My Views on Makeup

I wear makeup. Its really a no-brainer for me. Being able to cover up what I don't like about my skin just makes me feel more comfortable. I like to be able to go out with friends and not have to hide every time they go to take a picture. I like being able to put on a smokey eye and suddenly look sultry and hot. I like makeup.

But when does it become too much? When do the prices get too high, when do us girls put too much on and call it a 'subtle ' look? My mum always says that most makeup is a scam. For a long time I didn't agree, but now I kind of get it. Why should I pay those $26 for a Mac compact? Is it 5 times better than the one I got at a drugstore for 4? No. Should I pay that same amount for a lipstick if I can get one in the same color for 80 cents? No. Were all the $50 cleansers, brushes, foundations, and primers worth that much money? No, no, and no.

Maybe you disagree. Maybe I just can't see the difference. Or maybe, just maybe, you're looking to hard to find a tiny justification for why you would spend that much money. Makeup companies give you the price they think you will pay, not the one that its worth. Why? Because that's business. You can't tell me that that powder you got was worth the money because not even the companies think so. When a company raises the price on one of their cosmetics, it isn't because there are flakes of real gold in it; its because they think they can milk you out of a little more money. And they do. And it works.

So I was thinking about everything that my mum said to me about makeup today and thought 'well what if  it could be changed? what if girls made those companies realise that their products really aren't worth that much money?' It would be good for us.The prices would go down to where they should be and I wouldn't break the bank when trying to get a new foundation.

There are dupes for those products. Just because it says Chanel does not make it better. Or maybe it does. Maybe if I take a powder from the dollar store and sold it as a Chanel, people would like it better. Does that seem ridiculous? It isn't. There was a study taken (and you can google it if you'd like) where a bunch of people went to a wine tasting. They were given a sample of 'one of the most expensive wines in the world.' Then they were given one that was at a much cheaper price. When asked which was better, the majority said the expensive wine was so much better. However, the wines had been labeled wrong. The expensive wine had been given to them as the cheap one and vice versa. They had liked the cheaper one better purely because they had been told it was more expensive.

Do I do that? Do I look at something with a large price tag and just assume that its better? Granted, sometimes it really is better. Sometimes the price tag is true to what you are receiving. But not a lot. That's why I think makeup is a scam. If you buy a 32 pack of brushes online that cost the same price as one high brand cosmetic one, you get it. Because those brushes are both just some bristles stuck on a stick. If you go into Target and buy the elf brand palettes, you get it. Because I've tried both and I like elf just as much. If you can look past the price and see it for what it is, you get it. Because people reviews of makeup change depending on the price tag. I've seen YouTube videos of girls trying out drugstore foundations. A few times I watched the girl say that she might like the product the same as her high end one. Might. But even with that might in there, there is so much difference in that price. Why spend so much more if you like one that is half the price?

Maybe you just don't see yet. Maybe you do. Money doesn't define how good a product it is. I'd rather spend my money going out with friends, donating to charity, traveling around the world, or even setting up funds for my parents when they get older. But then again, maybe I don't get it. Maybe I haven't tried the right product yet; maybe I haven't used the perfect cosmetic that made my face look like a goddess. Maybe I'm wrong. I could be. But I haven't had a high end product that was worth it for me.