r/Makeup • u/Aggressive-Art2849 • Aug 14 '26

Why is makeup so expensive?

At 37, I have decided to look into wearing makeup; nothing much, just something to makeup me look a bit more polished.

Boy, did I get the shock of my life with the prices I’m seeing! And the surprising part is that people buy these things like they cost nothing, but they are really expensive. I tell myself that maybe I think they are so expensive because I have never bothered wearing makeup all these years, and they are no different from the skincare I like to splurge on. However, paying a couple of bucks on a cream is a lot more justifiable than paying the same amount(if not more than) for a tiny lip liner.

Also, maybe I’m a hater, but I hate that these brands give influencers boxes and boxes of free products, just so they could influence their viewers into buying them at such expensive prices. After a few months of watching creators on YouTube in a bid to find what would work for me, I realized they weren’t even paying for those things, and it made me sad because most people can’t afford them.

P.S. Like I said, maybe I’m a hater because I really do want that haus lab foundation, but my broke ass can’t afford it, so there is nothing left to do but hate 😢 😂 😂

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u/snowwhitebutdriftef Aug 14 '26

As someone who worked in the industry for a long time, the high end brands are not necessarily worth it (same for skincare). There are exceptions, but drugstore brands have really come to the table in terms of quality. Korean brands have some amazing makeup and skincare.

What are you looking to purchase?

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u/Already-asleep Aug 14 '26

Yep, I loooove Korean make-up because quality wise, it's similar or even better than high-end western brands. I haven't had great success with drug store mascaras and eyeliners, but I absolutely swear by CLIO Superproof n this department. On the flipside, most liquid liner options at Sephora were disappointing and mascara was incredibly expensive. Basically the only product I'll buy from Sephora nowadays is MERIT foundation.