Affordable vs. High-End Beauty — Does it Matter?

In recent years especially, the beauty products industry has grown tremendously over time with no sign of stopping. Everyone from scientists to celebrities is investing time and money into this booming industry.

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, as well as Kim Kardashian’s KKW Beauty, is ample proof of that. By far, consumers in the US take the lead globally when it comes to beauty products and are followed by China, Japan, Brazil, and Germany.

According to a recent report by Fortune Business Insights, the Global Cosmetics Industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2019 to 2026 and reach a market worth of $297.61 billion. Company collaborations and acquisitions drive this increase, including both high-end and over-the-counter products.

The main product categories are skincare, haircare, makeup, perfumes, toiletries, deodorants, and oral cosmetics. Moreover, key companies that dominate include the likes of L’Oreal Professional, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder Inc., and Johnson & Johnson, to name a few.

With all of this innovation happening, where do we turn our attention? From high to low, there’s a price-point for everybody and a product for every need. Let’s take a quick look at whether one should opt for affordable or high-end beauty products.

Duping (& When Not To)

Duping is known as a common term amongst many beauty bloggers, and it is known as replacing a high-end beauty product with a counterpart that is readily available at a drugstore. This only happens when products like Maybelline mascara outperform and triumph over their more expensive peers in the market. However, that is one example, but it should never be the case always.

It may just be that Maybelline has come up with such a quality product that one can find it in every professional makeup artist’s kit. However, the consequences of duping all the time are not always favorable. More on this is discussed further.

Ingredients & Formulation

In the case of beauty products, people are basically looking for a product that offers the right ingredients and the stupendous formulation that makes the item terrific and long-lasting. Many high-end companies often put their investments to get the formulation of the product right so that it can result in a longer-lasting cosmetic line.

In the end, while ingredients may coincide with each other in both drugstore cosmetics and high-end products, it is actually the formulation that creates all the difference. Hence for a longer-lasting product, there is simply no choice. Products that have been thoroughly tested with a lot of R&D going into them makes the product itself durable and long-lasting. Therefore there is no option but to spend more money.

Picking the Best Overall

There’s no golden rule for choosing when to and when not to opt for a high-end product. Honestly, one should always try to search and find a relatively effective and cheaper counterpart.

Take the example of BB (Beauty Balm) cream. A pricey option available is the Stila 10-in-One HD Illuminating Beauty Balm with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 at $38 price tag. On the other hand, Maybelline offers Dream Fresh BB 8-in1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector, at a $9 price tag. Sure there is a slight difference, but for a basic BB cream, one can easily save $29 and use that to get another product for themselves.

Pay for Active Ingredients, not Branding

A lot of beauty products come with their mentions of active ingredients printed on their packaging and unit design. A quick read through, and one gets to know all the active ingredients that are included in the product. Those with allergies already know how important it is to read this small section to avoid any inconveniences that they might face later.

Always consider reading the active ingredient’s section more often. This will help in guiding purchases around the nutrients included in the product rather than luxurious marketing and branding that goes along with promoting high-end cosmetic items.

Quantity of Ingredients Differ

Sadly not all products offer the same quantity of ingredients. This means that while two products may contain the same active ingredients; however, the quantity of those may differ. According to FDA and FDA’s Guide to Labeling Cosmetic Products, consumers must be provided with accurate information about the number of contents within an item.

This is done so that consumers can be facilitated to buy products while going through value comparisons. Likewise, the FD&C Act also prohibits the marketing of cosmetics that are adulterated or misbranded. So for a conscious person who would like to put reason behind every action, it is best that people start evaluating the beauty products which they buy frequently and compare the number of ingredients that they offer.

Convenience vs. Performance

Lastly, who can deny that in times of need, it’s all just about your convenience rather than the product itself? In situations where there is a rush, the party is about to start, and a partner is simply too impatient right now, so what do people do?

They make use of whatever they can find. Well, there are times when there is a need to compromise, and then there are times where one simply cannot and would instead flip the world upside down than let others have their way with them: a big wedding is coming, there is an upcoming photoshoot or an invitation to a gorgeous venue for an exclusive party.