Did you ever wonder why Lancome foundation costs $44 when you can get CoverGirl at Walmart for $5? That’s a 900% price increase. Name brand always comes with a price, but is there more to the story? I decided to find out with a little research.
According to an article from US News, a small group of manufacturers make the majority of makeup brands, both designer and drugstore. For example, the same company owns L’Oreal and Lancôme. In other words, the people who made the L’Oreal you buy over the counter have the same knowledge and use the same labs as those who make the Lancôme you bought at Neiman Marcus last week. However, there are a few key products that are worth the splurge. How do you know when you can opt for cheap? Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
Foundation, concealer, and blush = Designer
The more the product is on your skin, the more important it is to use quality ingredients. Designer foundation, concealer, and blush use greater pigmentation, which creates more even color. In the case of foundation and concealer, the higher quality ingredients also mean your makeup will cake less on your face, avoiding breakouts.
Eyes and lips = Drugstore
Eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara all have life spans of fewer than three months. Because they start degrading so quickly, designer brands quickly lose any advantage they have by using different ingredients. And in the case of lipstick, it’s plain and simple – it’s exactly the same anywhere you buy it.
Sources
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter.