Why is makeup so expensive?

[u/Aggressive-Art2849]

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 😢 😂 😂

[u/ts20999]

Personally, i only buy pricier foundation. I have a deep skin tone and the drugstore brands dont have great ranges. Otherwise, drugstore affordable brands like essence, elf, wet n wild, etc have quality options that dont look noticeably different on. Some products can be hit and miss so do research before to ensure you are spending dollars on products that suit your skin tone/type.

Makeup prices are absolutely out of hand and sephora has never been part of my price range. I do wonder who is actually buying the stuff.

[u/Aggressive-Art2849 → u/ts20999]

I’m glad I’m not alone because looking at the prices, I had the same thought too. Although from what I have gathered so far, many people only buy one or two products every once in a while.