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Have you ever bought a beauty product just because of the packaging?


Have you ever bought a beauty product just because of the packaging? Was it worth it?

I remember I bought MAC’s Stylistic perfume because the bottle looked pretty cool, though I don’t like the scent much myself, and honestly, it’s a pain to store. Since it doesn’t stand up, it just sits in a drawer.

Thanks to Anna for today’s question! Got a question idea? Submit yours here.

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Alyson Avatar

Just yesterday I brought two of those new “Baby Lips” lip balms from Maybelline – just because of the cute packaging. I find that to be better then the stuff I used to buy, like the mac end of the year couture stuff.

Emily Avatar

Ysl rouge volupte lipstick!!
But I
Love the product too!

I might get some d&g palettes too because I like the packaging but the quality needs to be there also when I spend that type of $$$

Julia Avatar

Damn Straight! Although this only applies to when I buy asian cosmetics, as they have the cutest packaging and the quality is always amazing.

Tracy Avatar

If you put packaging and asian cosmetics together, you can’t leave out Jill Stuart ! Their packaging is to die for ! But the quality is there too so it’s worth it !

Steph Avatar

Definitely bought two Wonder Woman MAC lipsticks last year because of the packaging! I had wanted MAC lipsticks before (I never owned any before that) but the packaging really put me over the edge. I loved the colors though too but everything factored into my purchase!

Janelly Avatar

If the product is pretty but I know what’s inside is useless and garbage, then I won’t get it. However, if the product inside is decent or good, pretty packaging is the tipping point for me!

Quinctia Avatar

I seem to be in the minority as I love the packaging on UD lipsticks. I love the formula, too, but I think the packaging sometimes sways me back towards it. I only own two of them, though.

Liz Avatar

I’ll buy something because of the packaging only if the quality is there as well in the product. (So basically, if two products are the same but one has better/prettier packaging, I’ll go with that one.) I won’t buy something that doesn’t work just for the packaging though – that makes no sense to me.

Helen Avatar

YSL rouge volupte – love the packaging & the smell is amazing, but the lipstick is too slippery for me and doesn’t last!

Guerlain rouge automatique packaging is so gorgeous & I mainly purchased for the packaging but I really do love the lipstick! Even if it was packaged ugly I would still buy it.

Victoria Avatar

I’ve actually never bought anything for the packaging, as I don’t really see myself as a makeup collector and I don’t always care for buying LE products. I’d rather just drool over the packaging online/instore but not actually take the final leap and splurge on it. I do admit I love the logos on my high end products *gently pets chanel and R&R*.

Emily Avatar

The Original Naked Palette. Even after owing a million eyeshadows, many that were already similar colours, the Naked Palette was just way too convenient for travel (and play)!

Ale Avatar

Oh how i have wanted to, i have been resisting but it’s soooo tempting. I love channel’s packaging it’s just so black and shiny! I want to run and buy something from them every time i walk by the counter!

Shinggy Avatar

Yes! I’ve always regretted buying the Summer Rose Beauty Powder from MAC’s Give Me Liberty of London collection. The pretty packaging sucked me in but sadly I rarely ever use the product.

stacey Avatar

Yep…if it wasnt for the packaging I would not collected so much makeup….Halston blusher shaped like a heart….UD 15th anniversary eye shadow palette…..Chanel Lip Lacquer so stylish……Guerlain Rouge G….all my fancy brushes from YSL 20 years ago, Tom Ford bronzer blusher and all the likes NOT made in CHINA…..lipsticks of all brands just because of the containers…..Shu Uemura lipstick in those plastic looking containers(ugly and cute at the same time)….

Oh how I wisht I had Joe and Paul “Alice” packaging, Jill Stuart products….all the Japanese cutesy makeup….

Hend Avatar

Guerlain Rouge Gs , I initially bought them because of the beautiful packaging, I didn’t know that the formula is so fabulous that it worths the price

Katie Avatar

What immediately comes to mind is the Hello Kitty Sephora stuff. The perfume is just a generic drugstore vanilla scent…but yes I bought it just for the bottle O_O …it looks super cute in my collection though, so yes, it was worth it!

Stephanie Avatar

I’m a cat-lady-in-training so I bought the Katy Perry Purr perfume just for the kitty bottle. I thought the scent was okay, but it did really grow on me and now I love it. I did draw the line at Meow though. Didn’t like the scent AT ALL and didn’t want to pay that much for a pink (I don’t like pink) bottle just to dump it out.

PJ Avatar

Many years ago , I purchased a palette of summer colors by Laura Mercier called “Mercury Rising” at NM because it was housed in a lovely shiny metallic orange/rust case. It was one of my first LM purchases, and I kept it way past its prime. Turned out It had great bronzers, neutral and aqua shadows, shimmery lip colors— all colors that look great with a tan. Loved it! Have written LM a couple of times begging them to re release it or something similar. Thus far, no luck!

Xero Avatar

I bought Physician’s Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural because of the packaging…I paid more for it than I usually would for makeup, but I had x-mas money and I could afford to spend a little more than usual. I like the blush a lot though.

Cupcake Avatar

Yes, just now I bought one eye & face palette from Paul&Joe’s Cat Collection 2012, the brown one, even though I already have a zillion brown and neutral eyeshadows. But I couldn’s help it, I just love kittens and outside the packaging is so floral, I just couldn’t resist.

Alice Avatar

I didn’t know about that collection, looked it up and now I want it too. I find the cat shaped lipsticks and blushers so cute, but I guess I would never be able to use them.

Rebecca Avatar

I am always tempted by the cute packaging, but there have only been a few times i actually went ahead and bought products because of cute packaging and they were from Benefit and Too Faced. Luckily i ended up loving the products!

Ana Avatar

Yes! I bought a brush set, a lipstick and a dazzleglass from MAC Glitter & Ice collection… As well as a superglass which I hardly ever use 🙁 cause the glitter flecks fall all over my lips and chin

Jackie Avatar

Sometimes I buy perfume that I don’t even like just because of the packaging. Especially from anthropolgie’s sale section! I can’t help it, they’re so freakin cute.

Lindsey Avatar

*almost* On one of my more recent trips to Ulta I picked up one of Urban Decay’s “Pocket Rocket” lip glosses. The name and packaging are so cute and hysterical! But, shortly before I went to check-out I decided that for almost $20 I don’t need another lip gloss just because I like the packaging. If it had been under $10 I probably would have still bought it for the novelty 😉

Safyre Avatar

I have to admit that when I found out that tokidoki had launched a line with Smashbox (this was before they had their own makeup line) that I scoured ebay and bought most of the collection just because it looked precious. Same with the Stila agate palettes (I limited myself to the laguna agate one though). Also, with the Physician’s formula Happy Booster translucent powder. Luckily, none of these disappointed in the least. The cute packaging turned out to be a great bonus to products that were great to begin with 😀

Michele Avatar

Oh, yeah! It’s often the packaging that might push it into the “got to have it” category. I wouldn’t buy a product I don’t think I’d use but I most certainly have bought many I don’t really “need” just because I like the packaging. If the Urban Decay LE sets didn’t come in the cute packaging, I doubt so many of us would have run out to get them. The shadows are good but it’s the packaging that really catches everyone’s attention and makes it instantly recognizable as UD. Nothing wrong with buying/collecting something that makes you smile.

Stacie Avatar

I buy things for pretty packaging and I’m not ashamed. Most of them have turned out to be great products. Tarte for True Blood, UD 15th Anniversary Palette. But the worst by far was the Too Faced Sweet Dreams palette. The products are good (not great, but good), but the packaging was SO beautiful, I couldn’t say no!

Lumi Avatar

Nahhh, I haven’t yet. And probably won’t ever.
While I enjoy cute and pretty packaging, the item has to meet other factors before I buy it.

Cathee T. Avatar

I only use external packaging as a tie-breaker when I can’t decide between very similar products. I have bought something solely based on how the product inside looked though – the Guerlain Meteorites Perles!

Avril Avatar

It’s why I tried theBalm and Icing’s Flaunt. TheBalm was obviously good, Flaunt was good for its price (>$5 for most things, a little chalky though). I love pinup girls so so so much 🙂

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