Why do people spend tons of money on something as simple as an eyeshadow?

Aug 8, 2011

Kayla W.

I was just wondering whats the point of spending so much money on something as simple as eyeshadow....I mean i understand if you want and high end foundation but why spend so much money on something when there are some cheaper drugstore brands that are equal or better quality ??? 

Aug 8, 2011

Chyna W.

The only drugstore brand I will use as far as eye-shadow is Loreal H.I.P. line because they are so pigmented. My experience with other drugstore brands were that they weren't as pigmented as they appeared to be or the shadows were grainy and didn't have a great huge color selection of cream shadows that don't have shimmer. The only large palettes I find in drugstores are by e.l.f. and I hate those lol. I know for me that's why I tend to get my cosmetics from Sephora or MAC. 

Aug 8, 2011

Korie S.

It may be because the quality of different brands show. Some may be more pigmented and longer lasting and there may be other colors that drugstore brands may not have. I would only buy higher end eyeshadows if its a color I really need and I know I will make good use of it. 

Aug 8, 2011

Rai C.

Nothing wrong with someone having a preference in their makeup brands. So if they have the money then why not spend it on something they want. It's all a personal choice. 

Aug 8, 2011

Yasmin K.

I have to agree with Raisa.

In my opinion some people spend more on so-called high end products more for the name brand. It's like this, to me, I can go buy a really cute purse at Target for $20 while someone else can go buy a Coach purse for $2,000 and that Coach purse isn't any better than my Target one, it's merely about the brand.

Now not all drugstore cosmetics are the same quality but then again neither is all so-called high end.

I only own one MAC shadow (Jealousy Wakes) and regret having spent that much money on it. All my LORAC and Urban Decay shadows I bought on Hautelook or on clearance at their respective sites. I only own two big name brands that I paid full price... no three... Kat Von D Truth palette (which went on sale the month after I bought it for half price so that irked me), Urban Decay's NAKED palette (which I hardly use) and a Make Up For Ever HD foundation. Anything else is either drugstore or I bought on sale/clearance.

Aug 9, 2011

Samantha G.

i have a lot of drugstore shadows that i love but i also have quite a bit of high end shadows i love too. instead of buying singles though i usually just do a palette.. like UD's naked. they're all full sized and it was a great value.

i found i use less shadow with a high end than i do with a drugstore shadow. im going through the drugstore shadow faster because i have to dip my brush in multiple times to get any color pay off. that's not true for all drugstore shadows but it's true for a lot of them.

i also like high end shadow because i can go to sephora or where ever and swatch it before i buy it. that way, i can tell the pigmentation/texture/etc before i waste the money :)

but when i'm buying a high end shadow, i make sure it's one i'll get a ton of use out of. if i buy a quad for example, i'm going to make sure i love every color. if i don't, i don't buy it

Aug 9, 2011

Soma S.

I'm selective when it comes to my finishes and pigmentation, so I go high-end normally for eyeshadows. I do find they have less fall out and better staying power. I'm sure there are lots of decent eyeshadows that are great quality from different DS brands, but I'm also the kind of girl that likes everything uniform in one palette, so I try to stick with just a handful of brands so everything doesn't look so out of place. I prefer to buy things in pans if possible since I feel all that extra packaging for a duo-compact of eyeshadows is a waste. Even though I am technically getting more for my money w/ the packaging, I'd rather spend more to be kinder to my planet if possible.

Aug 9, 2011

Whitney D.

@Kayla great question. For me I have a mixture of high end and drug store brands. I started out using my local beauty supply makeup brands and slowly branched out to Wet n Wild, NYX, and Elf and then Urban Decay, MAC, Lancome, and Smashbox. What I have found is that if you buy the right brand regardless of the price you will be satisfied. Wet n Wild is just as pigmented as MAC and in some cases has presented dupes. However the color selection in your Wet n Wild palette might not be as big as something you would see in your Urban Decay palettes.

In addition I get this question all the time from my friends, but I tell them I go high-end brands for palettes and sets. For instance my Smash Box Style Files collection was $55.00 at Sephora but came with 3 separate palettes for eyes, lips, and face. This is said to retail for $180.00. Urban Decay is famous for putting out palettes in the range of $30.00 - $60.00 with 3 to 15 eye shadows (depending on palette), and additional lip product, 24/7 eye liner, or eye shadow brush (depending on palette) and charging you $18.00 for a single eye shadow with the same amount of product.

Lastly, people with allergies and burns. Cover FX is a high end brand that focuses on covering up extreme blemishes on burned victims and people with allergic reactions. I know there are some drug store brands that focus on allergic reactions and you were talking about eye shadows but I think this is a serious point on why people choose high end brands.

Overall, you really have to inspect and know what you are buying. You will find that you can get great steals from any brand.

Aug 9, 2011

Kimberly W.

it's about pigmentation in some case but I like using a mixture of both, more expensive doesnt always mean better quality.

Aug 9, 2011

Yvonne T.

Because a lot of higher end products really do perform very well,...and people who have the money to burn feel like its worthwhile to spend more on something that is really good quality.

Also, hype plays a lot into it. 

Aug 9, 2011

Yasmin K.

Here's something to consider... there are more people who are allergic to MAC cosmetics than they are to so-called "low end" products like Wet 'n' Wild. So is MAC really better when the ingredients in it causes allergic reactions while the so-called "low end" stuff doesn't?

Aug 9, 2011

Korie S.

@Yasmin that is so true! Just because the product is high end, it doesn't always mean its better than low end products. 

Aug 9, 2011

Jane A.

I don't mind people's preference, and I am all for the "if you have the money, why not spend it, especially if you can afford it?"

I have seen nice looks with high end products, and I have seen NICE looks with drug store products. Majority of the makeup aficionados have high end and drug store products in their kit/arsenal.

The only thing that will bug me a second are the makeup snobs. But if you think about, they are usually the ones just getting into makeup and pretty much don't know any better. 

Aug 9, 2011

Theresa G.

I agree with Raisa.

My opinion....It's all about trying out products to see if they are or equal to certain brands. So far Inglot has been my number one go to eyeshadows. They are reasonable in price and excellent quality and quantity. I did have a MAC faze only because the varity of colors. But to achieve the color you have to pack on twice as much and it is time consuming especially if you are working on a client. So to spend extra money on something that can speed up the process for clients is deff worth it.

Aug 9, 2011

Vanessa R.

I think it is a name brand thing..... I will admit, I was a MAC junkie, and dropped hundreds, and hundreds of dollars in past years! And then I got smart lol.... Hey if you have the money, and dont mind spending it, go get em girl, but me, I am thrifty, and in the process of looking for compareable products, I also found new brands that I will use forever. I also think saying you have MAC, Urban Decay, NARS etc gives off the impression that you are very makeup educated, at least I thought it did for me....But I am so happy I dropped that bad phase, I still have MY MAC faves, but I have so many others now, and they are so much more affordable!

Aug 10, 2011

Sahily P.

I agree with you Theresa. Inglot is an awesome brand and very reasonably priced. I generally spend more on my products because I want to offer the best for my clients, after all if they are paying me to apply makeup for a special occasion, it is important that I use products that are going to last them and look its best for the entire time they are wearing make up, as well as photographing well. There are also many pro brands (Other than MAC) that offer products at reasonable prices, you just have to shop around. 

Aug 10, 2011

Tamara R.

The same reasons people will spend a lot of money on anything.. hair, skincare, clothes, accessories & shoes.

Aug 10, 2011

Angelique D.

I agree with Raisa too.

I'll admit, I love my higher end stuff but I never neglect my drugstore stuff. My uncle is a makeup artist & he always says "Red is red. No one will know the difference between wearing drugstore or MAC" & I live by that. Most the high end stuff I own are usually in palettes (so for example my 15 Anniversary Palette was $55 but I basically paid 3.66 an eyeshadow) I like finding deals like that with my high end stuff. I don't own many single eyeshadows from higher end brands. But I always use drugstore foundation, eyeliner, & mascara. & I like using a mix drugstore & high end lipsticks, lip glosses, & eyeshadows. I also love the Coastal Scents 88 eyeshadow palette & cheap brands like NYX & ELF.

Aug 10, 2011

Chyna W.

Very true @ Tamara R

Aug 10, 2011

Jackee M.

I love both high end and low end! I think some high end products are better in terms of quality, but there are also low end products that do the job just as well! I guess in the end, it's all about preference.