High end cosmetics vs. Drugstore

Jan 5, 2013

Elizabeth C.

I personally have never tried any high end brands, i.e.; MAC, UD, Make Up Forever, Lorac, Illamasqua, Dior, Chanel and the like. Although I will say Inglot is one I DO want to try. As a makeup artist, I depot all my bronzers, shadows, blushes and anything else that I can. I label them by colors and by finishes.I have never had a client ask what brand I am using, And I have never (fingers crossed) had any complaints about the end results. That being said...

Do the higher end cosmetics really live up to the hype? Seriously, brands like Wet'n'Wild have a huge color selection, especially with their color icon palettes, and more and more tutorials I have seen are using them for MAC dupes.

What do you all think of this? I am really interested to know. Would you rather pay the price for a MAC product, or get 10 times that amount of product from e.l.f. or W'n'W?

Jan 5, 2013

Erin W.

I'm not one to buy high end. I am a drugstore cosmetic junkie and I have lots of good quality makeup from Walgreens CVS etc. and YOU are a makeup artist so you know right ?!

Jan 5, 2013

Becca M.

Being a makeup artist, I would expect the makeup artist to use the best products out there on my face!
High end products are, called high end prestige products for a reason.. it's half & half. There are products you can campare. As an aspiring artist, I want the BEST OF THE BEST products to use on my clients.
For myself, drugstore is another story!

Jan 5, 2013

Talulla K.

Drugstore cosmetics are usually of as good quality, but thats depending on the brand. Some cheaper cosmetics won't last as long though, but are easily replaceable. Overall, I think it would come down to personal taste. 

Jan 5, 2013

Becca M.

If I may ask, how do you depot your drugstore products?
I have tried numerous times & have not succeeded? What's your secret? 

Jan 5, 2013

Megan M.

Personally, I like drugstore make up for a few things, I started with just drugstore make up. But I find I like high end make up better. The products just seem to last longer and go on better. Or that's my experience. The only thing I buy that's drugstore make up is concealer and mascara. But even then there are high end mascaras I still enjoy. 

Jan 5, 2013

Mary B.

As an artist, this is a tricky question. It's all about ingredients when it comes to skin care. This is also true for your BB creams concealers and foundations. Some of the very high-end brands that I have used personally, have been all hype and all packaging. Try before you buy

Jan 5, 2013

Taylor J.

It depends on the product. Usually there is a drugstore dupe of a high end product :)

Jan 5, 2013

Emma T.

Drug store is great for starting out but in my opinion high end is generally made without things like parabens which I like, so better for your skin and better lasting power and pigmentation. 

Jan 5, 2013

Christine K.

I started buying higher end products for the simple fact of the "purity" and "cruelty free" aspects of most of the higher-end products. I too, am curious about Inglot and trying their products. With all that said, I do believe as far as color goes, there will always be a drugstore dupe to a higher end makeup. So - in the end - it all boils down to personal preference.

Jan 6, 2013

Nikki T.

High end. For some things but there is no need to buy anything Dior or Chanel. 

Trendybeautyandfashion.blogspot.com

Jan 6, 2013

Elizabeth C.

I have found that my drugstore products work just fine. If I have a client that specifically asks what brand of make up I use, I tell them. Most seem happy with it. If the client uses a specific brand because of texture, ingredients or just preference then I will use their makeup. I have yet to have a client object to this.

As for depotting the make up, the key is to use heat. Heat the bottom of the packaging until the glue becomes hot and loosens. Some brands are easier than others. Here is a link to a playlist (hopefully it works) that shows how to depot makeup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9_lxrCrxxc&playnext=1&list=PL13F5906841D76C77&feature=results_main

Jan 8, 2013

Becca M.

Wow! That makes complete scents, I have no idea why I didn't think of that..thank you so much :)

Jan 8, 2013

Caitlin M.

I love my high end products! They just work better for me. I've tried my share of drugstore products and I always end up back at high end because I'm not satisfied. I would rather spend a little more money on a product I'm going to be happy with than save some money and try to make a subpar product work. Not to say that there aren't some good products out there, but overall I definitely go for high end first. 

Jan 8, 2013

Elizabeth C.

I appreciate everyone's input and responses, and I thank everyone for being polite :)

Jan 8, 2013

Shannon W.

From my understanding what your paying for in high end product is pigment. That is also what makes it more pricey. You can have an almost identical color between MAC and wet and wild, but you will need to put on several layers to match just one of MAC. Also, there was an article on this several years ago where they broke down the price. Although high end makeup is more expensive to begin with, in the long run it costs less because you don't typically use as much. That being said I don't think trying a different color in a drugstore brand to see if the color suites you then buying high end if you like it is a bad idea. I personally only own a handful of drugstore makeup. 

Jan 8, 2013

Osiris A.

I feel like u get what u pay for ;) 

Jan 8, 2013

Amanda R.

In my opinion, it totally depends on the brand and the product. Recently I have fallen in love with the Maybelline ColorSensational Lipsticks. Moisturizing, long lasting, and pigmented. I use them just as much as my MAC and Lancome lipsticks. I also started using Loreal's Infallible Eyeshadows--I'm glad I never invested in Armani Eyes to Kill or Lancome 24h Infinite. However, I do use a CoverFX primer and Estee Lauder foundation, things that I am wary of purchasing from the drugstore. (But yes, I do own Revlon Colorstay.) My collection is all over the place, but mainly consists of high-end. Hey if you find a product at the drugstore that you love, there ain't no shame in saving all that money. :p

Jan 8, 2013

Nicole A.

For all if you asking about Inglot yes amazing products except there mascara. I have to agree with the high end side here overall I feel that high end does last longer. 1 example a MAC lipstick i may have to apply twice in a 12hr period they are my favorite and only lipsticks I use. Ive probably given away 100s of dollars in drugstore lipsticks. Outside of revlon colorstay foundation everything else comes from a counter.

Jan 8, 2013

Roya L.

It depends on the product. If you want to go more in-depth, check out emilynoel83 on YouTube. She uses both high end and drugstore makeup, and not only has great tutorials, she also reviews a lot of products and finds drugstore dupes for high end makeup. 

Aug 12, 2017

Kate O.

Highend all the way I only use high end makeup my self nothing else, 😊😊👍🏻👍🏻