Pearl of Wisdom: Cheap Cosmetics

You would meet a lot of people if you literally smeared pancake on your face everyday.

"With only a few soft accents". What?!

Oh dear.

This is creepy on every single level.

Sending out my invites right now

I'm doing a paper on Marketing Communications (advertising, basically) this semester. I wish I could write an essay on these, instead of Ehrenberg's Bloody Nudging Theory.

Anyway, I got completely distracted! My point with these was that the Beauty Industry has always been a huge farce. It's all marketing. It's all smoke-and-mirrors. I think that's pretty common knowledge, but it's also true that there is a key difference between Maybelline and $2 Shop makeup: Culpability.

It may all be the same product, at a chemical level, but it actually isn't quite. The bigger brands have to try much harder to make sure their products won't give you cancer. Oh, don't get me wrong, they don't really care about your face. The more their products ruin your face, the more products they can sell you to fix it. Still, they are ultimately culpable at a higher level than cheap cosmetic companies, which does make a difference to the product's quality.

What this means for us as consumers, in my opinion, is that when it comes to purchasing cosmetics, we shouldn't be so scornful of brandless cosmetics. I should be able to walk into Price Mart and buy a $1 eyeliner and not feel like everybody in the store is judging me. Because that eyeliner is almost exactly the same as a Revlon one.

EXPOSURE TO SKIN:
I think the decision between whether to go for a 'culpable' brand or to go with the cheapest option comes down to what the product is. My rule of thumb is that if it's going to go directly onto my skin, then I want it to be held to a much higher standard. I will gladly pay $60 for a good foundation. Primer and moisturizer too are worth some extra consideration. But things like eyeshadow, blush, lipstick and mascara don't make a good enough case, in my opinion.

SKIN TONE:
For cosmetics that have to match your skin, like foundation and concealer, buying online is far riskier. Avoid at all costs. It's hard enough finding the right shade in a store, with the product actually on your skin. Powder can be worth taking a risk on. You usually can't even try it in store, and it's a light product. I only use powder under foundation nowadays, as it helps the latter stick and last longer, so I buy more expensive, as it's going all over my face.

UTILITY:
Another major consideration is whether a product is going to be used regularly and whether you are certain you will get a good use out of it. I like to buy a ridiculously cheap product to trial a new colour, etc. I wanted to give peach blush a go, but I wasn't sure if I was willing to pay $15+. So I bought one off of ebay for about $4. I use it a lot, it's really good. Blush goes on, usually, over a layer or two of makeup, so it doesn't matter if it's bad for your skin. You also don't need to use much. It doesn't matter!

TRIALLING:
There are a couple of makeup items (eyeshadow and lipsticks, namely) that come in such a plethora of colours, it's super hard to find the right one. I've made the mistake of getting overwhelmed and just grabbing a pretty colour only to get home and find that it doesn't really suit me so many times. It's an expensive mistake! These days when I'm thinking about how a fuschia lipstick and green eyeshadow might just suit me perfectly, I head online and see if I can buy a really budget one. If I get it and it is a good colour for me, I'll consider giving Rimmel some money in exchange for one that's a tad better.

Side Note: You know what's a ridiculous product people pay too much for? Lip liner. 

SERVING SIZE:
I have a Natio blush that cost me $20. It's tiny. If I used it every day, I'd get about 3 months out of it. My online bought blush is huge, and the colour is very intense, so I only use a little a day. I've used it for over 3 months and I have yet to see evidence that it is not an everlasting tray. The physical size of a product and the amount you'll use of it each time are equally important. If you're cautious about buying budget cosmetics for health reasons, go for an intense colour, so you use less and lessen the effect on your skin.

APPEARANCE:
I haven't mentioned whether there is a noticeable difference between the look of an expensive cosmetic and that of a budget one because I don't believe there is one. I have the Clarins Neopastels eyeshadow palette that looks really pretty on the posters of the models and it comes in a cool container. But outside of these symbolic features, the product itself is really average. It doesn't last long, the colours look a bit cheap on the skin and they just end up making you feel bad for not looking like a Pastel Goddess.


TL;DR: Trial cosmetics via cheaper alternatives. Check if it suits you. If not, then you didn't waste much money at all. If so, then you can either stick with the cheap one or get a pricier brand name one. Also, don't skimp on buying foundation! That stuff's all over your face!


Here are some links to some cheap alternatives, each in a range of colours:
Lip Stick
Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow Palette
Blush
Lip Liner
Nail Polish
Lip Gloss


There's a brand called The Balm Cosmetics that sells really cheap on Aliexpress and has amazing packaging, if you're really set on that. Hell, there are heaps of cool finds, I'll do a Gems post on cosmetics at some point!