

High End Makeup Vs. Drugstore Makeup: What Are You Really Paying For?
Amongst my circle friends and colleagues, I'm typically the person that knows everything that there is to know about makeup launches and releases for luxury brands.
Because of my years of working professionally in the cosmetic industry, people expect me to a snob when it comes to makeup. Little do those people know, a lot of my favorite products come right from the cosmetic section of your local Target and Walgreens, and in my opinion some have out performed their department store counterparts by far.
As someone who has a background in marketing, I've often wondered if the extra coins that I scrapped up to splurge on high end cosmetics was honestly even worth it. I'm not to saying that high-end makeup is a complete scam but their inflated prices are for minor differences that you may not get from a drugstore brand.
Say for instance the luxury brand Lancome, which is owned by L'Oreal. Lancome's Rouge in Love Shade Pink Bon Bon lip color, is equivalent to L'Oreal's Colour Rich Shade Pink Flamingo, however, you will pay three times as much for Lancome than L'Oreal.
The prices of your high end splurges, usually depend on:
Packaging
Most of use makeup wearers out there are total suckers for pretty packaging and even more so for convenient and innovative packaging. Drug store packaging tends to be simple with no frills, while high end department store packaging can be drop dead gorgeous and to die for.
Pigmentation
Makeup application is something that is aesthetically pleasing, so there is no secret that we want our colors to be nice and bright instead of washed out and dreary. Eyeshadows especially need to be pigmented enough whereas the color does not show up chalky, especially on darker skin tones. Though drugstore eyeshadow has come a LONG way, they usually still take a little more work and building up of product to get that “uumph" that you would get from a high-end one (depending).
Applicators (if provided)
Whether its drugstore or high-end, I personally opt not to use the applicators that come with the products unless I'm trying to travel light but I do notice a big difference between the quality of an applicator from a drugstore product and a high-end one.
For instance my favorite drugstore loose powder comes with the pouf that I have never used while some of my favorite high-end loose powders tend to come with more practical small brush applicators that I may use on occasions. Whether you decide to use them or not, somewhere down the line it is a portion of the price that we pay for the product that it comes with.
Fragrance (or even lack of)
Whether we want to believe it or not, every thing that goes into a product, drugstore or high-end, were paying for it someway, somehow; that includes that vanilla scent of that lipstick that you love so much or even that luxury brand that takes out all fragrances completely. You'll often find that fragrances in higher end cosmetics smell better as they should for the extra amount of cash that we spend on them.
The Brand Name
Perception is reality. If that doesn't apply anywhere else, it definitely applies in the world of cosmetics. The way we perceive a brand determines if we will actually spend the extra money on a product. That is how high-end brands thrive.
What woman doesn't want to rock that bold $26 lipstick that she gagged over when she saw it in a magazine? Or a product that has her favorite actress or singer face plastered on the advertisements for it? We all do it every once in a while. A big part of why we are willing to spend more on certain brands is the fact that in our minds, whether consciously or subconsciously, we feel we are perceived as being “luxurious by association".
The Experience
Chances are shopping for makeup in the drugstore is much different from shopping for high-end makeup in a department store. High-end brands provide a shopping experience with the million and one testers you get to play with, consultants to interact with or even get a make over from and everything else that you don't get out of a trip to your local drugstore. While some of us could live without it, many of us really enjoy it and feel the extra coins are really worth it.
I'll be the first one to tell you, “don't cheat yourself, treat yourself" and splurging on high-end makeup is no different. Knowing when and when not to spend extra “unnecessary" money on makeup is all about trying new things, whether its from the drugstore or the department store, and getting a feel of what is and is not important to you when it come to your makeup. Use the article as a guide the next time your wonder if your splurging justifiable.
Though there are definitely some benefits that we get out of going for the gold with luxury cosmetics, we also are paying for "unnecessary" things that we honestly can live without.
Are you a drugstore make-up junkie or do you prefer to buy your make up from high-end brands?
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here to receive our latest articles and news straight to your inbox.
- The Differences Between Drugstore Makeup And High-End Makeup ... ›
- Drugstore vs Designer Makeup: When to Save and When to Splurge ... ›
- The Difference Between High End and Drugstore Makeup ›
- The Difference Between A $6 And $70 Mascara | HuffPost Life ›
- Drugstore vs. Department Store Makeup: Whose Product Is Better ... ›
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
The world is filled with tons of distractions vying for our attention. Our workloads can be demanding, social media chatter can be deafening, and it all makes you wish you could flip a switch and shut everything off.
But since life doesn’t come with a mute button, we have to find ways to turn the volume down so we can reset our mood and fade into the present moment. Interestingly enough, singer Coco Jones knows a thing or two about this.
@harpersbazaar Relatable 👏 #cocojones #vmas #vmas2023 #celebstyle #titkokfashion #moschino
In a recent red carpet interview with Harper’s Bazaar, singer Coco Jones was asked by an interviewer, “What was the last song you listened to?” Ready for the R&B starlet to sound off a Billboard-charting banger, we were surprised and humored to learn that the songs to land in her rotation come from a more sonic style of music known as ambient music.
“The last song I listened to was probably ambient music,” she shared. “It be so loud in this world of mine, I just need to listen to a gong.” This had us thinking that maybe we too use a few gongs, harps, and xylophones in our music rotation, especially if Coco approves.
What Is Ambient Music?
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes atmosphere, mood, and tone over traditional musical structure and melody. This vibe-setting, atmosphere-shaping sound is often described as "background music" as it’s designed to create an immersive and ambient sonic environment rather than being the primary focus of the listener's attention.
Ambient music has rich, audio texture while being shapeless in its melodies. Many songs in the genre tend to be minimalist in nature, with simple and repetitive musical elements. It often features long, sustained tones or chords, with lengthy compositions that listeners can get lost in — in a good way, of course.
@lovie.world ambient music starter pack i want everyone to know peace #ambientmusic #musictok #playlist
Why You Might Love Ambient Music
Taking your first listen to an ambient track, may take some time to adjust to. If you’re used to songs with structure and reliable flows and chords, it could take a couple of listens to ease into the amorphic style of this music genre. Its primary goal is to evoke a specific atmosphere or mood that can be calming, meditative, introspective, eerie, or even unsettling, depending on the artist's intentions.
As TikTok creator and DJ, Lovie shared in her video detailing the genre, “We also go through too much as a people to not be listening to some Tibetan singing bowls and some gongs, okay?” And we couldn’t agree more. Sometimes we need sounds to transport us from reality, even if that’s just for 30 minutes at a time. Life is tough enough, why not allow our music to feed into our escapism just a little?
Exploring Ambient Music
If you’re looking to give ambient music a spin in your playlist, your next question might be where to even begin. You might be pleased to know that as a beginner, you don’t have to venture too far to find that you may have already been introduced to the genre through singer and songwriter, Solange Knowles. Her fourth studio album, When I Get Home, features the atmospheric sounds of ambient music throughout.
Some of the pioneering artists in the ambient music genre include Brian Eno, who is often credited with coining the term "ambient music," as well as artists like Tangerine Dream, Harold Budd, and Aphex Twin.
The sounds of ambient music are unhurried and full of ease, which can provide the perfect momentary escape from the outside noise or as background music for your studies or creative processes. So if you're looking to widen your music taste and tune out this noisy world, take Coco’s advice to give ambient music a try because you can never go wrong with a gong.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage