Realize first off that more expensive makeup lines are not necessarily more expensive to create, or produce, which as a consumer is what I’m interested in.
In fact, quite often it’s the opposite because smaller boutiques pay a heck of a lot more for the same ingredients (e.g. glycerin) because they aren’t able to negotiate sweetheart deals with suppliers that larger companies can.
Keep in mind that department stores lines such as Clinique all pay dramatically higher overhead, because they have to pay for that primo real estate in places such as Macy’s or Nordstrom’s or Sephora. That means that they either have to sell a lot more product, or ask a lot more for each item, in order to capture the same profit margin as a Supermarket brand. So don’t assume that an $18 product is automatically going to be better quality than a $7 product. IOW, don’t confuse image with quality.
That being said, different lines do work better on different skin tones and textures than others, so also don’t assume that you can just target the cheapest line and get the same results. The huge benefit to buying a department brand over a supermarket brand is the ability to try it on before you buy it. So it can be more economical to pay $20 for a foundation that you know matches your skin vs. paying for umpteen $8 foundations before you find the perfect match.
The good news for everyone is that most lines, cheap and not cheap, are expanding to capture new markets, such as racial customers (who for years were ignored or given very few options) and aging customers. Yippee for them realizing that 45 year old skin is not the same as 20 year old skin.
My advice is to experiment with different lines and see what works best for your skin. Concentrate on products that improve your base (skin) because the base is the most important. If I have extra money to spend, it’s going to be targeted at my moisturizer and foundation. Also, don’t be overly committed to one line because even if you’re thrilled with one line’s foundation or moisturizer, that doesn’t mean you should fork out 3x as much for their mascara.
For instance, my make up routine:
Moisturizer: DDF 10% glycolic moisturizer <-the best I’ve found for my acne prone skin, since Eucerin discontinued their Beta Hydroxy moisturizer.
Foundation: L’oreal’s True Match Mineral (most days) or High Def foundation (special occasions)
Mascara: Maybelline’s Full n’ Soft mascara (with the curved brush) Love, love this mascara and it’s very cheap.
Concealer - Cover Girl liquid concealer. Cheap, blendable
Eye Shadows - I have tons of different brands, but I have found no discernible difference between the expensive brands and the mid-tier brands. I have found a difference between the really cheap brands (e.g. Wet 'n Wild), on the other hand.
One of the reasons I like CoverGirl is that I use their “clean” makeup line, which won’t clog my pores (or so they say).
