AFFORDABLE VS. HIGH END BEAUTY

In recent years, the beauty industry has grown at an astounding pace, with everyone from celebrities to corporates pouring their money into it. So when it comes to buying makeup and skincare products, we have options galore. Products range from high-end to the more affordable, often claiming to do the same things. When we have so many dupes at our disposal today, is it really worth buying a product that does the same thing, at a higher price? There are so many factors to consider before buying a product, so lets explore them together! 


Formulation: 

What do you picture when you imagine beauty products being formulated? A team of scientists armed with high-tech machines working diligently over each bristle on an applicator? Hate to break it to you, but no. Well, that might be true for some brands, but for a majority of brands, private label companies formulate and produce the products, with inputs from the brand. Basically- products that are made by one company, and then labeled with the branding of another. This is also called White Labeling and is pretty commonplace in the beauty industry. So you might find that an expensive product that you really like, has a cheaper alternative that has been formulated by the same company, albeit with a few minor differences. 


Ingredients: 

There is a misconception that expensive products are better than affordable products, but we don’t think that’s necessarily true for every situation. Often, the brand might amp up the cost of the product, claiming that it contains a ‘secret ingredient’ or a rare ingredient that is missing from affordable products, but that ingredient probably isn’t doing the heavy lifting of the product and is only contained in trace amounts. Most often, you’re paying for the brand name- which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you are loyal to the brand! 


Dupes: 

With the rise of the beauty industry, comes the dupes. Duping is pretty popular, and it just means replacing a high-end product with a more affordable product that is more easily available, at a lower price point. Dupes bring products to the larger market and make them more accessible. Now that duping for products is so common, it makes it harder to justify buying products on the higher end. Instagram is a big contributor to the duping trend. The downside to dupes is that they could possibly cause reactions on your skin, and might not be ethically sourced and produced. The trick is to use discretion while buying dupes and always, always patch test before putting it on your face, no matter what product you buy. 


Convenience and Performance: 

Another possible question to address is what you use makeup for personally. If you’re using it on a daily basis for work or college, then a mix of high-end and affordable products will probably work great. But if you rarely wear makeup, then is it worth splurging on a product that you will barely use, and will expire in a year? On the other end of the spectrum, if you use makeup on a professional basis like for shoots or the like, then maybe spending more money on a higher-end foundation formulated especially for the camera might be a good idea.  


Price: 

Coming to what is probably the most contentious topic on this list- price. While the affordable products will make your bank account happier, sometimes it just can’t beat that high-end price point. High-end products can sometimes really give you your money’s worth, and if you find a luxury buy that you adore, we say there’s no harm in loving it. 

If you’re more concerned about the price, then take into account all of these factors, and take a call. At the end of the day nobody knows your skin, and your routine better than you.  


To sum it all up, we will admit that some high-end brands are definitely worth it, and have a cult following for some of their products- for example, Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion, or MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick. On the other hand, there are affordable brands that have equally iconic products, like Maybelline’s Great Lash mascara, or The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid. Ask yourself if you can tell the difference between the luxury version and the affordable version. The answer may surprise you. 

We hope this list has helped you decide what kind of personal care products you should buy, but we hope that through research you find the perfect product for you. 

Comment below on what kind of products you prefer- affordable, high-end, or a mix of both, and how you decide to buy one or the other! 


That's all for now! 

Until next time.. 

Stay curious. Stay #freequal


Written by: Ava Gilder
Blog cover via: Health Magazine

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