Today I wanted to share some makeup tips and secrets that you'll never hear uttered behind a makeup counter, or by a cosmetics company. Let's be real here. Makeup companies are in business to make money. They make money by selling consumers as many products as possible, at as high a price point as they can justify. As a result, there are many times when the makeup associate behind a counter, or the PR person behind a desk, will either omit or flat out lie about certain rather valuable facts. So, I've decided to expose some very important facts about our cosmetics and the industries that produce them.
1. High End Brands Are Owned By the Same Companies as Drugstore Brands!
Many high end brands are owned by the same parent company as drugstore brands. As a result, the products are often manufactured in the same factories, with very similar, if not identical, ingredients. The packaging is undoubtedly fancier for the high end brands, but is the price justified?
Let's take the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows, for example. The product, shown below, boasts "a formulation that lies between the comfort of a cream and the ease of application of a powder [for a] ... a luxurious, velvety texture." It retails at drugstores for $7.95 for 3.5 grams of product.
I bet you'd be shocked to know that the difference in ingredients between these two products is that Armani has Calcium Aluminium Borosilicate first and L'Oreal has Calcium Sodium Borosilicate first. Otherwise, the ingredients on the back suggest that the formulations are nearly identical.
Aside from the fancy packaging, how different are these products REALLY? Save your money. Buy the L'Oreal. (For a full list of cosmetic "parent" companies, click here.)
2. "Hypoallergenic" Schmypoallergenic
“Hypoallergenic” technically means “below normal” or “slightly” allergenic, but there is no standard in any country that provides an official certification or testing that an item must undergo before being labeled as hypoallergenic.
3. They're NOT FDA Regulated
Claims on skin care and cosmetics are NOT regulated by the FDA. Nor are there any regulations on words like "natural" or "safe".
4. Many of their products are interchangeable.
In fact, many body lotions have the same, or similar, ingredients as much more costly facial lotions. Take, for example, the ingredients in Olay Quench Age Defying Body Lotion compared to Olay Regenerist Nighttime Recovery facial lotion. The body lotion retails for less than $1/oz., whereas the face lotion is over $13/oz. If you look at the first 5 ingredients, you'll notice that both contain a high concentration of niacinamide, which has been proven to hydrate, eliminate age spots, and soften facial lines (Dermatologic Surgery, 2006).
5. You don't need both.
You don't need to buy a brow powder. Use a matte brown eyeshadow that is the same shade as your brows. It will work exactly the same.
Want to try a cream blush, but don't want to spend the money? Use a dab of your favorite lipstick. That's how cream blushes got started in the first place!
You don't need to buy an expensive brow gel. Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara is under $6 per tube and works just as well.
If their product boasts about it's anti-aging qualities, but doesn't contain sunscreen, it sucks. Sunscreen is one of the FEW things that has proven to have anti-aging effects on skin. So if your $300/tube anti-aging facial moisturizer doesn't have sunscreen, you got taken for a ride.
7. The Salespeople Behind the Counter Have an Agenda
If you're going to a one brand makeup counter, the sales people will try their hardest to sell you as MANY of their products as possible...regardless of whether or not that product is the best you could get for your money. They work for the cosmetics company, not for you.
Even at Sephora, where there is no brand loyalty, the salespeople on the floor get monthly bonuses that correspond to the store's monthly sales. So they may steer you towards products that you don't actually NEED. I'm not saying they all do it...but be aware.
Also, if a salesperson criticizes all of your favorite products, don't listen to another word they say. They're trying to sell you their entire line. YOU know what you like, and what works for your skin, better than any salesperson does. And if you're happy with your product, don't be bullied into buying something you don't want or need.
Xoxo,
Cathy
