I don't mind "shrinking" of items like blush because I have finished *maybe* 1 blush in my life, but the corresponding price increase is what hits me 😂
I purchase so much less makeup compared to even a couple of years ago that I generally don't buy dupes unless it's of a product that isn't cruelty-feee.
My problem" are the prices. It is not a long ago that L'Oréal mascara was around 10-11€ and now the newer one around 13-15€. Even catrice or essence are not really cheap anymore.
I buy so much less makeup then I did 10 years ago. Now I have favorites that I repurchase. The only thing I’m on the hunt for is an under eye concealer.
Drugstore brands is owned by this big big brand that owns the high end brands. So they are made a lot of times in the same factorys. So they just make cheeper version of the same product. And with clever marketing make people to buy the more expensive version.
My theory: originality requires R&D resources which are not cheap. While R&D is required to dupe an existing product, it's not as labor intensive. More labor = more money which would bring drugstore prices up to a degree the public wouldn't tolerate.
I feel the love for eyeshadows has also changed quite a bit. We are looking for more neutral eyeshadows that are simple 2-3 steps max. I used to love eyeshadows and experimenting colors but now I just own a few colorful eyeliners and use simple eyeshadows.
I'm just guessing here but I think consumers habits have changed over the past years (maybe since Covid? idk). The overconsumption impulse and hauls trends and makeup collections that take up an entire room have been replaced with smaller, more curated collections, so it makes sense that people prefer to invest in fewer but higher quality products.
I think about this at least once a week. Immediately after Covid, there was a huge "back to makeup" moment where people could dress up and go outside again! But I think in reality it made anything pre-covid seem dated, so now we like fresh faces and loose clothes, even if they're expensive, dressy, and luxurious.
I find this fascinating as someone who lives in Australia. High end makeup retailers are still few and far between but shopping centres have many stores carrying “drugstore” brands. Also Mecca (retailer that send high end and luxury beauty) never ever has sales on high end makeup but at least once a month you will find L’Oreal, Rimmel, Maybelline etc on half price sale at some retailer. However, brands like Milano and Elf are priced very high compared to other drugstore brands we have (Elf liquid blush $18 vs Rare Beauty $45, Elf Halo Glow $35 vs Charlotte Tilbury $70), but overall I think the “drugstore” brands would be doing a lot better than high end. It’s only in the past 3 months that we’ve gotten access to brands like Merit, Glossier and Tower 28.
I have never commented on a video. For me, I never knew anything about prestige makeup and places like Sephora were intimidating. UA-cam has contributed almost 100% to my shift from drugstore to higher end, because now I am familiar with the products.
Love your take! 10-15 years ago I would browse drug store as much easier, but with Sephora at kohl’s and Ultas seemingly everywhere and in Target, it is more convenient for me to go to either now and browse the high end!
I went to CVS the other day, and everything required employee assistance or was sold out. Meanwhile, there’s a Sephora in every mall, on every corner (in LA) and in retailers such as kohls. In addition to that, Sephora is now on DoorDash for same day delivery for the same shipping rates as drug store retailers. Moreover, as i try to intentionally cut down on how much i spend on makeup (as i used to over consume so much) i just opt for a “better product” over buying several. Your points are amazing and there’s just so much to unpack.
i still love me some drugstore but i do find myself buying less makeup due to the prices of some of these brands. brands like essence, catrice and wet n wild stay pretty affordable but brands like revlon and loreal have just kept climbing in price. making some of their products inaccessible to even drugstore consumers.
Deliberate dupes definitely have taken the fun out of dupes. The discovery is gone. As to purchasing, I am old fashioned; I still prefer to buy in person because too many online purchases have been disappointing. Online photos and swatches aren’t reliable so I mostly prefer to see the product first, even after watching reviews.
As someone with dry and sensitive skin, I’m often forced to buy high end products that are safe for me to use. I’m waiting for the day when drugstore brands will make more products for sensitive eyes and skin!
I usually buy in store and only buy online if I can't find in store or if the prices are better online. I always always plan and research items. Rarely do I impulse buy.
Several reasons : I'm just over drugstore when their prices are no different than mid tier with a coupon /deal from ulta or sephora. No testers so even more difficult to shade match. Since makeup takes a while to finish up I rather now at least enjoy the packaging as well than dealing with leaky pumps or poor plastic covers that break over time . Add on elf supporting mikayla ...I'm out.
I don’t buy drugstore makeup because there are very little/no displays to swatch the products and find a good shade match. $20 for a drugstore foundation is high risk for me considering the shade ranges are not as advanced AND I can’t swatch them. I would much rather go into the prestige section and spend double the amount if it means I can find a shade match
I haven't bought very much since Covid , and I've paired down my makeup so it mostly all fits inside one medium size makeup bag except for the items that have to stand up so they don't leak. I normally just repurchase what I was already using , if I want to try something new I have to go in the store or find tons of swatch pictures to make sure its a color that will work for me if I buy it on line, because I have that magic cooltone skin that turns everything orange 😂
I have always bought high-end products. I personally want one or two of a category, not 10 or more cheap. I want the entire experience, which means, it's almost always high-end for me. I have purchased a couple of dupes, but then I never reach for them...I've stopped purchasing them. Love your content ❤
I have a very small collection of makeup but every piece is high end. I'd rather have nice makeup for more money than just okay makeup for only a little less!
After covid I got back into buying makeup. I have been a Clinique girl since I was a teenager. I decided to go drugstore for lower prices. To my surprise the Clinique brand started having better sales, not so great free gifts though, so with prices skyrocketing I still stick with Clinique.
The local Boots where I live in the UK has just reconfigured their store to include two more rows of make-up, including brands like Elf. However the population here are very conservative so there doesn't tend to be anything too 'out there'. In other words their selection is boring as all hell. I get my make-up usually from independent brands on Etsy.
Dupes don’t bother me because it gives me the opportunity to try something at a lower price point. The elf halo glow is one of my favorites for an example. I also don’t think everything is a dupe. Rare Beauty didn’t invent pigmented liquid blush. It went viral for many reasons, and some of that is based on brand name.
In Canada we used to have testers in the drugstores before covid. Now that the prices are closer to high end makeup I'd rather just go to Sephora and swatch things instead of risking being disappointed by a shade or texture.
Same here! I’m in Canada and I’ve wasted so much money trying to buy dupes at shoppers or Walmart but then the color is wrong because I couldn’t swatch at the store :/ waste of money!
I’m a person who’s always bought only drugstore. I’ve had one or two higher end items from friends throughout my life. I remember the first high end product I got was a Stila eyeliner from a friend for my birthday in highschool. I remember thinking how much she must have spent on me. But these days, I wear makeup mostly as self care. I engage in it for the fun of it and for the experience of using the products and playing. So to me the appeal of a pretty product with nice packaging that fits the aesthetic I want, has increased since when I used makeup as something to give me extra confidence. In this way, I the utilitarianism of makeup for me has decreased. Also now that I don’t wear it as often I don’t need a lot of product. Making buying smaller products in nicer packaging more appealing as I don’t waste what goes bad. Things I want a lot of for a utilitarian purpose I still buy from the drugstore. Like powder, setting spray, eyebrow pencil. But the things I buy for fun, Like blush and lipstick end up being things I’ll spend more on. This is something I’ve realized is very sad to me. Where I love the experience and having cute and cozy products to use, I also don’t support the idea of paying more for anything just because it’s prestige. Therefore I end up buying more brands like glossier (until they raised prices,) bare minerals, winky lux, and things that have nice packaging but are still aren’t as high as they could be. I don’t like to put my money into a brand that is only charging more because they can. And I LOVE a brand who can provide a nice experience at an even lower price like Moira and colourpop. Although I don’t like the fast fashionification of colourpop either. Anyway, those are just some thoughts from a person who thinks a lot about things like this. I’m thrifty because of chronic illness keeping me from working, but also desire comfort for the same reason. (Just to tell you where I’m coming from.)
To add to your point about accessibility, a lot of drugstores in my city are closing, and the ones that are open have absolutely terrible beauty sections now. The makeup isles are picked over and seemingly never restocked, nothing is in its right place, it literally looks like they are waiting to sell out of the last few items before shutting down those isles. 😢
I stopped buying because of pricing which is approaching high end makeup and quality is going down. I've always used drugstore mascaras and they were perfect. In the last 1-2 years I noticed that they started to dry out extremely fast and that they weren't usable anymore after 1 month. I bought multiple in different stores and online in case some of them were opened already. With high end mascaras I never have this problem, they seem to be perfect for months. Then when we compare pricing I almost fell on my ass when I saw that the newest L'oreal mascara was 15€ in the drugstore and for literally few Euros more I can buy Lancome Monsiuer Big.
You nailed it. With the high cost of drug store brands and the fact that i hardly ever walk into a drug store these days…. I just prefer buying high end now. With the occasional drug store item I pick up at Target, I always just go to Sephora or a department store or online. I try not to buy online because I fear we will not have any stores to go to soon if online purchasing continues and that just hurts everyone. The lost jobs and social interaction will suffer. Great video! Thanks for sharing! I’m subscribing! ❤
I shop make up online. Half the time is not a nice experience shopping in a shop. 50% of the time people aren’t nice the other 50% you barely find the shades you need or want in the shop… No longer anytime feels fresh or original… and half the time for the price of a drugstore item, I can get a high end one for almost the same price when in discount.
Over the years I've gone from repurchasing my drugstore staples, to mainly going to the better priced asian drugstore options and some high end counterparts. They've closed the gap enough that it's only a little more to buy the higher end option, so I'm using that coupon and going for the better packaging! And I always, always calculate price per ounce
A couple of things to note. I have larger than my friends friends makeup collection and I have all the basics covered. What I buy now is items that are beautifully packaged or speak to me, which is not typically drugstore products although I will ride and die on Maybelline‘s lifter glosses, the best ever.
Drugstore makeup is also less accessible from a disabled perspective. I need to be having a good day to get up and drive to the pharmacy, which involves finding an accessible spot and breaking down/putting up my wheelchair. Then there are fewer people to help you find, select, and physically reach cosmetics in a CVS. At Sephora, the employees are present and often available to help grab items, but most are within reach, at least at the Sephoras I shop at in metro Detroit. If I can't get to Sephora because of my disabilities or because I'm having a bad day, I just shop online with, as you mentioned, free shipping. Even though I have to pay shipping with Ulta, it's still easier to shop online than drive to the pharmacy.
Loved this video. To be honest most drugstore products are not so readily available for us Europeans. I wish to try some drugstore products such as Covergirl but the high shipping fees put me off. Therefore I usually tend to gravitate for more premium brands since it's easier to have free shipping, discounts and gifts with purchases.
The last few years most of my purchases have been researched using reviews etc. sometimes I’ll grab a random single eyeshadow from a drugstore brand, mayyyybe a lip liner or color eyeliner. But majority of the time it’s from research (UA-cam, ig)
i love shopping in store, but unfortunately every time i go to buy makeup in-person i feel like everything is just opened and used? lmao especially drugstore makeup, but i’m starting to see it in sephora too. forget ulta, every ulta is always a mess. it sucks lol
Given the option, I prefer indie over both drugstore and high end. That being said, I do have a draw to higher end products, the few Luxury pieces I own I purchased second hand. I do wander the makeup aisle at my drugstore, but I have little to no interest in purchasing anything because I am happy with what I have at home. Occasionally the drugstore hits one out of the park (I'm looking at you Elf lip oil.) I am just so uninspired by what the drugstore has to offer, ir makes me choose to walk away rather than make a purchase.
In today’s cost of living where rent is $3,000 a month and you’re paying $100+ on food a week for one person, a $40 foundation is an imperceivable expense. All I end up caring about is how it looks and feels, and that I know it’s not price gouging me. $20, $30, $40, $50, it does not matter, it all kind of feels like the same amount of money relative to my other expenses. And it doesn’t seem like there’s really any $10 products out there anymore. Additionally, even if I use a product that is “drug store”, I didn’t buy it at a drug store, I bought it online. The term has kind of lost its meaning, and I’d imagine for younger generations that’s even more true, where they may have never even purchased makeup in a drug store in their entire life. As for the size of products decreasing, good! I never seem to be able to finish a product before it goes bad anyways. I’ve maybe finished one eye shadow pan and a couple small foundation bottles my entire life.
So if something happened to all of my eyeshadow and all of my highlighters. I would just save up my money and buy one really good one. I think the drugstore is lacking in both areas tbh at least in regards to quality
Do you know if there’s a correlation between employment rates and the fact that people are buying high end products over drugstore products? I think as I’ve gotten older I can afford higher end products and have been excited about trying cult classic products since I can afford them now. I don’t buy as many products from the drugstores now
For me, I vastly prefer to buy mid-range products like Tower 28, Rare Beauty, LYS, About Face, etc. While slightly more expensive, I think these brands have more attention to detail, better color ranges, more exciting products, and packaging that feels nice, original, and doesn't fall apart. Those things will always be worth a few extra dollars to me. Also, being able to swatch/shade match these products at retailers is HUGE because I used to waste so much money/product trying to guess shades at the drugstore, and it's way too expensive to risk a bad shade match now. I know you can return, but I hate doing that as it just goes to waste.
I think part of the reason luxury brands are growing even during the cost of living crisis is because of doom spending. People now prefer to buy cool trendy expensive stuff to try to soothe our collective anxiety and distracts us from how shitty the world is, although this mindless consumerism is just a small dopamine hit and in the long run it just makes things worse.
Interesting take! I still exclusively buy drugstore. I think another factor to this is "the lipstick effect" or whatever they call it, basically where worse economic times sell more lipstick. The idea is that people aren't able to afford the actual luxuries in life anymore, so they turn towards the small luxuries. That and the fact that they've turned towards younger consumers, who have always fallen victim to cult mentality and needing the fancy items to fit in
I dont think the increase in drugstore vs HE is perceived as “less worth it”. I think the issues lies more within being able to afford it instead. “Anyone” can afford a drugstore lipstick. Not everyone can afford a lipstick from YSL. Being or not worth it is not completely attached to their price tag.
The stats shared reference a bit of both (full articles linked) but I'm mostly speaking from the perspective of the states because that's where I live :)
i hate having to point out this because, at the end of the day we are all working class, but you said it yourself, ulta carries drugstore (and others, even elf has a beauty program) so it's as easy to access as sephora and dupes are not the reason why prices are going up but capitalism and ours is late stage capitalism and pure greed. also, high end brands are made in the same factories.
i agree with the pricing and lack of innovation but also shades. for some reason drugstore shade ranges are still terrible for brown and black people. either the shade isn't available or the undertone is completely off. that and lack of hero staple products. the elf halo glow is one such staple product but the constant dupes etc lead these brands to not one product i will always stick to for that brand. i remember the essence mascaras nyx buttergloss being products i bought over and over again.
The prices in drugstore exploded and i think twice now what i'm buying.
Same, girl. The prices are wild!
Right like at that point I’ll just buy high end
I don't mind "shrinking" of items like blush because I have finished *maybe* 1 blush in my life, but the corresponding price increase is what hits me 😂
I purchase so much less makeup compared to even a couple of years ago that I generally don't buy dupes unless it's of a product that isn't cruelty-feee.
My problem" are the prices. It is not a long ago that L'Oréal mascara was around 10-11€ and now the newer one around 13-15€. Even catrice or essence are not really cheap anymore.
I buy so much less makeup then I did 10 years ago. Now I have favorites that I repurchase. The only thing I’m on the hunt for is an under eye concealer.
@@jessicaseven L'Oreal isn't cruelty free in the first place
Drugstore brands is owned by this big big brand that owns the high end brands. So they are made a lot of times in the same factorys. So they just make cheeper version of the same product. And with clever marketing make people to buy the more expensive version.
My theory: originality requires R&D resources which are not cheap. While R&D is required to dupe an existing product, it's not as labor intensive. More labor = more money which would bring drugstore prices up to a degree the public wouldn't tolerate.
I feel the love for eyeshadows has also changed quite a bit. We are looking for more neutral eyeshadows that are simple 2-3 steps max. I used to love eyeshadows and experimenting colors but now I just own a few colorful eyeliners and use simple eyeshadows.
I'm just guessing here but I think consumers habits have changed over the past years (maybe since Covid? idk). The overconsumption impulse and hauls trends and makeup collections that take up an entire room have been replaced with smaller, more curated collections, so it makes sense that people prefer to invest in fewer but higher quality products.
Your right
I think about this at least once a week. Immediately after Covid, there was a huge "back to makeup" moment where people could dress up and go outside again! But I think in reality it made anything pre-covid seem dated, so now we like fresh faces and loose clothes, even if they're expensive, dressy, and luxurious.
I find this fascinating as someone who lives in Australia. High end makeup retailers are still few and far between but shopping centres have many stores carrying “drugstore” brands. Also Mecca (retailer that send high end and luxury beauty) never ever has sales on high end makeup but at least once a month you will find L’Oreal, Rimmel, Maybelline etc on half price sale at some retailer. However, brands like Milano and Elf are priced very high compared to other drugstore brands we have (Elf liquid blush $18 vs Rare Beauty $45, Elf Halo Glow $35 vs Charlotte Tilbury $70), but overall I think the “drugstore” brands would be doing a lot better than high end. It’s only in the past 3 months that we’ve gotten access to brands like Merit, Glossier and Tower 28.
These drugstore prices got me FUCKED up. I will usually pay more for high end out of spite
Thank u for not posting an Amazon Prime Day video today!!!!
good morning, Kelly! always love watching you while i get ready for work
I have never commented on a video. For me, I never knew anything about prestige makeup and places like Sephora were intimidating. UA-cam has contributed almost 100% to my shift from drugstore to higher end, because now I am familiar with the products.
Woooo love coffee and Kelly vids in the morning!
Thanks for watching!!
Love your take! 10-15 years ago I would browse drug store as much easier, but with Sephora at kohl’s and Ultas seemingly everywhere and in Target, it is more convenient for me to go to either now and browse the high end!
I went to CVS the other day, and everything required employee assistance or was sold out. Meanwhile, there’s a Sephora in every mall, on every corner (in LA) and in retailers such as kohls. In addition to that, Sephora is now on DoorDash for same day delivery for the same shipping rates as drug store retailers. Moreover, as i try to intentionally cut down on how much i spend on makeup (as i used to over consume so much) i just opt for a “better product” over buying several. Your points are amazing and there’s just so much to unpack.
i still love me some drugstore but i do find myself buying less makeup due to the prices of some of these brands. brands like essence, catrice and wet n wild stay pretty affordable but brands like revlon and loreal have just kept climbing in price. making some of their products inaccessible to even drugstore consumers.
Deliberate dupes definitely have taken the fun out of dupes. The discovery is gone. As to purchasing, I am old fashioned; I still prefer to buy in person because too many online purchases have been disappointing. Online photos and swatches aren’t reliable so I mostly prefer to see the product first, even after watching reviews.
As someone with dry and sensitive skin, I’m often forced to buy high end products that are safe for me to use. I’m waiting for the day when drugstore brands will make more products for sensitive eyes and skin!
Jen Phelps recently talked about this and BTW I still like dupes.👍🏼
I usually buy in store and only buy online if I can't find in store or if the prices are better online. I always always plan and research items. Rarely do I impulse buy.
Several reasons : I'm just over drugstore when their prices are no different than mid tier with a coupon /deal from ulta or sephora. No testers so even more difficult to shade match. Since makeup takes a while to finish up I rather now at least enjoy the packaging as well than dealing with leaky pumps or poor plastic covers that break over time . Add on elf supporting mikayla ...I'm out.
I don’t buy drugstore makeup because there are very little/no displays to swatch the products and find a good shade match. $20 for a drugstore foundation is high risk for me considering the shade ranges are not as advanced AND I can’t swatch them. I would much rather go into the prestige section and spend double the amount if it means I can find a shade match
I haven't bought very much since Covid , and I've paired down my makeup so it mostly all fits inside one medium size makeup bag except for the items that have to stand up so they don't leak. I normally just repurchase what I was already using , if I want to try something new I have to go in the store or find tons of swatch pictures to make sure its a color that will work for me if I buy it on line, because I have that magic cooltone skin that turns everything orange 😂
I love makeup musings. ✨
I have always bought high-end products. I personally want one or two of a category, not 10 or more cheap. I want the entire experience, which means, it's almost always high-end for me. I have purchased a couple of dupes, but then I never reach for them...I've stopped purchasing them. Love your content ❤
I have a very small collection of makeup but every piece is high end. I'd rather have nice makeup for more money than just okay makeup for only a little less!
Can’t wait to watch this after work!
So happy! Love all your uploads! Thanks for all you do! I admire and appreciate you!
Now, on to the video! 🥰
Aww thank you so much!!
After covid I got back into buying makeup. I have been a Clinique girl since I was a teenager. I decided to go drugstore for lower prices. To my surprise the Clinique brand started having better sales, not so great free gifts though, so with prices skyrocketing I still stick with Clinique.
The only problem is that Clinique is not cruelty free.
I love to see both drugstore and high end products! So enjoyed your video!! ❤
The local Boots where I live in the UK has just reconfigured their store to include two more rows of make-up, including brands like Elf. However the population here are very conservative so there doesn't tend to be anything too 'out there'. In other words their selection is boring as all hell. I get my make-up usually from independent brands on Etsy.
I haven't purchased any makeup this year except for 1 foundation lol. Like I have way too much for my day to day life. But I love these
Dupes don’t bother me because it gives me the opportunity to try something at a lower price point. The elf halo glow is one of my favorites for an example. I also don’t think everything is a dupe. Rare Beauty didn’t invent pigmented liquid blush. It went viral for many reasons, and some of that is based on brand name.
In Canada we used to have testers in the drugstores before covid. Now that the prices are closer to high end makeup I'd rather just go to Sephora and swatch things instead of risking being disappointed by a shade or texture.
Same here! I’m in Canada and I’ve wasted so much money trying to buy dupes at shoppers or Walmart but then the color is wrong because I couldn’t swatch at the store :/ waste of money!
I’m a person who’s always bought only drugstore. I’ve had one or two higher end items from friends throughout my life. I remember the first high end product I got was a Stila eyeliner from a friend for my birthday in highschool. I remember thinking how much she must have spent on me. But these days, I wear makeup mostly as self care. I engage in it for the fun of it and for the experience of using the products and playing. So to me the appeal of a pretty product with nice packaging that fits the aesthetic I want, has increased since when I used makeup as something to give me extra confidence. In this way, I the utilitarianism of makeup for me has decreased. Also now that I don’t wear it as often I don’t need a lot of product. Making buying smaller products in nicer packaging more appealing as I don’t waste what goes bad. Things I want a lot of for a utilitarian purpose I still buy from the drugstore. Like powder, setting spray, eyebrow pencil. But the things I buy for fun, Like blush and lipstick end up being things I’ll spend more on.
This is something I’ve realized is very sad to me. Where I love the experience and having cute and cozy products to use, I also don’t support the idea of paying more for anything just because it’s prestige. Therefore I end up buying more brands like glossier (until they raised prices,) bare minerals, winky lux, and things that have nice packaging but are still aren’t as high as they could be. I don’t like to put my money into a brand that is only charging more because they can. And I LOVE a brand who can provide a nice experience at an even lower price like Moira and colourpop. Although I don’t like the fast fashionification of colourpop either.
Anyway, those are just some thoughts from a person who thinks a lot about things like this. I’m thrifty because of chronic illness keeping me from working, but also desire comfort for the same reason. (Just to tell you where I’m coming from.)
To add to your point about accessibility, a lot of drugstores in my city are closing, and the ones that are open have absolutely terrible beauty sections now. The makeup isles are picked over and seemingly never restocked, nothing is in its right place, it literally looks like they are waiting to sell out of the last few items before shutting down those isles. 😢
Kelly, I love your content so much! I think your videos are sooooo unique and I absolutely adore watching you ❤
I stopped buying because of pricing which is approaching high end makeup and quality is going down. I've always used drugstore mascaras and they were perfect. In the last 1-2 years I noticed that they started to dry out extremely fast and that they weren't usable anymore after 1 month. I bought multiple in different stores and online in case some of them were opened already. With high end mascaras I never have this problem, they seem to be perfect for months. Then when we compare pricing I almost fell on my ass when I saw that the newest L'oreal mascara was 15€ in the drugstore and for literally few Euros more I can buy Lancome Monsiuer Big.
You nailed it. With the high cost of drug store brands and the fact that i hardly ever walk into a drug store these days…. I just prefer buying high end now. With the occasional drug store item I pick up at Target, I always just go to Sephora or a department store or online. I try not to buy online because I fear we will not have any stores to go to soon if online purchasing continues and that just hurts everyone. The lost jobs and social interaction will suffer. Great video! Thanks for sharing! I’m subscribing! ❤
I shop make up online. Half the time is not a nice experience shopping in a shop. 50% of the time people aren’t nice the other 50% you barely find the shades you need or want in the shop…
No longer anytime feels fresh or original… and half the time for the price of a drugstore item, I can get a high end one for almost the same price when in discount.
Over the years I've gone from repurchasing my drugstore staples, to mainly going to the better priced asian drugstore options and some high end counterparts. They've closed the gap enough that it's only a little more to buy the higher end option, so I'm using that coupon and going for the better packaging! And I always, always calculate price per ounce
A couple of things to note. I have larger than my friends friends makeup collection and I have all the basics covered. What I buy now is items that are beautifully packaged or speak to me, which is not typically drugstore products although I will ride and die on Maybelline‘s lifter glosses, the best ever.
Easy, if you're gonna have to pay $$ you might as well get something fancier
Drugstore makeup is also less accessible from a disabled perspective. I need to be having a good day to get up and drive to the pharmacy, which involves finding an accessible spot and breaking down/putting up my wheelchair. Then there are fewer people to help you find, select, and physically reach cosmetics in a
CVS. At Sephora, the employees are present and often available to help grab items, but most are within reach, at least at the Sephoras I shop at in metro Detroit. If I can't get to Sephora because of my disabilities or because I'm having a bad day, I just shop online with, as you mentioned, free shipping. Even though I have to pay shipping with Ulta, it's still easier to shop online than drive to the pharmacy.
I think a strong reason is a lot more people work from home now, so less makeup is needed. This means we have extra money to get high quality.
Ahh very interesting!
Loved this video. To be honest most drugstore products are not so readily available for us Europeans. I wish to try some drugstore products such as Covergirl but the high shipping fees put me off. Therefore I usually tend to gravitate for more premium brands since it's easier to have free shipping, discounts and gifts with purchases.
That makes sense!
The last few years most of my purchases have been researched using reviews etc. sometimes I’ll grab a random single eyeshadow from a drugstore brand, mayyyybe a lip liner or color eyeliner. But majority of the time it’s from research (UA-cam, ig)
i love shopping in store, but unfortunately every time i go to buy makeup in-person i feel like everything is just opened and used? lmao especially drugstore makeup, but i’m starting to see it in sephora too. forget ulta, every ulta is always a mess. it sucks lol
Super interesting
There are stores where makeup is in a locked case?! I’ve never seen that!!
I think dupes just aren't very original and it takes away the fun and creativity of makeup
I’m buying a good mix of both high end and drugstore.
Given the option, I prefer indie over both drugstore and high end. That being said, I do have a draw to higher end products, the few Luxury pieces I own I purchased second hand. I do wander the makeup aisle at my drugstore, but I have little to no interest in purchasing anything because I am happy with what I have at home. Occasionally the drugstore hits one out of the park (I'm looking at you Elf lip oil.) I am just so uninspired by what the drugstore has to offer, ir makes me choose to walk away rather than make a purchase.
In today’s cost of living where rent is $3,000 a month and you’re paying $100+ on food a week for one person, a $40 foundation is an imperceivable expense. All I end up caring about is how it looks and feels, and that I know it’s not price gouging me. $20, $30, $40, $50, it does not matter, it all kind of feels like the same amount of money relative to my other expenses. And it doesn’t seem like there’s really any $10 products out there anymore. Additionally, even if I use a product that is “drug store”, I didn’t buy it at a drug store, I bought it online. The term has kind of lost its meaning, and I’d imagine for younger generations that’s even more true, where they may have never even purchased makeup in a drug store in their entire life.
As for the size of products decreasing, good! I never seem to be able to finish a product before it goes bad anyways. I’ve maybe finished one eye shadow pan and a couple small foundation bottles my entire life.
So if something happened to all of my eyeshadow and all of my highlighters. I would just save up my money and buy one really good one. I think the drugstore is lacking in both areas tbh at least in regards to quality
Do you know if there’s a correlation between employment rates and the fact that people are buying high end products over drugstore products? I think as I’ve gotten older I can afford higher end products and have been excited about trying cult classic products since I can afford them now. I don’t buy as many products from the drugstores now
For me, I vastly prefer to buy mid-range products like Tower 28, Rare Beauty, LYS, About Face, etc. While slightly more expensive, I think these brands have more attention to detail, better color ranges, more exciting products, and packaging that feels nice, original, and doesn't fall apart. Those things will always be worth a few extra dollars to me. Also, being able to swatch/shade match these products at retailers is HUGE because I used to waste so much money/product trying to guess shades at the drugstore, and it's way too expensive to risk a bad shade match now. I know you can return, but I hate doing that as it just goes to waste.
Thanks for this video, love the MM series!
I think part of the reason luxury brands are growing even during the cost of living crisis is because of doom spending. People now prefer to buy cool trendy expensive stuff to try to soothe our collective anxiety and distracts us from how shitty the world is, although this mindless consumerism is just a small dopamine hit and in the long run it just makes things worse.
Interesting take! I still exclusively buy drugstore.
I think another factor to this is "the lipstick effect" or whatever they call it, basically where worse economic times sell more lipstick. The idea is that people aren't able to afford the actual luxuries in life anymore, so they turn towards the small luxuries.
That and the fact that they've turned towards younger consumers, who have always fallen victim to cult mentality and needing the fancy items to fit in
I dont think the increase in drugstore vs HE is perceived as “less worth it”. I think the issues lies more within being able to afford it instead. “Anyone” can afford a drugstore lipstick. Not everyone can afford a lipstick from YSL. Being or not worth it is not completely attached to their price tag.
I would throw in or argue that even the high end brands dupe or copy each other too. There's no escaping it lol
Hi Kelly. What’s the shade of the Nyx lip product you’re wearing?
The shade is called "Link in bio"
@@KellyGooch thank you
Is this worldwide or just the American Market?
The stats shared reference a bit of both (full articles linked) but I'm mostly speaking from the perspective of the states because that's where I live :)
i hate having to point out this because, at the end of the day we are all working class, but you said it yourself, ulta carries drugstore (and others, even elf has a beauty program) so it's as easy to access as sephora and dupes are not the reason why prices are going up but capitalism and ours is late stage capitalism and pure greed. also, high end brands are made in the same factories.
What is the shade of the Nyx click pen you used?
It’s the shade “link in bio”
Am I tripping or did the thumbnail makeup color change from color to grey😂
You're not haha. UA-cam allows for A/B testing so you might notice thumbnails on different channels changing periodically :)
i agree with the pricing and lack of innovation but also shades. for some reason drugstore shade ranges are still terrible for brown and black people. either the shade isn't available or the undertone is completely off.
that and lack of hero staple products. the elf halo glow is one such staple product but the constant dupes etc lead these brands to not one product i will always stick to for that brand. i remember the essence mascaras nyx buttergloss being products i bought over and over again.