Drugstore vs. High End Cosmetics. There seems to be a constant blogger battle over drugstore vs high end cosmetics. I have read many posts weighing in on this topic and I thought it would be a good time to add my own two cents. So is there really a difference between high end beauty products and those that we find at the drugstore?
I’ll get into the specifics of what is worth the splurge and what isn’t in future posts, but to answer this question, well yes there is in fact a difference. Mostly. Let’s be clear on the fact that, in general, I’m not interested in wasting my money. If I can find a great product on sale, then so much the better but that being said, sometimes I think that it’s important to spend a little bit extra on a product that will last longer and be healthier for your skin. Although I love everything beauty, I’m not very interested in buying lots and lots of different products. I know what works for me and what doesn’t. In fact, this is one of the ways that I save money. I simply ask for samples and use those. If I love the product then it can become a part of my beauty basket and if not, then it’s not a big loss. This way I don’t have a ton of unused bottles cluttering up my bathroom. I am not a fan of throwing away product that has gone bad just because I didn’t get a chance to use it.
Here are some factors that you may want to think about when deciding between drugstore vs high end cosmetics
Consider the ingredients. Unless you are using an all natural product, your makeup will contains things like: fragrances, preservatives, emollients, fillers and other compounds and that’s not even counting the actual colour pigments. In department store brands, these base ingredients are usually higher quality. You may find that those products last longer, are more gentle on your skin and their application might be smoother. Get to know the different makeup companies.
Take a good look at the colour. The department store brand’s colour just may be richer and more intense than its drugstore counterpart. This is most likely because it contains more pigment and less fillers.
Let yourself be spoiled. While I can spend hours wandering through the beauty isles, sometimes it’s just nice to have someone guide me. I really enjoy getting to know the beauty experts at my local department store because they get to know me and can recommend products that I know I’ll love.
I’m sure many of you have great opinions on this topic and I’d love to hear them!
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17 Comments
Interesting post, so helpful!!!!
Tnx for sharing Caroline!!!
Ciao my fashion friend!!!
Happy wed!!!
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Thanks!
xo
great tips Caroline!
kisses 🙂
bea
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Thanks!
xo
I’m up for trying anything, but I usually don’t buy drugstore make-up, save for some tried and true staples (like Maybelinne great lash mascara). I agree with you on the perks of having a make-up lady to consult with at high end cosmetic stores. I did notice recently that the Duane Reade by me actually has a consulting make up lady now. It was kinda off putting at first LOL
♥ Gita @ mimiandchichi.com
Thanks for this! I’m not generally a huge fan of drugstore brands as I find the quality just isn’t that great and I don’t really use the products more than once or twice.
xo
It´s better to invest in a few quality products, than purchase a huge amount of products just because of the price.
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Agreed!! I find that shopping that way I usually wind up spending less on my products because I’m not constantly buying something new.
xo
Great tips Caroline. I dont like hoarding cosmetics or beauty products either and prefer owning a few good ones that work. I like a mix of drugstore and high end but posses just 1-2 items in each makeup/beauty category.
Agreed! Sometimes I buy something cheaper on a whim but I find that I never wind up using it.
xo
Hi Caroline!!!
Ciao bellissima!!!
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Thanks so much for stopping by, always appreciate when you do!
xo
While these are all great things to keep in mind, I have a hard time with spending a lot of money on makeup at the moment. I’m a theatre major, so I go through certain kinds of makeup really fast. I would break my bank if I tried to spend much money on high end products. I love my drug store brands, and I know they’re hit or miss, but I stand by them. For sensitive skin, I have friends who live by Physician’s Formula products.
Of course I can understand that! When I was dancing I didn’t spend a lot of money on makeup either but to be truthful, now that I’ve gotten older I find my skin just asks for higher quality makeup.
xo
Interesting article! I’m more of a high end kinda girl, but I do love browsing around in Boots for nice picks!
Agreed! I usually buy high end but that doesn’t mean I can’t wander through the drugstore aisles.
xo
This post is so relevant to my life. I always suffer from post-Sephora guilt spells, but like you said, the pigmentation is so much more concentrated in certain high-end products relative to drugstore ones! For me it usually comes down to wearability. I treat myself on the stuff I know I’ll use on the regular and go for the drugstore product when it comes to “trendy” items like orange lipstick or whatever that I’ll barely use. I’d love to see you write more posts about this in the future!
xo
Ash
http://www.vogueanatomy.blogspot.com