Resolution "LOW-BUY" 2014! Who wants to play?

[veronikawithak]

Exactly! I think it's important to keep in mind what you pay for - and only a small percentage is actually the product itself.

Definitely!! If I could mix up my own lipsticks for a fraction of the cost and have them look as good, I for suuure would. Alas, it would probably be more expensive than just buying the ones I like given the amount of times I would fail in the result lol. And if I liked drugstore lipsticks, I would buy those! The shades and formulas just aren't the best on me and my MAC ones I love to death and think they're worth the extra 8 dollars or so, especially since drugstore makeup is getting more expensive too. I'm also okay with buying the occasional Chanel lipstick or something if I really love it. That being said, I do save on other things like body scrubs, shaving cream, face cleansers, moisturizers, etc. since I mix my own.

 

[Knope2012]

I don't know whether it was posted in this thread, but could you post the link to the checker?

Thank you, I will check those out!

 

[elkaknits]

my favorite mascara forever and a day {like over 20 yrs} is Loreal Voluminous. Tho they apparently have a new butterfly brush that is catching my eye. To be honest other than the old Dior Cashmere {not parfait and I don't think it was waterproof} in Purple or Navy it is the only mascara I have continued to buy time after time. I haven't seen the dior in a long time but it used to be my HE mascara from over 30 yrs ago. Haven't found any HE since worth a repurchase. Yes I have tried many favorites such as Chanel and Lancome.

to be super honest unless I am going for a color mascara {I love navy and purple to bring out the green in my eyes} it doesn't seem worth it to spend $$$ for black mascara. But that is me.

 

[trina11225]

Quote:Originally Posted by Knope2012

I am in need of a new mascara as all my samples are out. My favorite is the Chanel Volume, but I really don't want to spend $30 on a mascara right now. Does anyone have a suggestion for a cheaper one that they've been enjoying?



Maybeline Rocket

 

[veronikawithak]

I don't know whether it was posted in this thread, but could you post the link to the checker?

http://checkcosmetic.net/

 

[elkaknits]

I don't know whether it was posted in this thread, but could you post the link to the checker?

I got it from somebody else on this thread and bookmarked it. I have been going through all my things with it. Some stuff like MAC cosmetics purchases I can date by release or online order status things and others by when I started wearing it.

I distinctly recall my husband's ex-wife making a comment on my smash box make-up right after I started wearing it and I haven't repurchased since.... that was in the Oct '07. Yes I was friends with his wife. In the TMI column she encouraged me to go out with him since she was stepping out and I refused to do so until they were separated. But I always respected him and @ a year after they separated we became a couple instead of just good friends. But either way because of the whole drama I clearly remember when I got them.

Anyway link:

http://checkcosmetic.net

 

[Rainbunny]

A lot of it is just the perception or image or status, which they can get us to pay for. I'm sure if you could do a "blind taste test," so to speak, very few could pick out the difference between a high end and mid-range lipstick. And the pretty packaging and feeling that you have a luxurious item may be worth it for some. I remember seeing a study somewhere in which people had paid too much for certain items, and they interviewed them afterwards and told them they had overpaid. Almost all of them said it was "worth it" and justified it in some way because they didn't want to admit to themselves that they had wasted money. We are willing participants in a lot of this, which is why it is a profitable industry.

 

[Rainbunny]

Definitely!! If I could mix up my own lipsticks for a fraction of the cost and have them look as good, I for suuure would. Alas, it would probably be more expensive than just buying the ones I like given the amount of times I would fail in the result lol. And if I liked drugstore lipsticks, I would buy those! The shades and formulas just aren't the best on me and my MAC ones I love to death and think they're worth the extra 8 dollars or so, especially since drugstore makeup is getting more expensive too. I'm also okay with buying the occasional Chanel lipstick or something if I really love it. That being said, I do save on other things like body scrubs, shaving cream, face cleansers, moisturizers, etc. since I mix my own. 

I do think there is value, however, in a fashion-forward companies like Mac or Nars, which showcase new colours and textures and trends. They also provide a lot of application information for their customers, so there is some value in that as well. I just don't think it is worth paying so much more for the deluxe levels above those types of brands on a regular basis, unless the feeling that provides is truly affordable for one's budget. I worry that people who can't really afford it get the idea that they should scrimp and save or get into debt for deluxe products because it is "worth it." Better to spend that kind of money on good shoes for a job interview or something, which can help one get ahead because that is more the sort of thing where perception is important, like it or not.

 

[veronikawithak]

We are willing participants in a lot of this, which is why it is a profitable industry.

I need to get a friend to try this with me!! Pick out a drugstore lipstick and a MAC dupe and put them on me while I'm blindfolded to see if I could tell the difference.. lol. Although when I've done those kind of things with say Coke/Pepsi or a name brand/no brand chip for example I can always tell which is which. It would be interesting to see the results of that with cosmetics! I've tried a couple of the Revlon Lip Butters and their counterparts in the MAC lustre formula and I found the Revlon colors to be too muddy/opaque and they melted/wore off a lot faster for me. Same with Color Tattoos/Paint Pots. But who knows, maybe it was all in my head?

I agree that when people are told they've paid too much for an item their first instinct is to justify it, that's been researched over and over again. I do think there's something to be said for the "you get what you pay for" argument though. The curve of the relationship of quality to price just levels off at a certain point, where you're paying a huge percentage more for something that's only a small percentage better. And some brands obviously inflate costs just for appearance of status rather than actual quality. You just have to decide when the trade up is worth it to you.

 

[veronikawithak]

Better to spend that kind of money on good shoes for a job interview or something, which can help one get ahead because that is more the sort of thing where perception is important, like it or not.

Oh absolutely, I completely agree with you. I mentioned in a previous post that I would never buy a Chanel foundation or another YSL lipstick or something because I've tried them and I don't see the quality there. My Chanel lipstick is my favorite formula, but I only have one and I really considered the purchase before I made it. Would I buy another? Maybe, in the future, once I've used up almost all of my other lipsticks and if I still think the formula is much better than other brands (it may not be, by that time). Other than that, the most expensive things I own are my Hourglass powders and NARS foundation, both of which I love and spent time researching and considering. If there was a cheaper highlighter or foundation that had the same formula or color match, I'd be all over it. And I definitely don't think it's worth going into debt for ANY cosmetic item, HE or not! It's all up to personal taste and financial situation.

 

[Rainbunny]

I need to get a friend to try this with me!! Pick out a drugstore lipstick and a MAC dupe and put them on me while I'm blindfolded to see if I could tell the difference.. lol. Although when I've done those kind of things with say Coke/Pepsi or a name brand/no brand chip for example I can always tell which is which. It would be interesting to see the results of that with cosmetics! I've tried a couple of the Revlon Lip Butters and their counterparts in the MAC lustre formula and I found the Revlon colors to be too muddy/opaque and they melted/wore off a lot faster for me. Same with Color Tattoos/Paint Pots. But who knows, maybe it was all in my head? :wink: I agree that when people are told they've paid too much for an item their first instinct is to justify it, that's been researched over and over again. I do think there's something to be said for the "you get what you pay for" argument though. The curve of the relationship of quality to price just levels off at a certain point, where you're paying a huge percentage more for something that's only a small percentage better. And some brands obviously inflate costs just for appearance of status rather than actual quality. You just have to decide when the trade up is worth it to you. 

Yes, I totally agree with you. I mean, really bad makeup does exist! And probably almost every half-decent company does come up with some products that are miles ahead of the rest on occasion. I'm mostly skeptical about the difference between mid-range and high-end (and, in some cases, the best of the drugstore). Does that small percentage better really exist, or is it just perception? I suspect most products at the mid-range and up are all pretty well-formulated for the most part, although almost every company has a few real duds or stand-out products sometimes.

 

[SleepingBeauty]

I just hit the pan on my Crew highlighter powder.

I haven't realised that I wear it that much... I love it but I won't be sad when I finish it because I've got plenty other blushes that need some love.
Also, I resisted every temptation in the drugstore today, even though my mum wanted to buy me something.

 

[veronikawithak]

Yes, I totally agree with you. I mean, really bad makeup does exist! And probably almost every half-decent company does come up with some products that are miles ahead of the rest on occasion. I'm mostly skeptical about the difference between mid-range and high-end (and, in some cases, the best of the drugstore). Does that small percentage better really exist, or is it just perception? I suspect most products at the mid-range and up are all pretty well-formulated for the most part, although almost every company has a few real duds or stand-out products sometimes.

I'm pretty skeptical about the mid-to-high range jump as well. MAC is the large majority of my items, followed by NARS and MUFE. I have 3 Hourglass products (not sure if people consider them HE or not but their powders are like $52 in Canada - that's HE to me! lol.) and my 1 Chanel. Haven't found anything else I'd be willing to splurge on out of all the things I've tried.. Although I've definitely found a difference in some products, for the large majority of them I've found the mid-range items to be at least the same if not better quality.. And there's definitely duds in every brand depending on what qualities you like your formulas to have.

 

[princessjest]

My HG mascaras are both by No.17 - Va va volume is my favourite I don't own much HE stuff, mostly chanel nail varnishes and some of those chip so easily! Here In France Hourglass is at a HE price point and I am really keen to tr y one or two of their ambient lighting powders. Mac, Mufe and nars tend to keep me beyond busy! I haven't bought anything in Feb yet but I used up the last of my studio fix powder which I use everyday and I have enough for 2 B2M lippies. I have gone OTT on vampy lippies lately ... so apart from those kinda shades what are your favourite lipsticks from the perm line?

 

[veronikawithak]

I forgot to add my face of the day: Paradisco, Amber Lights, Rose pigment, Peachykeen, HG Luminous Light, MUFE 19L eyeliner, Patisserie lipstick.

I only have 4 more lip products to go before I've cycled through all of them this month! On some days I've worn one during the day and then switched it up for evening, but I've been trying to reapply every time it looks like I need to rather than applying once in the morning and then scrapping it for the rest of the day. I also picked out my 5 oldest lippies, all from 2012, and am working on using those up by this summer.

 

[kerry-jane88]

I forgot to add my face of the day: Paradisco, Amber Lights, Rose pigment, Peachykeen, HG Luminous Light, MUFE 19L eyeliner, Patisserie lipstick. I only have 4 more lip products to go before I've cycled through all of them this month! On some days I've worn one during the day and then switched it up for evening, but I've been trying to reapply every time it looks like I need to rather than applying once in the morning and then scrapping it for the rest of the day. I also picked out my 5 oldest lippies, all from 2012, and am working on using those up by this summer.

Oo I have rose pigment, might crack that out tomorrow! And picking out the oldest lip products to use is a good idea Ill give that a go.

 

[Rainbunny]

My HG mascaras are both by No.17 - Va va volume is my favourite I don't own much HE stuff, mostly chanel nail varnishes and some of those chip so easily! Here In France Hourglass is at a HE price point and I am really keen to tr y one or two of their ambient lighting powders. Mac, Mufe and nars tend to keep me beyond busy! I haven't bought anything in Feb yet but I used up the last of my studio fix powder which I use everyday and I have enough for 2 B2M lippies. I have gone OTT on vampy lippies lately ... so apart from those kinda shades what are your favourite lipsticks from the perm line?

My all-time favourite was Chic, which I believe has been discontinued recently, but if they still have it there, it's a lovely rose. It's a frost, but not overly so, just gives a nice dimension. Every time I looked at the permanent collection, I would be attracted to it over and over again, and then laugh when I saw that I had picked it out again out of the line-up. I think Syrup is probably going to be my substitute when I finish my last bullet. Chic is still the best colour on me, ever, so I hope that Syrup will be up to the job!

 

[Knope2012]

I haven't bought anything in Feb yet but I used up the last of my studio fix powder which I use everyday and I have enough for 2 B2M lippies. I have gone OTT on vampy lippies lately ... so apart from those kinda shades what are your favourite lipsticks from the perm line?

Thanks for the mascara recommendations In my opinion, the Hourglass powders are completely worth it. I have the limited edition palette and the individual powder in Diffused Light, and I love them both. I use Diffused every day and it gives me a flawless finish.

My favorite permanent MAC lipsticks are Up the Amp, New York Apple, Syrup, Lovelorn, Patisserie, and Naked Paris.

 

[veronikawithak]

And picking out the oldest lip products to use is a good idea Ill give that a go.

I love it. I only have Melon and Rose as pigments and I always forget to use them even though I always love the look of them.. They're just kind of off on their own! haha. Now that I'm keeping track of everything I use, when I see a blank spot for that month's column I know to use that product! A couple of my lippies like Patisserie and Peach Blossom are half done so I'm hoping it won't take me too much longer to finish them up if I really work at it. I only need 1 more for a B2M!

 

[princessjest]

Thanks for the mascara recommendations In my opinion, the Hourglass powders are completely worth it. I have the limited edition palette and the individual powder in Diffused Light, and I love them both. I use Diffused every day and it gives me a flawless finish.  My favorite permanent MAC lipsticks are Up the Amp, New York Apple, Syrup, Lovelorn, Patisserie, and Naked Paris.

Diffused Light is the one I would really like to try, I want a finishing powder not a blusher or highlighter so it seems to fit the bill best. Syrup seems to be getting a lot of love I will be sure to check it out, I am also considering Speak Louder,Vegas Volt, CYY or replacing my PinkPink Nouveau that I lost.