I’m willing to pay more for most products/brands in general – like I’m not that price sensitive, but I definitely prefer more mid-end to low high-end price points so the quality has to be there if I’m paying more.
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I will pay more for a mid to high end brand if they also have a good sale. RMS will have 30% off, Pat McGrath can get 30% so I tend to veer towards good quality brands that also have sales! Foundation and concealer I am always willing to pay more or pay full price if its a good skin tone match and good finish/coverage – since those two things are hard to find!
I will pay more for a mid to high end brand if the quality is there.
Lipstick. I’m picky about my lipsticks from the formula, how it fades, scent/taste, and packaging. Right now 95% of my lipsticks are Lisa Eldridge because her formulas and packaging fit all of my requirements.
Skincare more than makeup, though if it was a really stellar product I’d pay more.
Lip products. I’m so picky about scent (no mint, no vanilla, no sugary-dessert smells) AND feel/texture (no thin slippy buttery satins, no uber-dry siliconey mattes). Also lipsticks are really the only thing I take with me to reapply while I’m out (except maybe powder) so I *prefer* something that’s beautiful and a real joy to use (Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Carolina Herrera) and *insist* on something in very sturdy packaging whose cap won’t crack or shatter or constantly wiggle loose while in my bag. Those NOPES actually eliminate a lot of high-end brands too — Tom Ford, much of NARS’ lineup, a lot of Guerlain and YSL.
I’m willing to pay more for the smallest improvement in quality, for more sustainable brands, for products that allow to keep my collection company and usable.
If something looks unique or like something that could be The One (for a while, at least — it’s rare) I’d consider a purchase if the quality looks like it’s there. Some price points are just way to high, though, and I would probably never consider them (*cough* Tom Ford).
A really excellent quality, generous sized in product amount bougie eyeshadow palette! (But usually always wait for a good sale.) Specific skincare items that actually WORK or my favorite body cream. The perfect foundation formula and shade match! (Yet again, I always try to wait for a good sale, though.)
Yet, for the most part, I tend towards what you mentioned, Christine: mid-range and lower cost items for the bulk of my beauty purchases lately. And why not? The Ordinary, Inkey List and Good Molecules have skincare items that actually work while using less ingredients! Then there’s brands like Elf, Nyx, Moira, Maybelline and several indie brands that are lower cost but have specific products that give Lux and HE companies a run for their money!
I have always been willing to pay full price and high end for products that I like and feel will work well for me. I do tend to buy more high end and when I completed a recent declutter, I kept pretty much all the high end and got rid of the drugstore brands. There are intangibles related to high end that I just enjoy. I actually like the fragrance that is included in high end makeup and I don’t have a sensitivity to it. A lot of high end makeup doesn’t score as well and some of that is the expectation that it is going to be so much better because of the price. I know Christine has an algorithm that she uses to keep her reviews equitable but not everyone does. So, a shadow that isn’t full of a ton of pigmentation may not score well but for me, it works because I can just use it for a one and done look and because I am pale, it likely will look much more pigmented on me. So, I guess the answer to the question is that I would buy any product regardless of price, if it meets my needs, wants and fills a hole in my collection.
The makeup products that I am willing to pay more for (and have done so) are eyeshadow palettes and blushes. Many of the eye palettes have not been available here in Aus, so international shipping rates are a cost that I have had to factor in. These have been the palettes that have rated really well (like ABH’s Sultry, ND’s Glam , SG Temptalia On The Horizon and Lorac’s Noir, Soleil and Fairytale Forest) plus some from PMG. I try to get them when on sale – but more often than not, I have purchased them when they have first been released.
Blushes, good quality ones, are hard to find here – particularly in the shades that work best on my fair toned complexion. They tend to sell out very quickly and are not replaced any time soon. I never buy the DS ones because they are just not good quality enough.
For skincare products, I tend to spend more on moisturisers and sometimes serums, but there are plenty of sales on these products.
Just about anything if the quality is worth the cost. I’m most likely to pay alot more for skincare and foundation. I will also pay whatever it takes to get a good fragrance. I think it’s a personal decision to decide when a product is a little too pricey for what it is. I love good lipsticks but when the price gets upward to over $70, that is my cutoff point and even at that price it better be a darn good lipstick lol!!
When I really like the product, it’s out of the ordinary and genuinely doesn’t something for me (brightening, looks well on my skin (hid pores, for real) or makes me smell nice or feel pleasant.