great penny saving bases?
I know what you mean - some products I just am not sure about when it comes to budget brands. Particularly eyeshadow. The only drugstore brand I've found that offers great eyeshadow is Sleek in Superdrug.
ReplyDeleteRachel | www.currentlyrachel.com
Since I started full-time work I've pretty much only used high end foundations - the high street ones just couldn't deliver the longevity or coverage I wanted and my perfect shade has so far only been delivered by YSL and Nars! I did a foundation round-up last year and with the exception of a couple of Bourjois offerings they were all more than £20...
ReplyDeleteI'll happily use liners, mascaras, lipsticks etc from the high street, but I find spending a bit more on eyeshadow really makes a difference. Sleek are really good but no other brand quite measures up to MAC, Urban Decay, Nars etc!
I have seen lots of bloggers raving about newer high street foundations recently but I'm still not tempted! Fairly happy with high street primers though!
Dani (www.polkadani.blogspot.com)
I need to try NARS!! I just cant seem to find a counter near me! I have survived so far on Maybelline BB cream, and the body shop face powder. I used to love Benefit playstick until they discontinued it - luckily i was ready to let go as it did tend to dry out my skin!
Deletewww.beaucience.co.uk
I know what you mean. Its so hard to tell what will and wont work, that sometimes you know by paying a little extra theres more chance it will be a better formulation.
ReplyDeleteIts mascaras that always get me. Its the curl, or staying power, or water resistance, and how do you know until you try?
www.beaucience.co.uk
I'm snobby about base as well... I've tried the 'holy grail' high street ones but I always come out feeling very meh about them and go back to my high-end favourites (vitalumiere im looking at you!) Which I buy again and again and range from MAC to Becca to Chanel. Concealer I'm the same.. I tried the Collection Lasting Perfection everyone raved about and hated it so I stick with YSL and clarins. Bronzer is another I'm fussy with.. it's hard to find a good bronzed for pale skin that's not orange! I adore L'oreal and Bourgeois lipsticks though, and would buy them over a luxury brand any day, and although I live Benefits new roller lash and MACs haute and naughty I swear by maybelline collosal Smokey eye mascara.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of eye shadow I don't find MAC wear all that well on me, enter a cheap NAKED 3 dupe from w7... Lasts all day, blends nicely and looks great. Cost £5.86. Bargain! I'm also a huge fan of the super hard to find TIGI bedhead shadows. Looooove them.
I totally agree with you here and don't think it sounds like snobbery at all! While I'm sure there are some fantastic foundations to be found at drug stores, I personally have never found one and always stick to NARS foundations.
ReplyDeleteTessa at Bramble & Thorn
I have to admit for base products i do prefer higher end as i just find the finish is so much better and suits my oily skin more. For blushers and lipsticks i have a mixture of brands and alot of drugstore x
ReplyDeleteEmma | Emmys Blog
I definitely agree when it comes to foundation. My oily, acne prone skin has defeated even the most highly rated high street brands - over the years I must have wasted hundreds of pounds on foundations which were discarded just a few weeks later. So now I stick to what I know works - Estée Lauder's Double Wear. It might be pricey but at least I can trust it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, make up has come a long way in the last few years. I have to say my favourite foundation at the moment has to be the new loreal matte one. It is seriously amazing!
ReplyDeleteEmily x
www.emandthem.co.uk
Oooe such a pretty colour
ReplyDeleteCANDICE | BEAUTY CANDY LOVES
I 100% agree that when it comes to bases you get what you pay for. I believe this is generally true in all areas of life, yes the lower end of the price bracket will do the job but not quite to the standard of the high end products available. I very rarely bother with drugstore foundation, although I've heard great things about Rimmel wake me up and L'oreal Infallible! I think it has a lot to do with the fact my skin isn't great so poor formulation is totally obvious on me. I am also slightly snobbish with my mascara..I don't know why as I can't say I've tried a really bad drugstore one for a long long time..I guess I just like the high end packaging. All other bits I'm more than happy to buy at the drugstore...I've never had an issue with eyeliners or eye shadows and even some of the blushes aren't too bad. At the end of the day no makeup is going to stay on your face forever (unless you get it tattooed) so if it's out of your price range the drugstore will do just fine!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, in 2012 I had to head high-end for better quality foundation and even with people raving about drugstore products for the complexion I'm still dubious. Years of orange has scarred me! I do think they've come leaps and bounds but I do prefer some formulas of high-end due to my skin type
ReplyDeleteLauren x
Britton Loves | Lifestyle Food Beauty
Definitely get what you mean! It's not so much the price as it is the quality of what you're buying.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to lipsticks, liners and highlighters/blushes, I LOVE the budget/high street stuff. But when it comes to things such as foundation, liners and mascara, I tend to spend a lot more money there; not because of the brand name, but because of the quality. It's just better!
If high street stores had the same quality in foundation as the higher end brands, I'd be ALL OVER IT. TAKE MY MONIES.
Totally understand, but these days I think there are some really great options out there. Bourjois healthy mix serum is one of my all time favourite foundations (:
ReplyDeleteABlogByPhilippa
Really interesting post! I generally find that I am much happier with my high end purchases than with my low end ones, but I have increasingly realised that this isn't necessarily due to the quality of the products themselves. Rather, I put a lot more time, thought, and research into higher end purchases. For drugstore/high street items, most of what I buy is an impulse purchase. Plus, it helps that you can swatch and test out higher end items. So, while I definitely agree that the quality of low end items has improved by leaps and bounds, I am still drawn towards high end most of the time!
ReplyDeleteJulie
JulesDarling
I completely agree and see where you're coming from with this post. There are certain brands which I do avoid completely based entirely on one bad experience 5 years ago, but bad experiences do stick around longer than good and it's often hard to overcome that! I love this post and it's definitely made me think about where I spend my money when it comes to makeup a little more!
ReplyDeleteHeather, porcelainbeautyx
I couldnt't agree more. I have tried my best to like high street foundations but they just do not do the job that the high end ones can. Nothing rivals the NARS tinted moisturiser or the Bobbi Brown Foundations. They are more expensive but they have better colour ranges, better formulation, spf, hydration and I find they look better on too. To date I've never found a high street foundation which can hold a light to these. I do love highstreet lipsticks though, I think they're getting better and better especially the Borjois rouge edition velvet! I've had to buy all the shades! They are so beautiful! :)
ReplyDeleteI think drugstore/lower priced brands are starting to step up their game! Some of my favourite products are lower priced from Rimmel, Maybelline, Essence etc. I think it's great to give all brands a chance and if you're intrigued by it, try it. Just because it's not high end doesn't mean you won't love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so snobby with lipsticks now to the point where if I have a Mac and a Rimmel of a similar shade I'll wear the Mac without a doubt, eek! I use No7 for foundation so almost high end of the high street I guess? cottonandcandie xx
ReplyDeleteI am a lot like this with bases too, though I have started trying more from the highstreet. The best I have found is Rimmel or L'oreal. x
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you! I've finally found one base product I like but I feel like anything under $20 is going to automatically give me pimples haha (I know this is totally untrue but I can't seem to get past the feeling)
ReplyDeletexx, mel
http://melinspired.com
I don't like buying cheaper foundations such as Collection, however I don't have enough money for high-end foundations so I tend to stick with No7 and other ones near that price, I know exactly what you mean! x
ReplyDeletehttp://allthingsmakeupbeautyandlife.blogspot.co.uk/
I know what you mean i'd rather pay that little bit extra and know the formulation and product works for me especially with foundation. Come to think of it with eyeliner and lipstick too. I'll try high street but always seem to go back to mac, urban decay and higher end guess i just want products i can rely on to perform Adele x
ReplyDeleteacesparklestar.blogspot.co.uk
I know what you mean. There are certain products where you just want to be able to buy something and know that it will deliver what you expect.
ReplyDeleteIn my case I am iffy mostly about bases: I have sensitive skin with redness around the nose, don't like heavy foundations, have very oily skin and need something that will last considerably well at least for 8 hours (work). So yeah, don't really want to play around with things that just "might" work
I'm completely with you, budget make-up ranges have improved greatly over the past few years so they're ideal for anyone to get a good start in trying things out however, it can be very difficult to shake those memories of horrible cheap foundation (urgh)
ReplyDeleteMegan x
London Callings
It's really all about finding what's good and works. I can definitely agree that for things like foundations and eye pencils, good quality and high prices tend to go hand in hand. Cheaper eye pencils just feel cheap and tug at your eye, and the foundations don't always last very long, etc. They're good for getting started, but they often don't work their way into a "holy grail" product list. For things like eyeshadow, lip products, even mascara, drugstore products can be a decent cheap alternative and sometimes a fantastic one, it just depends. I love scouting and experimenting though, it's part of the fun for me. :)
ReplyDeletebigfluffycats.blogspot.com
Erm.. heehee, I'm like that - but only with chocolate & sweets! :D
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to foundation my main issue is getting the right colour match, I don't trust myself to pick correctly so I tend to go for more expensive brands where I can have an assistant help me, maybe even get a sample to try at home, and then know I am spending my money on something I can actually use.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I become very picky when it comes to base and prime. Well to be honest I'm picky at eyeliners as well!
ReplyDeletewww.angerawrs.co.uk
Agree! I'm learning to be more open to drugstore brands, but I still have to fight the notion that you pay for what you get, because that isn't always the case. Thank you for sharing this post!
ReplyDeletePauline | Catpacking
Skincare and base products have to be high end. They sit on my skin all day long, I need to feel safe when I slap them on my face. Mascara too. Well, I used to only buy luxury cosmetic, now I started to accept certain few products from drugstores.
ReplyDeleteI understand. When it comes to base makeups like foundation and concealer, I never look to the drugstore. However, for items like blush or eyeshadow there are some great options at the drugstore.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Series
Don't think this snobbery at all! I think it's good consumerism because it's a waste of money if you buy on drugstore makeup and it disappoints you. Definitely agree with kohl eyeliners and I'd like to add powder eyeshadows are a pass at the drugstore for me.
ReplyDeleteErin | Erin and Katherine Talk Beauty
I think going high end for foundations is probably a good idea most of the time - however I do think high street ones are better these days than they were 6 years ago! Bourjois for example do great foundations that cater quite well to fair skin, although most high street foundations still don't have an adequate shade range so we might go high end for a proper match and a nicer formula :)
ReplyDeleteSabrina Jaine
I must admit, since blogging I've become a total makeup snob. My dad's philosophy is always "you get what you pay for" and that has really come across on my skincare and makeup preferences. I tend to disregard the budget brands despite all the raving reviews that they're amazing and some of them are dupes for the more expensive products. I'm very wary of what I put on my skin and I'd rather spend more in order to get the best quality ingredients. I know this isn't always the case but I've just been 'stuck' with that. More and more I'm trying to expand my options into the drugstore brands and at times I do find some products that work very well!
ReplyDeleteTweezers and Tongs
Back in the olden days, in the US at least, there used to be a more clearly defined hierarchy with drugstore products - Revlon, Helena Rubenstein and Coty were top, Maybelline and Cover Girl were in the middle, and then things like Artmatic (like Wet & Wild) were at the bottom. Now that L'Oreal, Lancôme and Maybelline all have the same parent, the lines are much fuzzier.
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