Wednesday, November 21, 2012

"What do you think?" Wednesdays - Make-up snobbery

Cheap make-up was something that I always, always fell for. By fell for, I mean as soon as I saw the $3-$6 dollar price tag, you could literally be guaranteed that it was in my hands ready for purchase. Over time I found a common relationship between the price and the quality of the product - the lower the price, the lower the quality.

There are of course, exceptions to this rule, with particular products from brands like Essence, (and even BYS to a point) that are products I use on a daily basis, love, and only have to fork out $5 or so to get hold of it, but in general, most of the time I have found that you get what you pay for and that is that.

When I woke up and realised my mistake, I did a turn in the opposite direction and found myself overlooking anything that was suspiciously low, dismissing it as complete rubbish that I didn't need. The didn't need part was certainly true, but as for it being complete rubbish, sometimes I was wrong.

There are gems out there that you can pick up for next to nothing, but they are difficult to find and don't happen all that often.

I know many people who only consider purchasing makeup with a somewhat impressive price tag, and I can kind of understand that - you feel like you can be guaranteed quality and that you can trust the product itself - what is in it, where it has been made etc. I do feel a little sorry for people like this though, because they miss out on all the cool 'drugstore' brands like Face of Australia, Australis and Rimmel, preferring to go for the significantly more expensive and understandably better quality brands like Clinique and Estee Lauder. What they don't realise is that whilst they may have a makeup collection full of products I am ridiculously jealous over (Nars and MAC are products I only dream about!), I am having all the fun with FOA lip crayons and Rimmel Nail polishes that are still lovely products that only cost me a fraction of the price.

So when it comes down to it, I can understand why some only trust the really high end brands, and whilst I personally think that they are missing out, I kind of get it, but here is the part I don't get:

 I know some people who openly, and proudly admit that they never purchase anything on sale. What?!

Sales are my life! I can go a whole year desperately wanting a product but vowing to only purchase it when it goes on sale. I struggle to buy things when I know that within one or two months I could get it cheaper. The way I see it, picking up things on sale means that you still get good quality products, but you can buy more things with the same amount of money! Who wouldn't like that? I pride myself on being a wonderful bargain spotter.

But some people are different to me and think it is almost, dare I say it...shameful. It's almost as if they have to prove to both themselves and everyone else that they can afford it full priced, or that they only ever purchase the best things. I will never understand how a sale can be frowned upon because for me they are about the greatest things that exist and I will forever hunt through grotty bargain bins to find that perfect lipstick half price.

What do you think about all of this? Are you suspicious of cheap makeup in general? Do you look down on sales or are you like me and think they are heaven? Be sure to vote in the poll on the right hand side and leave comments regarding the matter!

22 comments:

  1. I am suspicious when it comes to BYS because I find most of the stuff aren't that great... some are okay.
    With regards to Essence, most of it is great!

    I'm not really suspicious of cheap makeup anymore, now I go crazy and buy heaps because when I see cheap makeup among the many overpriced brands here in Australia, I jump at the chance.

    And sales are my life too! Despite being a heavy spender, I like to save when I can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true, Essence is certainly better than BYS so I can understand why you are a little bit suspicious. I also go crazy because like you said, it is so unusual to find cheap makeup amongst all of the crazy expensive stuff here in Australia. Thank you so much for commenting!
      xx

      Delete
  2. OMG, I LOVEEEE SALES! Sales are what I live for haha! I feel less guilty when I buy make-up on sale, because I know I'm getting a good deal. When I see a sale sign, all of my self-control goes out the window! I cannot fathom why people would not like a sale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay - a fellow sale lover! I feel less guilty too haha, it's probably the worst thing I could stumble across because I end up purchasing so much, but they are just the greatest things! Thanks for letting me know your enthusiasm for sales! :)
      xx

      Delete
  3. I'm gobsmacked! Who wouldn't want to buy something on sale?! That's just crazy.

    I am so happy I discovered the beauty blogging community. Before I would have been a bit wary of cheaper products (probably because 5-6 years ago when I was first into make up they were pretty bad), but when good reviews are so accessible it is easy to find the best gems. I love finding new shades of ulta3 in bins and I'm happy to buy 10 of those instead of 1 bottle of OPI. I probably wouldn't buy a cheaper cosmetic (I'm talking Essence, BYS, ELF cheap here) without first reading a good review about it or the brand. I have no problem with buying brands like FOA and Australis because I know their products are great quality.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree - it is crazy!
      Oh my goshhhh, totally forgot about Ulta - it's amazing, I love their nail polishes! You are so right about the blogging community, I have been introduced to the greatest things because of them and I am so appreciative of it! FOA and Australis are always good quality I think, but I get why BYS, Essence and ELF are a bit more suspicious.
      Thanks for taking part!
      xx

      Delete
  4. I admit that I am suspicious of cheap makeup but I rely upon blogs and reviews to find the good quality cheap makeup as I don't care about the brand if I can save money! In saying that, I do shop from MAC and Benefit a lot as I buy it from overseas and I find that the price of them overseas is only a tiny bit more than buying "cheap" makeup here in Aus.

    I LOVE sales... I live for sales.. I never pay anything full price as everything eventually goes on sale and then I can get more of what I wanted! :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to have MAC and Benefit products, they are absolutely devine! Reviews really are so useful, I rely on them a lot! Nice to see another sale lover, they are so much fun!
      xx

      Delete
  5. I prefer high-end brands for skin care (right now, I am only using Clinique, and that costs me a fortune!) But for make up, I have a selection of cheap and expensive products. Most of the high-end make up I own is bought online, or when I go overseas! I love finding discounted products, or cheap brands with decent quality. I usually try the cheap brands once, and if I don't like that particular product, I will snob the brand forever!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh good point, when it comes to skin care I think the higher end brands are probably more effective. Interesting theory, snobbing the brand if you get a dud, but I guess it's up to the brand to impress you in the first place...no second chances! Haha.
      xx

      Delete
  6. Oh dear me! What a subject!
    I love cheap make-up. I love it. I love ALL make-up to be more exact! How could you not?! If you're truly a beauty enthusiast, you should be willing to give anything a go, at the very least, and if you don't like it, then fair enough! But there is definitely no harm in trying out cheaper make-up (because you certainly aren't wasting a lot of money!)
    I'm shocked to hear the fact that some people never buy anything on sale. It does seem a little bit... well, kind of snooty? I mean sure, I will buy something I "need" for full price, even if I know it might be on sale in a months time, but then there are things that I really, really want that I will wait months on end for them to come on sale! I'm not ashamed of loving a bargain!
    This is a great subject Candice! I can't wait to read what other people think! I mean, each to their own, but at the end of the day who doesn't like getting more bang for their buck?! :D
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think you have to be willing to give stuff a go - I mean, who wouldn't, makeup is makeup! It's so strange isn't it, that people won't buy things on sale! I'm like you, I prefer to get stuff on sale but sometimes you just have to go full price. Thanks for your support, now that I've posted the comments we can all see that we're very much alike! What a lovely beauty community!
      xxx

      Delete
    2. You're so right! It's great to read other people's responses and find we all have similar views! :)
      xx

      Delete
  7. sales are heaven.
    I do the same thing with waiting a few months because I know I can get it cheaper! That's my situation with the revlon just bitten kissable balm stains right now! :P
    I can hardly wait!
    Great post! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heaven! The Balm stains are too expensive for my liking, but I managed to snatch one up on sale and I really like it! Thanks for commenting!
      xx

      Delete
    2. Priceline are doing Buy 1 get one free for revlon lip products! I think thats a sign for me to start stocking up on those just bitten kissable balm stains! :P

      Delete
  8. I absolutely agree with you with this whole post! Of course you get what you pay for but sometimes how expensive something is doesn't determine its quality! People who don't buy things on sale really frustrate me too, I don't even understand why they would refuse sales! Exactly the same product for cheaper, why wouldn't you? I love sales and only purchase things on sale ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you agree, sometimes you can find amazing gems so cheaply! I don't understand why you wouldn't go for sales either, they're the best!
      xx

      Delete
  9. I'm a bit of a snob I think. High end makeup is a lot affordable than high end apparel.. e.g. I like that I can afford a Chanel foundation because I can't afford a Chanel bag.

    Although having said that, I think Essence is amazing... not too sure about BYS. Also, I like purchasing things that are on sale. I absolutely hate paying retail... so that makes me a bargain make-up snob? :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no, not a snob! :) I hadn't thought about being able to afford high end makeup but not high end clothing...makes sense.
      Thanks for commenting!
      xx

      Delete
  10. This is something I have always toyed with! I'm not a snob, but I do wish I had an amazing mac collection.. WHilst there are somethings I spend a bit more money on, if there is something I want, it doesn't matter the brand or the price, I will probably always get it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're back! Hooray! Ooh MAC has products I've only dreamt about.
      xxx

      Delete

Questions? Opinions? Feel free to comment as I love to hear what you have to say!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...