If it’s a really expensive range, and I’m either not certain it’s THAT in-demand by readers or if I am wary about quality, then I will purchase less than the full range initially, then purchase more (or not at all) based on performance — both with readers but also quality.
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Since I have the whole “quality over quantity” mentality, my purchases are determined by their quality. I mean, look, my stash runs the gamut when it comes to price ranges. I’ll whip out a $11 L’Oreal Lash Paradise mascara to use in conjunction with one of my $125 PML Mothership Palettes or use a $6 Nyx Slim Lip Pencil with a $40 lipstick from Mother or YSL. I only care that whatever it is, that it’s great.
Same here 🙂
Me too. Quality is primary for me.
Mostly it doesn’t. I so rarely use things up that small quantities don’t bother me even at high prices.
Price is one of the biggest factors for me. I hardly ever buy non-drugstore makeup because I know that great makeup doesn’t need to be expensive. I have lipsticks from L’oreal and Revlon that are fantastic, so why bother spending twice as much (or more) for Urban Decay if the quality isn’t noticeably higher? My $6 e.l.f. foundation is perfect for me, so I see no point in even trying a $30 foundation.
Nobody can tell what brand names I’ve used or how much I paid for my products once it’s all on my face. Might as well save money since I don’t care about the ~prestige~ of things.
My purchases are always a trade-off between price and quality (but also sustainability nowadays), but I lean more towards quality.
Fortunately I am in a good financial situation, so I don’t have to make harsh decisions budget wise. If I like the more expensive version just slightly better than the drugstore dupe, I’ll buy the more expensive one; for example, the NYX brow pencil is a very good product, but the Hourglass one is just a tiny bit better, so I’ll spend the extra money for the small quality diffence.
That being said, I refuse to pay prices that aren’t justified by quality, even if the quality is good. For example a good cleanser or hyaluronic acid booster are cheap to make… there’s no quality justifying paying $50 for one.
I’m also just not into luxury makeup… there’s that spot where even quality doesn’t justify the price.
Well said (and thanks) – this is exactly my approach, w/ one exception. If there are two very similar products w/ a large price difference and only a slight difference in quality, I might go for the cheaper one.
I don’t need any makeup that’s super-sized (body and hair products could be fine in extra large though). Minis can be OK if the price/usage needs line up (mascara, lip gloss, etc/)
What I refuse to do though is pay full price for less product (like Marc Jacobs fineliners).
Price certainly does impact on me a lot when it comes to makeup purchases. I don’t mind spending the money if it is absolutely sensational, but I really do have to see a review first. A great deal of mid range products have very hefty price tags here in Aus (dollar conversion, import taxes, shipping costs, retailers add ons etc). Particularly lipsticks from HE brands such as Estee Lauder, Tom Ford etc can be in the $70 or more range…
I find that expensive, but excellent lipsticks can be duped (thank you Christine for the wonderful dupe list) and so too can many eyeshadows.
I do prefer quality over quantity and I would like to think that all of my purchases over the past 4-5 years have reflected that.
I’m so fortunate that living in the USA I don’t have to pay those extra fees such as import tax. I sometimes take that for granted. 🙁
Price, a lot! Quantity, very little. So for example, if I have to pay a lot of money for a quality product even though it’s small in quantity, I may still buy it depending on quality, uniqueness, and how much I really want it because I like the product, think I’ll use it, and it’s unique compared to what I have. But should I not see any use for a product (i.e. I already have enough of a similar product or I am not into that type of product) or it’s extremely expensive (even if I really would like to have it), then no quantity (nor price in the former case) would change my mind.
It’s all about the quality, it doesn’t matter if it’s a $6 lipstick that looks and performs perfectly or if it’s a $70 foundation that lasts all day on me and doesn’t settle into my fine lines. Quality is the number one thing that I think we all look for in all of our products.
My general philosophy is when I can, I favor quality over price or quantity because it’s never made sense to me to feel good about saving money only to have to deal with a poor product. There’s a sweet spot where I find that the price of the product is acceptable for its performance and I’m willing to meet that. Once the price moves up from there my expectations go up, too. With quantity I’ve found that (for example) my average lipstick is between 3-4g of product regardless of cost, so when one shows up with less than that it makes me question the product more. What am I getting for my money, basically. But there’s exceptions to the quality/quantity thing, like if I’m purchasing a specific thing for a reason other than its usefulness. Then It’s more about is the price acceptable to satisfy my curiosity or meet this one specific need, etc.