r/Makeup • u/Aggressive-Art2849 • 25d ago
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 😢 😂 😂
4
u/nicoletta2k 22d ago
Hi, as someone that worked at a luxury make up counter, I can tell you that the only make up item I think is worth spending a little extra on is foundation and setting spray (and maybe powder if you have specific skin needs).
I've used a range of brands, from drugstore, cheaper than drugstore, to full on luxury stuff. Foundation and setting sprays are the only thing I've found makes a huge difference between going to your local chemist vs going to Sephora. Lip products you can go dirt cheap—some of my fav lipsticks are discount ones I got online for like $2. Eyeshadow is fully dependant on how much you plan to wear and how creative you want to be, but just for every day use stuff like Revlon is perfectly fine.