And by “beauty snob,” I mean, with what products and services do you insist on only going high end?
I like to think I’m pretty open to finding and loving beauty products, regardless of whether they’re drugstore or high end (and you gotta try everything once), but I dunno… I think I might be a beauty snob in a few ways.
But one thing I’m definitely not snobby about, although I kind of used to be back in the day, is foundation.
DUDE. There was a time when I’d only use department store/high-end foundations and concealers, mostly because of how hard it was to find budget products with a wide range of shades in my skin tone vicinity, but that’s changed over the past few years. Some of the big drugstore foundations lines have really stepped up their game, and now there are lots of great options and shade choices at the drugstore level that are just as good, if not better, than the pricier products on counters.
L’Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup comes to mind. It’s only $13, and in terms of coverage, texture and shade range, it’s SO GOOD. If I didn’t know it was drugstore, I’d guess it was in the $30 range.
Oh, and perfumes? I definitely have beauty snobbery tendencies in that area. I love wearing Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Tocca and quite a few other high-end scents.
Not as a general rule, but I dunno… I’ve sniffed a lot of drugstore scents, and I always try to keep an open mind, but most of them are too sweet for my taste, or they just don’t play well with my body chemistry. Plus, sometimes fragrances are just one of those things on which I like to splurge. A gorgeous bottle of a great perfume is such a nice treat.
Aaand I think I’m also a little snobby about my shampoos and conditioners, but that’s partly because of a traumatic incident in the ’90s when I was a college student. I went through a phase when I only bought very cheap shampoos and conditioners to save a few bucks, but after a few months, that, coupled with aggressive blow drying, darned near destroyed my hair. It was dry and stripped so badly that it looked like fried noodles.
No, really, it looked like crispy fried noodles. 🙁
A hairstylist who worked at the campus hair salon (yes, we had one on campus) cut off the fried bits and lectured me about the difference between good and bad products. Little did she know when she handed me a few samples of Biolage shampoo and conditioner that she’d just created a monster…
I do have to say, though, that like drugstore foundations and other face makeup, drugstore shampoos and conditioners have come a long way. Now there are lots of good ones out there in silicone-free and sulfate-free formulas, which is great! I’ve found some that I really like (Clairol Herbel Essences, Yes To, L’Oreal…)
What about you? In what ways are you a beauty snob?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Hello, my friend, and good morning to you! How’s it going over there? Things are going OK here in preggers-ville (I’m 36 weeks now), but I can’t lie — it’s getting difficult. I feel like a stuffed sausage.
I probably won’t be posting very often over the next few days this week as I take care of some things (and because I don’t have as much energy as usual), but I’ll be around.
Hi Karen! I am such a beauty snob in terms of foundation and eyeshadows. By this, I mean that I prefer to buy my foundations and my eyeshadows from a department store. I have had better luck finding foundations that correspond with my medium with olive with yellow toned skin at the department store. Although, I do have to add that I have found my perfect shade match in the L’Oreal Lumi Foundation. Therefore, this is the one drugstore foundation that I do keep purchasing. I also prefer to purchase my single eyeshadow and my eyeshadow palettes from the department store. I just threw away all three of the Maybelline Nudes Palettes in the trash because they are awful in quality. I do have to say though that I absolutely love L’Oreal eyeshadows. They have the best eyeshadows at the drugstore.
I’m with you on the hair products. My current obsession? Gloss Moderne shampoo, conditioner and serum. Crazy expensive, but my hair looks like I just walked out of the salon. I know there are some decent drugstore brands, but it’s just not the same. As far as makeup goes, I use some high end, some drugstore – the shorter the shelf life (like mascara) the more likely I’ll use a drugstore brand. Take care and get some rest!
I guess I am a beauty snob when it comes to eyeshadows, I barely ever reach for the drugstore ones, but that is the only thing left. I used to be snobbish when it came to foundation and to hair care, but just as you pointed out, drugstore has come a long way and now holds true gems.
For me, makeup is about more than just the products going on my face, it’s an experience. It’s my “me time”, and I want my vanity to look pretty during this time, which means beautiful, elegant packaging and beautiful presentation overall are a must. That excludes drugstore products and any brand whose packaging looks like it targets teenagers (or is made of cardboard).
I like sleek, elegant, adult looking packaging, and there are plenty of high-end products which don’t just look good, but are quite wonderful. I’m not a makeup collector, so I only buy products that make me feel good during my makeup application time. If that means a higher price tag, so be it :).
Great point about the packaging and presentation. I agree, my makeup collection is more about the hobby or collecting and enjoyment than the actual application, and I think usually “you get what you pay for” in high end packaging. That’s probably another reason I’m more likely to display high end items more prominently.
Hi Aida, I read your comment and fully agree with you. I am currently a stay-at-home mom and wife. I don’t wear makeup every day anymore (even though my makeup collection reflects otherwise). When I do put on makeup, I do want it to be more than just about putting on the makeup. Like you, it’s also my me time. Therefore, I am always finding ways to make my vanity table/my desk look organized and beautiful. I am currently reorganizing my vanity table again for the umpteenth time. I found some new organizer drawers at Target that I am using to display the makeup products I want to use as well as some of my makeup essentials I like to keep on my table within easy reach.
I have always been a bit of a snob when it comes to blush. Even before really getting into makeup I would splurge on a nice blush just because it would last a long time so it was worth the money. Plus I never really used lipstick or eyeshadow back then. Highlighter is also hard to find good ones at the drugstore imo. Enjoy the last days of pregnancy. I wish you and baby girl all the best!
The only things I will buy from the drugstore are lip liners, mascara, and occasionally lipsticks. I hate lip products that smell like plastic tho. Like literally, I just can’t no matter how nice the shades are. So I stick to milani or rimmel if really just want to splurge.
I agree with you that if a drugstore mascara works it’s a good buy. I can’t stand the idea of paying over $20 for a high end mascara with a shelf life of 3 months. And I’m not someone that usually pays attention to makeup expiration dates, but there’s something about putting it that close to my eyes that make mascara an exception to that!
I know exactly how you feel. If I’m going to put something on my face it can’t be expired. That’s what makes drugstore mascara so perfect. It does the job I want for very small fee and I don’t feel guilty.
Oh, I’m in on this one. I started with perfume, “back in the day”. I was stationed in Italy, and we could buy designer perfume discounted on base. Dior Poison became my favorite. I had purchased a lipstick at a Bloomingdale’s while training in Texas, but on base we only had drugstore brands. I started switching my makeup to high end more out of convenience. I don’t like buying a product and not getting to see if the foundation is the right shade first. Or if that pretty shadow has too much sparkle to wear to work. Or if that lip product has an aftertaste that could gag a goat (Clinique I’m looking at you!!!). So in the long run, I save money, buy less, and I’m happier with what I get because it usually works for me. I also use it as incentive. I saved up while I was working on my health. When I had lost 50 pounds (yay!) I purchased myself the Guerlain Meteorites blush I had been drooling over for years. I’m starting the last 50 now and considering what to treat myself to. I think I’m going to get some MAC stuff I’ve been wanting from the permanent line. I have a couple of fave mascaras from the drug store and high end. I’ve given up on the drug store for makeup. Skin care, Cerave rocks! Hair, Nexus. Enjoy your nesting time with your family! Wish you and baby girl all the best! Thinking happy thoughts for you!
Congrats on reaching your health goals, Michelle! That was hard work, I’m sure. So proud of you!
I’d say I’m the anti-snob when it comes to makeup. I like to treat myself, but despise feeling ripped off, so if I can find something inexpensive that I feel works just as well as a high end product, I’m gonna buy it. (Case in point, I’ve bought several high end foundations, and find myself saving them…for what? I’m reluctant to use them up, dreading the pricey repurchase.)
I’ve discovered excellent skin care, makeup brushes (Sonia Kashuk, hello!), mascara, foundation, blush, powder, eyeliner, concealer, and lipstick at my local CVS, Target and Walgreens. (There are decent eyeshadows as well, but they tend to be more hit or miss. Milani, NYX and Physicians Formula put out some good ones.)
It seems that the cheaper fragrances tend to be more overbearing, and less complex than high end. They have never worked for me.
As for hair, I color quite well at home, and inexpensive to mid-price shampoo is fine (also, you can find bargains on higher end brands at Marshall’s or Ross). My snobbery comes in with the cut. I’ve experimented with cheap salons (hair grows back, right?), and while sometimes you can get lucky and find talent there, usually the cut looks bad in a week or two. A good haircut is easy to maintain and doesn’t seem to have that awkward regrowth stage. I’ve been able to go six months without a cut (trimming my own bangs) when my hair has been shaped and layered well.
As for splurging, I tend to do that on blush (as a full-cheeked chick, blush is a must) and eyeshadow palettes (all those pretty colors!). I don’t always need the strongest pigmentation (NW15 here), but I enjoy the pretty packaging and silky textures.
I typically go high end on eyebrow products as well, but drugstores at last seem to be catching up. Products for blonde brows used to be very hard to find. Often, the shades were too warm, resulting in the dreaded Orange Brow. (I’m looking at you, Lancome!)
Oh, and thanks, Karen…now I want crispy fried noodles!
Hey Karen! I hope you’re doing good and BG is fine as well.
I’m such a beauty snob. Especially when it comes to nail polish. The only formula that works for me is OPI. I might paint on some Essie, but that’s it. No experiments. Face products and perfumes are another story. Drug store skincare just isn’t my cup of tea and I haven’t yet found a drugstore foundation that I really like. I always find great drugstore products for my brows and lashes, though. High end mascaras don’t do it for me somehow. Maybe its because my lashes can be a little bit stubborn and only waterproof mascara holds a curl…
All the best and much love,
Alexandra
Lipstick. I love a creamy, smooth lipstick and while drugstore lipsticks are pretty colors, for me nothing beats a really smooth higher-end lipstick. I haven’t found a drugstore product yet that duplicates that feel for me.
Rest up, sweetie. You’re going to need all the rest you can get. It’s so hard to believe you’re at 36 weeks already!
I’m a little snobby about eyeshadows, but I have really oily lids and sensitive eyes. I also like good pigmentation and texture, so I’m picky. That doesn’t necessarily translate into high end, but more often than not I find the mid-range brands such as Urban Decay and Too Faced just work better for me.
Foundation is another thing that I usually go more high end. It’s hard to find a color match for my very fair skin and neutral undertones. I also have oily skin that tends to oxidize foundations. I have better luck with higher end products for both issues. E.l.f. is the only drug store brand with any foundations that work on me.
Oh, let’s just face it. I’m a snob. I like high end niche perfumes. I like hair products that don’t kill my fine, thin hair (although I do like the L’Oreal sulfate free shampoos). Hate that fact that drugstores don’t have color testers, so it usually takes me three purchases to find a color match for foundation only to find out I don’t like the coverage or formula. I get frustrated easily, so Nordstrom and occasionally Barney’s SF, Saks or Bloomies are my go to shopping places. Between the loud music and filthy displays, I try to use Sephora as a last resort. Yup, I’m a grouchy, bitter old lady when it comes to cosmetic shopping.
After so many years of trying this and that in all beauty product lines, I have found it is good to be snob for most products that I am using on my face, body, hair…Ok, so I AM A BEAUTY SNOB! It began in the early years of using shampoo and conditioner products from drugstores which after Vidal Sassoon original shampoo (yes, in the 70’s) there was just nothing else that compared back then. When this lovely product was no longer available…my ideal hair products turned to exclusively salon and I have never looked back. In the event where I had to use a different product for whatever reason, my hair seemed to feel straw-like and with my fine, wavy hair…Can you imagine? I soon turned to department store beauty products and really can’t find a reason to chance the possibilities that may occur if I try drugstore products. Now that is not to say that some liners seem to suit me fine, both eyeliner and lipliner products have found their way into my arsenal. I will also admit that Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer/brighteners are regulars in my beauty bag arsenal and they are similar to some of the high-end products. And Chanel No.5 has been my “go-to” fragrance most of my adult life. Oh this is sad to admit but a girl has to have something special for herself and for me, it is beauty products. <3
Great question!
I am an absolute snob when it comes to make up brushes, not afraid to say that. I have tried cheap ones and most of them have found more loving homes by now!
Foundation, skin care, and perfume I’m strictly high end. I also display my high end makeup in the “premium” or most visible places on and in my vanity, a status symbol mentality I guess even though the only one who sees them is my cat! If I’m dressing up, I usually reach for mostly high end. I have NYX and Rimmel powders I love so much I use them daily, however, and I admit some drug store brands give high end a run for their money. NYX lip products are a great example. I also like drug store price brands that aren’t drug store like Makeup Geek, Morphe, and Colourpop.
Oh dear mama to be, let me count the ways in which I am a beauty snob for there are so very many.
I hate to be one but I am a bit. And one issue is that I hate to waste money so I prefer shopping at Sephora where I can try before I buy and where if I buy something and it doesn’t work out, there’s absolutely no hassle in returning it.
So I generally only shop at Sephora where they sell of course quite a few high-end brands.
Foundation, lipstick, lip gloss perfume and shampoo are all products I’m a snob about. I just find that the higher end products last a lot longer, are easier to apply and wear better than drugstore items. I’m all about a drugstore mascara though. I really love Rimmel.
Take care of you mama!
After reading through a few comments, I must also add nail polish. It’s not worth the effort to apply a color only to have it chip a day later. Deborah Lippmann is my hands down favorite. I also like Essie.
I have called myself a product snob for over a decade now. I will only use Pureology shampoo and conditioner. I only have 2 hair products that are from the drugstore and they are Head & Shoulders almond shampoo and John Freida Beach Waves Sea Salt spray. I also will only use expensive hair appliances. I have a CHI flat iron and a Babyliss Pro Volare II. That hairdryer was sooo expensive! I even got it for wholesale price plus a 20% discount because my friend works at a professional beauty supply store. I own maybe 10 Essie nail polishes as compared to my 300 bottles of OPI. The only top coat that I’ll use is CND Vinylux, the absolute BEST I have ever come across. As for skincare, I use Algenist, Ole Henrikson, Bliss, Origins, and Bosia. I’m slowly replacing my Sephora and MAC makeup brushes with the IT for Ulta Airbrush Blurring and the Velvet Blurring brushes. I don’t have any drugstore makeup anymore. Most of it is Urban Decay, MAC, BareMinerals, Dior, Origins, Becca, OCC, Bite,Benefit, and Nars. To be honest, I need to be in a Makeup Anonymous group. I have a serious problem with expensive cosmetics and hair products. So yes, I am absolutely a beauty snob.
Get all the rest you can because baby girl will be here before you know it! I hope that you are as ready as you can be for when she decides to make her debut into the world! Best wishes to you
El Hub, baby girl, and Tabs. I hope that Tabs transitions well to being a big brother!
I do have a few products from Stila and I also like a few things from Cindy Crawford’s skincare line.
Great comments, all! I always learn something from reading them. You look fabulous as usual in the above pic. Once I started to make money in my 20’s I only bought dept store cosmetics & had to have high end hair & nail products. Clothes, shoes & bags as well. (I was single until I was 32). After I started to have kids in my 30’s, it didn’t matter as much to me although I have always had to have hi end perfume. Once I went a few years without any scent – Shalimar, Beautiful & Miss Dior – (the new one is NOT the same), because I couldn’t afford it. The problem was the same as the others had, one could not test the colors and you ended up either buying 2-3 items and/or throwing it all away. Now, with the net & all the beauty blogs, I’ve begun to purchase more things from drug stores & Target. Hair, I just buy the fairly inexpensive brands, but then I keep it short. My newest scent, since it was introduced a few yrs ago (I just wear the same one for yrs) is Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle. I adore it and have never had as many comments/compliments (mostly from men) as I have with this scent. Pretty good for a 60 yr old married for 28 yrs woman! Karen, yours is the 1st blog I ever subscribed to & it is still my fav. I love your humor, pics, comments and of course Tabs. (I have 3 cats) I trust your reviews and have purchased many products based on your blog entries. Last week I finally ordered from Rouge Bunny Rouge and LOVE the liquid liners and eye shadows. Ok, I’ll end this now – keep us updated on BG!
The older my skin gets the more selective I get about the products I use. Skincare and foundation are high end, and eyeshadows, too. I tend to go cheap on mascaras and blushes, where I can’t honestly find a difference between high and low. I am a nail polish junkie and am beginning to get a bit snobby on that count, as well. Mostly because I find the high end ones much easier to paint on my skinny nail beds, since I always DIY my mani-pedi. Cosmetics and skincare/haircare feels like my only splurge, since I very rarely treat myself to new clothes,shoes, purses, jewelry, vacations, dinners, nights out, salon/spa treatments. Many days it’s more effective than a glass of wine or a phone call from a friend at lifting my spirits.
When it comes to makeup, it doesn’t matter to me whether it’s expensive or cheap, I use what works. Perfume is totally different though. Drugstore perfumes tend to use synthetic ingredients which don’t last as long. Even though I do like the smell of some inexpensive fragrances, I wouldn’t waste my money on them because I know they’re just not gonna last more than a couple hours. I’m also not snobby towards skincare. Whatever works for my skin is what I’ll buy.
My nose is pointed north because I am a hardcore beauty snob. I have tried many drugstore beauty products and most of them just don’t cut it.
First, let’s start with my lids – they are the oiliest (is that even a word?) in all the land. Even dry Canadian winters can’t stop the slippage, creasing and fading. The only primer that does the trick for me is Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion. I have tried dozens. Cheaper ones, more expensive ones and nada. Same goes with eye shadow. If it’s not top quality then there is no point is spending the time in doing eye makeup. And I am a palette addict. Lorac, Clinique, Urban Decay, Too Faced, etc. I have yet to find a powder eye shadow at Shoppers Drug Mart that has staying power even with primer on. I have NEVER succeeded in procuring a cream shadow that doesn’t crease in ten minutes on my lids.
And staying on topic, I have to purchase expensive eyeliners like Marc Jacobs or else they slide and transfer all over my face. Even eyebrow products have to be at least at a Benefit Gimme Brows level.
When it comes to foundation, between my gigantic pores, oily skin and rosacea, only high high high end will do and even then I haven’t found my miracle in a bottle. I also use a face primer and my favourite is Hourglass at sixty freaking dollars an ounce Canadian. An ounce!! I also choose a non-drugstore brand powder because after I’ve applied the hourglass primer and some $50 a bottle foundation, I ain’t taking the chance of some unfinely milled starch emphasizing the pores I just spent 15 minutes hiding.
It ticks me off that I spend so much on daily use products and would gladly accept suggestions from any 35+ aged women with oily skin and lids and gigantic crater sized pores. I would love for my beauty costs to be lower!!!
When it comes to using cheaper products, I will use drugstore mascara and lipstick. That’s about it.
Oh, my goodness. I have definitely turned into a snob when it comes to certain products.
Things I’m definitely a snob about: lipstick. OMG. I have yet to find a drugstore brand that doesn’t either dry out my lips, smells like cheap flowers/plastic or has practically NO wear time. That being said, though, if someone really recommends a drugstore lippie that’s great, I’m not above buying it. I’m really in love with the L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss! But generally, lipsticks have to be high end to give me both the pigmentation I need and the color coverage I crave. 😀 I’m also a snob for eyeliners (my waterline is very sensitive) and skincare (I have super dry skin from medication I need to take for the rest of my life).
However, when it comes to almost anything else… I’m willing to try anything. I always lean towards high end, but if I hear through the grapevine that a blush or eyeshadow or gloss is fab, I’m all over it. Best part too is that if I hate it, some stores will take them back and if not… well, I’ve wasted very little money.
I’m DEF not a snob about mascara. My fave is still Maybelline Colossal and I have yet to find a high end mascara that can beat it. 🙂
I am almost sure that you will not be posting much at all after the birth of your Baby because you’re going to be so enamored that you will just want to stare, hold her and smell that new baby scent for hours on end….the rest of the time you will need it to rest.
I am NOT a snob but my face does not agree. I have not found a drugstore brand foundation to match me or provide the coverage that I need and my dry eyelids need good quality pigmented eyeshadows and sorry no drug store brand fits my needs (they have too much shimmer, frost finishes or are too sheer).
I only have a few drugstore products that I currently use; after testing many drugstore mascaras I finally found one that fits my needs (CG the super sizer), I also like Maybelline baby skin, NYX Lip Pencils and I ♡ Almay makeup removers.
Okay, I’d have to admit I’m a snob when it comes to eyeshadow. But that’s about it really. And Karen, you look so beautiful! You are glowing, girlfriend!!
With a few exceptions, I’m very much a fragrance snob. I go for higher-end niche perfumes. No Britney Spears or Paris Hilton crud, and I don’t usually even go for brands like Dior or Chanel. Annick Goutal, Byredo, Serge Lutens, Heeley, The Different Company (I’m lemming after I Miss Violet right now, but the $245 price tag is making me cringe), etc. are my loves. Tom Ford is about as main-stream as I usually go, and even that is usually the Private Selection line (LOVE Amber Absolute, Italian Cypress, and Tobacco Vanille), with the exception of Black Orchid and Sahara Noir. I’ve found that niche perfumes tend to have higher quality ingredients, more nuance in the perfume, and it’s easier to find fragrances that aren’t overwhelmingly floral, fruity, or sickeningly sweet. Plus, I’m not going to smell the same as half my coworkers, either.
I rarely wear makeup (even though I love collecting it), but when I do, I’m somewhat snobbish about foundation and lipstick. I’m extremely fair, so it’s difficult to find a good match without sampling first, so I tend to go for higher-end just because of the relative ease of not having to return something. A lot of drugstore lipsticks/glosses tend to have a plasticky-playdoh flavor that I just can’t tolerate, so I tend to go higher-end there, too.
I don’t care how good a drugstore product is, I only buy high-end items! The most expensive I have are a couple of Chanel, Shiseido, and Mac and soon, Lancome. Everything else is non-classic such as Tarte, Too Faced, Stila, Bareminerals, and Smashbox to name a few. I usually stick to those brands too. I would have more classic stuff but that’s way out of my budget. I love lipstick but I’m not a gloss or liquid lipstick fan but I have a few. I also stick to neutrals with occasional color. I only wear makeup on outings and events (is that snobbish?) The biggest snob about me? I only buy if I can get a discount!!
OHMYGOODNESSSHESCOMINGANYDAYNOW!!!!! Dude, you’re almost to the finish line where you, and the world, will receive a wonderful, precious gift!!! Soooooo excited for you!!! Now, I’m a beauty snob in some ways & a fair weather makeup maven in other ways. I prefer high end eye shadows because I feel they just perform better & I’m all about that high pigment life. Lipsticks (especially WnW) & blushes are fair game, though NARS blushes have a special place in my heart. I won’t do drugstore mascaras. No matter how much one may rave about a drugstore mascara, I’m betrothed to Benefit They’re Real. Other mascaras need not apply (unless I find them useful for layering with my Benefit). I also only use sulfate free shampoos but the drugstore offers a nice selection. And I tend to stick with high end eyeliner because I have such oily kids. High end ones seem to stay put the longest. And I can’t bring myself to try any brow pencil other than MAC. And I might as well confess that I’m a MAC girl. No disrespect to other brands (I wouldn’t be a makeup junkie if I frowned on other brands) but MAC was my “gateway drug”. And what can I say, I’m loyal. Somehow, this feels like a confessional before a Catholic priest. And I’m not even Catholic! But that’s why I love (THIS) beauty blogs. You guys are such enablers that I’ll try many things & expand on my collection of faves, high end or drugstore. And since I purchased my first luxury makeup item this year (Guerlain), I see that trend continuing as I reward myself for my 6:30 morning workouts. Heaven, help me… ?
Totally a perfume snob. Drugstore scents, celebrity fragrances, or even places like Victoria’s Secret deter me (VS had one a long time ago that was discontinued that I liked, but otherwise…) My main scents are by Dior and Chanel. I always aspire to like really fancy or more sophisticated fragrances like Tom Ford, Byredo, Serge Lutens, but I never end up liking them – I like really light scents.
I always want to try drugstore mascaras, but I’m always disappointed – makes my eyes itch or burn the vast majority of the time, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t look good. The cheapest I go is Clinique.
Foundation, I have trouble both high end and low end, but high end has better return policies and you can try it on more easily. However, I just picked up the white foundation mixer from Nyx and am excited to try it when it arrives.
Fun post and cute pic of you! Can not believe you’re 36 weeks!! Karen, I’m sure you’re sick of hearing it, but please rest up!! I’m sure hormones are raging and causing insomnia, so even if you can just relax in bed in the dark. BG will thank you for resting!
Just this past year I’ve become a skin care snob. I don’t believe the more you pay, the better result, but last year I was given a sample of LaMer Moisturizing Soft Creme. When that sample was empty, my skin cried. It’s so expensive, but I can justify the cost if I don’t buy new creams for retail therapy!
I have wanted the Lumi forever now, but I have wasted so much money guessing on colors at the drugstore as they don’t have samples…MAC gets that money now!
Rest up, sweet friend!
I’m such a snob for fragrances and skin care. I always think that the best place to invest is your skin. As for fragrance, well, you can always smell the difference between a luxurious fragrance that has the same notes as a cheaper fragrance
Hmm, I think I’m a bit of a beauty snob in general. I like beautiful packaging and high end formulas. When I moved to the US I had a phase when I went crazy for drugstore makeup, and I’m not going to lie, I was disappointed often. So now I try not to buy drugstore makeup unless it comes highly recommended by bloggers I trust!
Perfume and nail polish. Drugstore perfumes all have a heavy alcohol smell to me, same with places like Bath & Body Works. So it’s only high end scents for me. And nail polish, I never have luck with drug store brands, so I get mine at Sally’s or Sephora.
Get your bag packed! You’re so close to full term! Make sure you pack lip balm, that was really the only thing that I was glad I packed. I am so excited for your baby!
I’m just gonna come right out and say it, I’m a complete snob who has come to terms with it. So I totally own my behavior. I Only buy high end makeup for two reasons. 1. Because I can touch, play, smell and try on the makeup products before I buy them. I’m very limited in that regard to drugstore makeup. 2.the packaging. I’m 34 not 13. My makeup needs to look adult like and beautiful. While I know high end products are expensive, nonetheless if some of their products look like they are targeting teens, then I won’t buy it either. That doesn’t go well with me. The packaging needs to be elegant, feminine and beautiful. I have not seen a drugstore makeup wow me in that regard. High end, yes many times. Nonetheless quality still has to be the number one factor. These two must go hand in hand, quality and beauty. I agree with what many said, makeup is an experience, a moment, a me time that I need for me which must compromise of beautiful products. So I’ll look for quality and packaging together.
I am no respecter of cost. As long as a product works for me, the price high or low is irrelevant.
Usually, where you get what you pay for comes into play with packaging and occasionally active ingredients for skincare.
You will see that after something innovative comes out in the high end, 6 months to a year later the same tech is in the drugstore for makeup. This happens because all these brands are owned by parent brands. They maximize the money they make this way.
I’m a total snob when it comes to lipstick! I can’t even remember the last time I bought a lipstick that cost less than 20$. It’s not that expensive is always better – I have one Guerlain Rouge G that I can’t use because the thinner formula doesn’t stay inside my wrinkly lipline – but if you’re looking for perfection (for me it’s opaqueness and staying power without draining my lips), it’s gonna cost you. The reason why I like high end in general is that I don’t wear makeup all the time and I don’t care for owning it in bulk, so I buy things that I really want and things that look nice and make me feel nice. High end packaging always makes the application just feel that much nicer!
Karen-let’s just start by saying you look BOMB in the photo on this thread. Totally beautiful. Whatever that lipstick is, you wear it till its worn out, it looks amazing on you!
I’m a complete eyeshadow and eyeliner snob-purely as I have the oiliest eyelids known to man which will dissolve any and all eyeshadow within seconds if it’s not good quality! Otherwise, the best primer I’ve ever used cost me £2.50 (about $4) and I’m yet to find anything better! X
Oh every time I impulse-buy some kind of cheap-y cosmetic, I end up regretting it and tossing it later. Waiting for the pharmacy at CVS is my nemesis in that regard. If only they would fill prescriptions inside a Sephora instead! Actually that would probably be really dangerous.
I try to be flexible when it comes to products, but sometimes it’s better all around to splurge on something of higher quality if it saves you hassle in the long run. (Like your hair example- I can only imagine the time and money you spent trying to fix the damage caused by those subpar products!)
I am a tea snob.
I am *definitely* an art supply snob.
But I’m not a beauty snob, not really.
I am….but then I’m also addicted to indies, like hello waffle and life’s entropy. I never shop at drug store anymore…ill occasionally buy nyx, but that’s it.
I’m a total snow when it comes to foundations and primers. I need to be able to return if I don’t like them…
I don’t really consider myself a beauty snob. I have enjoyed both drugstore and high-end makeup as long as the quality is there, but when it comes to skincare and fragrances, I only buy high-end products. Not to be snobby, but they just seem to work better for my skin type and body chemistry.
I will only buy high-end skincare and makeup with the exception of a few Revlon lipsticks. I truly believe they have better ingredients than drugstore, and that’s what I want for my face.
ooop, forgot to say, hang in there with Baby Girl. With both my pregnancies, the last week or two were the hardest. I just felt so uncomfortable and like I’d be pregnant forever! Before you know it, though, you’ll be gazing down into the face of your daughter and pregnancy will be just a memory. xo
Take good care of yourself, Karen!
After reading the comments, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m an ingredients snob, especially when it comes to skin and hair care. I read the labels and the blogs by cosmetic chemists, and I’m all about finding the right stuff for taking the best care of my skin and long (currently waist-length) hair. But if I can get just as good results while spending less, I certainly will. So I’ve got a mix of drugstore and mid-range stuff — only a couple of luxury brand products when it comes to skin and hair care. For skin care I use a mix of CeraVe, First Aid Beauty, Paula’s Choice, Josie Maran, Sephora Collection, Clinique, Simple, and am going to try a couple of products from Skin Actives. For hair I use a lot of Living Proof products, a L’Oreal deep conditioner, KinkyCurly Knot Today in-shower detangler from Target, a cleansing oil shampoo from Ouidad, a clarifying shampoo from Pureology, a spray detangler from Shu Umera (Miracle Worker), a couple of styling products from Bumble & Bumble, and Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. I also use coconut oil from the grocery store on hair and skin. My base makeup has to contain zinc oxide/titanium dioxide sunscreen due to my sun-sensitive rosacea; my favorite is IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50, but Josie Maran Protect+Perfect moisturizer SPF 47 + Ardency Inn Custom Cover drops also works well. I’ve never been able to apply a foundation decently over top of an adequate amount of a high-enough SPF mineral sunscreen; it just always makes some kind of a mess, or the finish is too shiny or too matte, and I’m never sure I’ve got enough sun protection going on, so I make my makeup be my sunscreen.
With color cosmetics, it’s about color and performance for me — packaging is near the bottom of my list, I like pans I can stick in Z-palettes. Items that I can try before I buy, or at least swatch, have an advantage with me, so that tends to leave out a lot of drugstore products, although you can occasionally find a tester at ULTA. My favorite eyeshadows are by Make Up For Ever, Viseart, Ardency Inn, NARS, Kat Von D, Kjaer Weis, Ciate London, Urban Decay. Favorite lipsticks are from Tom Ford, NARS, Urban Decay, Bobbi Brown, MAC, YSL, Besame, Kevyn Aucoin, Laura Mercier, Make Up For Ever, Clinique. Favorite primers and finishing powders are from Hourglass. Favorite powder blush is from Hourglass and Make Up For Ever. Favorite cream blush from Make Up For Ever. Favorite highlighters are from BECCA and Hourglass. Favorite contour powder from Kevyn Aucoin and Make Up For Ever (I use one of the Artist Shadows as a contour, and it works beautifully). Favorite brow gels from Anastasia Urban Decay, favorite brow pencil from Hourglass.
I have yet to find my holy grail mascara; I collect samples and use them, but, if I have to buy one, I’ll choose Maybelline, L’Oreal, or Cover Girl.
If I wore fragrance, it would probably be from one of the high-end niche brands, I’m pretty sure; I never smell anything I like in drugstores or department stores. I can’t stand what’s happened to classic fragrances like Chanel No. 5 over the years.
If I was going to color my hair, I’d probably pay a highly-recommended stylist a bundle to do a really professional job. I would not look good with one-color hair or streaky highlights (all I could manage myself, I’m sure), and I do find that I get what I pay for when it comes to haircuts — I can get a competent basic cut at a lot of places, but I like to be able to move my part around, wear my hair up one day, pulled back the next, in a side braid the day after… and doing a cut that makes that work well on hair that’s waist-length or longer takes some time.
I’d probably own more drugstore color cosmetics if I could swatch and try them before purchasing. CVS and Target are better about taking cosmetic returns than they used to be, but they’re still not as cheerful about it as ULTA, Nordstrom, and Sephora are. I don’t mind spending my money on something I’ll use, but I hate wasting my money. And that gets me to my main point; a lot of people think that you get what you pay for when it comes to skin care, but that’s not completely true. A lot of luxury brand skin care items suffer from inflated implied claims and irritating fragrances. It’s really hard to tell from their labeling how much active ingredient you’re actually getting. And while the cheapest items are pretty basic at best, and suffer from the addition of irritating fragrance or other irritants at worst, there are a lot of great-performing skin care items in the middle. What you want to do is clean your skin without irritating it; moisturize it; exfoliate it gently; treat it to some ingredients that will protect if from the sun, prevent/clear up acne, and/or delay signs of aging. So I look for formulations that have the right ingredients, in the right concentrations, to do what I want, and don’t contain irritating ingredients. If they’re ‘cosmetically elegant’, that’s a definite bonus (and I do have to have basics that work well under makeup for daytime), but, if I’m just wearing it to bed, I don’t care if my face looks shiny!
Hair is kind of crazy-individual: whatever makes your hair do what you want it to do without damaging it (or while damaging it as little as possible) is the right product for you. I avoid silicones and sulfates myself, because I’ve got long hair that I try to keep in tip-top condition and silicones just act like dust magnets on my hair, but YMMV. I’m not sure there’s a good way to find out what works for you other than by trying it (did you know that you can ask for a little sample of shampoo, conditioner, etc. when you’re at Sephora? they’ll give you up to three samples per visit).
Whew! Long-winded answer! I do sound like a snob, though, don’t I? 😉
Pack your bags, soon to be *official* Mama! You never can tell when BG might be ready to upgrade to more spacious accommodations. 🙂 Aside from being tired and sausagey, I hope you’re feeling OK!
I’m a total snob about all my makeup, my hair products and my hair cuts. I’m getting pretty handy with the home root-touch up and foiling so at least I’m saving on the crazy cost of salon color. HAHA!
Hi Karen, I am such a makeup beauty snob now. I use to purchase makeup via drugstore but couldn’t figure out why I’d be so itchy. I think the only drug store item I’ll get is mascara.
Shampoo I’m still into drugstore especially OGX.
My cleanser is also drugstore brand… Moisturizers are all higher end, guess when you’re starting your 30s, your moisturizer changes.
I prefer higher -end (midrange really) eyeshadows, foundation,concealer, and blush. I’m on the deeper end of the spectrum , so I need products that are more pigmented in order to be effective for me. I have found some drugstore gems. I also prefer a slightly higher end moisturizer.
I am happy i am not the only snobbish snob here! Basically, most of the stuff i own is either MAC or NARS with occasional Estee Lauder,Hourglas, Benefit, Lancome, YSL. Now, you can say that MAC and NARS are not the most expensive out there. But mostly colorful things like shadows and blush seem really outdated to me in Lancome or Chanel range. Here i don’t understand why i wouldn’t just pick up MAC that is better,cheaper and offer more variety.
The reason i don’t get drugstore – it doesn’t work for me. Either it does nothing (like skincare) or does not match my skin tone (most foundations are just too dark). So i end up paying more than i should: product does not work and i go back to department store eventually.
But one thing i buy from drugstore is for sure mascara. I was really blown away by Covergirl, price/quality is unbeatable. Also, since you have to repurchase mascara every 3 months, getting Lancome is proven to be pricey.
I hate to admit…but I’m a total snob…on everything, except I use drugstore ROC retinol skincare and drugstore cleanser. I’m a snob with makeup, clothes, cars, even cookware! I’m terribly materialistic and its definitely a quality that I’m working on within myself.
Gratz on Baby Girl’s upcoming arrival! Rest, rest, rest! We will all be sending you good thoughts and vibes!
For me I’m a snob when it comes to anything beauty related. It’s not because I have money (because I don’t) and it’s not because it makes me feel better than everyone else (because it doesn’t).
I’ve been brought up to believe that you get what you pay for. Essentially if I buy a drugstore eye shadow i’m not going to get as much out of it like pigment etc than if i buy a department store eye shadow.
Like a previous comment a poster made it’s about how I feel when I do apply makeup. I don’t wear makeup all the time, especially working 12hr shifts and being constantly on my feet. When I’m off and finally do apply makeup, it’s a ‘me time’ luxury that makes me feel special.
I can’t remember the last time I went down a drugstore aisle, and I doubt i’ll ever go down a drugstore aisle again. But that’s just me.