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Have you ever paid more than retail for a beauty product?
Have you ever paid more than retail for a beauty product? Was it limited edition/discontinued? How much did you end up having to pay for it? Was it worth it?
I know there were a few older/discontinued MAC shades that I had purchased at over retail (probably double the retail price). Like some of the really old, original pigments and some of the eyeshadows that came in screw-top eyeshadows.
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No.
I’ve looked once or twice, but never bit the bullet. The last straw for me personally though was the scandal over Lynderella giving her relative product not available elsewhere for the sole purpose of charging ridiculous amounts of money for it. It left an incredibly poor taste in my mouth and has pretty much completely turned me off of even thinking about overpaying in the future.
If I can’t get my hands on it through initial release, then sucks to be me but I move on 🙂
MAC Delineate; I paid somewhere around $70 USD on ebay. I bought it because red eyeliners at that time were really a rare find. It’s a PITA product to apply, but it’s so pretty, I’m willing to put in the effort. I didn’t search for it directly, but it turned up in a search for red eyeliner. I don’t think I’d ever pay more than retail in the future, though; there really are too many products available on the market that are just as good as LE, and from brands who actually want my money…
Yes, I’ve purchased a couple of limited edition MAC products on eBay for more than retail!
I do buy a lot of Korean and Japanese beauty products, and though I don’t know how much they cost originally, I’m sure I ended up paying a lot more than that.
I have, mainly for discontinued or LE shades. But what takes the cake was me paying Australian retail for Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #14. It’s technically retail, albeit way more than US retail price, but it was so, so painful. (totally worth it, though) >’:
I haven’t paid more for products I can get in the US, but I just bought a bunch of Korean cosmetics (Thanks to the Muse) and I’m fairly certain that while what I paid was surprisingly reasonable, it was still more than I’d have paid in Korea. (Shipping was only $2, though, so I didn’t get gouged there. If my products arrive when they should and they’re what I ordered, I’ll recommend this seller wholeheartedly. So far all I can say is they have a good selection and shipped out my items almost immediately.)
Muse does possess some of the cutest Koreand and Japanese brand products.
No never. Too afraid to buy makeup from eBay stores. I have paid less but never more…like sales at the drugstore and The Cosmetic Company…would never do it…
Christine, didnt you buy this one Armani Eyes to Kill pressed shadow #14 that you paid almost double and had it shipped from Europe.
I sell makeup on eBay and all of the stuff I sell is authentic, fresh and perfect. If you check a sellers feedback, you will know if they are legit.
Actually, I’m doing that a ton recently. I was out of the makeup world for a few years, so now I’m back with a vengeance and find myself on Amazon a lot getting discontinued stuff, mostly MAC lippies. Note – make sure the buyer has a good rating; lots of makeup frauds on there, especially with brushes and liquid stuff. Just be careful…
Not when I have temptalia to recommend me dupes 🙂
This week I paid 32€ for MAC Lightscapade. Retail 28€ and 4€ shipping. I couldn’t wait for the Paramore collection. Limiteds are so hard to get in the Netherlands. And I was lucky.. it was the last item.. 😀
My awesome boyfriend bought me My Dark Magic eyeshadow from MAC Venomous Villains on Ebay last month, he snagged it for £26! It’s crazy the prices MAC can get up to on there, especially LE :/
No… I don’t think anything makeup related is worth paying more than retail (I actually try to buy high end makeup from Dillard’s because I get a 25% off discount). There hasn’t been anything (i.e. LE items I missed out on or discontinued items) that I felt I needed that much… At least not yet ;).
I never have, but I don’t rule it out entirely: paying an unreasonable amount is absolutely out of the question, but if I stumble on a holy grail I can’t repurchase elsewhere, I might shell out a couple of euros above the retail price. It’d have to be exceptional, though.
Yes, paid $50 for Mac’s Queens Sin lipstick on eBay. Can’t believe that shade has never been repromoted!!
Queen’s Sin – great holiday red
No I haven’t, nor would I. My own wariness about ebay fakes manages to cool my jets for me when I do stumble across a product that I have been itching to own. And then I’m able to remind myself that “it’s only makeup and there are probably lots of dupes”.
I can reassure you that there are quite a few legit sellers on eBay. All you have to do is check their feedback and that will tell you if they sell authentic product. And you are always covered by buyer protection!
I bought Mac Parrot eyeshadow online for $45US, which to be honest is only about $9 more expensive than the regular Australian price anyway so I figured I might as well just go for it. Totally worth it! Also I rationalized it (and some other purchases, hehe) by factoring in the $50 I saved by buying NARS Cap Ferrat online instead of paying $89 for it in Australia.
That’s how I justified MAC Delineate-I also stumbled upon a Lancôme liner (also red), and it, along with the silver, was 1/2 of what I paid retail years before, so it all kind of “averaged” out, LOL.
Yes, the original Bobbi Brown shimmer brick when it was limited edition. Bought it on ebay for $20 above retail (so annoyed because it was released as a permanent addition to the line shortly after). I also bought a discontinued shu uemera blush on ebay. Total impulse purchase based on a blog. Didn’t love the product and felt dopey because even if I did, what was I going to do, it was discontinued!!!!
No…I’ve never wanted something so badly that I was willing to pay more than retail for it. I would like to think that I wouldn’t do it, but who knows! If it’s a product I know that I need and it had suddenly been discontinued I might end up doing it, but it would have to be something I felt like I couldn’t do without or couldn’t find a replacement for.
There are three or four MAC LE lipsticks I paid double for on Ebay. It’s annoying and now I am more on top of the releases
Just once! I purchased the Maybelline Limited Edition Fall 2012 Fashion Week Color Tattoo Eyeshadows (all 4 of them) from Ebay for about $10 each. The Walgreens’ and CVS’s around me were either sold out of these items or never had them to begin with. But lo and behold, a week later after I got the color tattoos in the mail, the Walgreens closest to me finally put up the collection with all the color tattoos plus they were buy one get one 50% off. Goes to show that I should have been more patient 🙁
Yes. Things I’ve shelled out for in the past: Chanel Notorious, Illamasqua Raindrops, Chanel Joues Contrastes in htf/discontinued colours..
Yep. The Dior palette (you know the ones that have the shadows, liner, and highlighter? I forgot what they’re called) in green back when it was an Asia exclusive. I think I paid $80 for it. And Dior Sweet Orange nail polish. A couple times actually for that one. It’s still my fave of all time but I won’t be buying anymore. It was discontinued at least 3 years ago so even if I do stumble upon a bottle on eBay or something it would probably be gloppy by now.
I am really considering getting the OPI James Bond collection nail polishes for 3x the price. Just because I am obsessed with the movie Skyfall and James Bond in general, and I wanted that colour with that name so bad!… ahhh sucker for these kinds of things.
If you have JCPenney stores around you, check their salons for the Skyfall collection! Just a couple weeks ago, I snagged some for $5 each!
Oh yes definitely! I paid $25 each for two of MAC’s lipsticks; Pink Pigeon and Party Parrot. People tend to hoard really popular colors and I wasn’t fast enough, so I bought them online for a higher price.
It is very hard for me to do since I am a MAC PROPPID customer. I felt like I had hit the jackpot when I got several Viva Glam Cyndi lipglasses last summer. Great Spring/Summer color.
Never, but I almost did when the maybelline limited ed color tattoos came out last year. The exorbitant prices (5x the amount) was enough to stop me!!!!
No, but I was very tempted at one point in the past to get the LE Penelope kaleidoscope by Le Metier De Beaute and the MAC mineralized eye shadow in Gilt by Association on ebay for a ridiculous amount of money which is embarrassing to even admit. Thank God, the rational side of my brain was working and I was able to talk myself out of making those purchases. After a couple of years of waiting, MessyWands had a blog post on the availability of all the LE kaleidoscopes and MAC re-released Gilt by Association, so I was able to purchase both of those at retail cost and free shipping. Unless you live in another country and you don’t have a choice but to buy from ebay, I’d highly suggest waiting patiently because at some point an LE product might show up for retail cost saving you loads of money compared to the ebay sellers.
Yes… I will admit that I used to keep on top of every single makeup launch there was and was buying up way too much! I stopped the madness, and now I learn of some products I must have way too late, or my stupid MAC store (i’m in Mexico) gets them weeks after the US launch, and they never know their dates untill one week before the product is to arrive, and when I specifically give them lists with my name and phone numbers, they FORGET TO CALL!!! (Still angry about Strenght, which sold out in under 2 hours here).
Anyway, most of the time, I decide I want something and I’m left looking for it on ebay, often paying inflated prices. I limit myself to those items that are absolute Holy Grails, must have discontinueds and colors I’m super sure will look absolutely perfect on me. I recently purchased both Strenght quads for more then retail, but less than what they would cost here in Mexico after import taxes, so I’m happy. 🙂
I would never, ever pay more than double what the product cost originally though.
I’ve picked up a few LE items from MAC and some Sleek palettes that don’t ship to the US on eBay. Heroine for example is already sold out.
I just did, I placed my first order on eBay buying a suqqu eyeshadow. I have been looking for everywhere to buy this product since I heard of it last year. I am waiting it to arrive at my home. I hope I will like it, since it is the most expensive eyeshadow in my collection. I paid more than Tom Ford eyeshadow.
I’ve never spend more then the actual price and I don’t believe I will.
Yes! I wanted the LE NARS joie de vivre palette so badly when it was a Nordstrom exclusive! I was running very low on my NARS Orgam (which of course, like millions of other people, it’s my holy grail blush color). Unfortunately, I was not a Nordstrom cardholer (I don’t have a Nordstrom anywhere near me), so I couldn’t snag it because they offered it first to the cardholders so it sold out within 1-2 days. I was determined to get it somehow, so I scoured Ebay, really poured over my decision and ended up paying $95 (free shipping) for it on Ebay. I did mourn having to overpay by $30. My justification was that for the oz of eyeshadow in the palette, it was cheaper than buying the colors individually so I was still saving money by getting the palette. However, I slightly regret buying it because the eyeshadow quality is definitely not the same as buying the shades individually…I find *some* of the shades to be harder and offer less pigment than their individual counterparts, however some of the shades are still super pigmented and look great on me.
I have thought about buying MAC’s LE Everhip on ebay for $38, but I just cannot bring myself to do it since I already have so many oinky coral colors, but none that are exact dupes for Everhip. I am really hoping that MAC will repromote Everhip in the future…or make it permanent! It’s such a beautiful coral pink color that really brightens up the complexion.
Oh, and I bought a fake LE MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick off of Ebay – so definitely beware! The funny part was, the tube was exactly the same as the real one. I knew immediately it was fake because it smelled of something chemical and not vanilla, and the lipstick applied EXTREMELY slippery and wet. The color was kind of nice though, but I was really worried about what type of chemicals I was putting on my lips. I let the seller know and he/she promptly refunded me my money without having me return the tube! Their response to it being fake was that they buy wholesale and they just assume all products are authentic.. um okay, that’s no excuse. I looked at all the feedback they received (even people who bought the same lipstick as me) and no one was complaining about fakes. I guess people are just ignorant.
I bought a LE Viva Glam Cyndi lipglass off of Ebay for $19 (not too shabby of a price, eh?) and it turned out to be real! It’s so pretty but I have ceramic braces on my upper teeth, so any bright colors tend to get on the clear plastic brackets.. it’s so annoying! Ugh!
I am really embarrassed about my experience. Right before Christmas, I purchased Chanel’s Harmonie du Soir eyehadow quad at the regular price at Nordstrom. I felt totally guilty for splurging on something for myself so close to Christmas, so I returned it, unused. After Christmas (and receiving a little bit of Christmas cash), I decided I had to have it…only, there were none to be found. I finally caved and purchased one from ebay from a seller with 100% feedback. I paid about $20 more than the original price. I do love it and use it all the time, so I’m not too mad at myself. Chanel is not kidding when they say something is Limited Edition.
Yes, mainly through eBay. My BOS IV was $50 or something in the US and I paid $72. But here in Australia three MAC eyeshadows would have cost more than that, so I didn’t feel too bad… In fact even things I’ve bought online for more than US retail have still been well and truly cheaper than Aussie retail.
I bought a bottle of Clarins 230 (Unicorn Pee) off ebay for $75. I never expected to pay for it, because I thought someone would raise the bid. Oops. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve paid more than retail, but I HAVE paid Australian retail prices for a few items which sold out quickly in the states – MAC Pink Pigeon and Party Parrot ($36 AUD), for example, which were definitely worth it. I also paid Australian retail for Once Upon a Time eyeshadow from the Year of the Snake collection, which is currently winging its way towards me – hopefully that is worth it too!
I would say some of my MAC lipsticks because they were LE and sold out so quick in shops and online. Granted, I refuse to ever pay double the price for anything, so most of those I snagged for a few dollars above original retail after their selling out and all BNIB to top it off.
NEVER! If anything, my rule is not to buy it unless I can get a discount of some sort. It’s very rare that I’ll pay full price for an item.
No I never buy from the Internet. I´m used to buying fron counter and I´m just to afraid to give my credit or debit card numbers to some site like ebay. Also paying way more than normal seems kind of strange to me, unless for an extremely unique product. I have been thinking about buying Chanel Graphyte through the internet but I talk myself out of it. It is a very unique product but in my country it´s just really not common to buy online at all.
I have purchased a few things from Sleek Makeup on eBay, but they were only a few dollars more than retail. Luckily Sleek ships most of their products to the US now.
Yes, I did… I paid a good 50% more the reatil price of the Naked Palette when it was sold out everywhere and I could not wait so I got it online… and it was not worth… in the end, I was pretty much deceived by the palette, I almost never use it.
In addition i paid double the price for a discontinued fragrance from Guerlain (Aqua Allegoria Gentiana) … a staple in my frag collection; I bought every single bottle I could get my hands on…no matter the price.
I paid $12 to get the Wet n’ Wild Night Elf palette two years after its release, and about $5 for Wet n Wild’s Acapulco Glow way after it was discontinued, both on Amazon. I’m glad I got them because I love both 🙂 It really isn’t that bad “overpaying” for drugstore items because it doesn’t cost that much — I got both for less than a MAC blush. I also almost got China Glaze OMG for something like $50 which I talked myself out of even though holo polishes (that didn’t require a ton of work like an extra basecoat or 10 coats) were sorta HTF. Several months later Color Club released a holo collection and I was so happy to have waited because it was under $8 and has an awesome formula. 😀
No – makeup is already quite more expensive at counters/drugstores in Mexico and I would not be confortable paying even more. I am also one of those persons that has to see the product before buying; just thinking that the product could be a fake or that I receive it broken, “slightly tested” or damaged in any way gives me the creeps, especially if I paid a considerable higher amount for it. It would have to be the most amazing, I-can’t-live-without-it product for me to agree to pay more than retail price.
Only once- maybelline barely beige color tattoo for $13 and free shipping on eBay. Honestly I didn’t even flinch because they are such good quality I’d pay double their price in a second
Yep, Viva Glam Cyndi (the bane/love of my life…not unlike my bf lol). I first got into into MAC mid 2010, so I didn’t know about the LE -ness. I bought a fake off Ebay unknowingly which sucked…they refused to refund me too but my review had to have hurt them! Then I randomly found another one on Ebay and of course was very wary. But the seller was a dream to work with and it turned out to be the real Macoy. I probably won’t do Ebay makeup again though. To this day I ration it so I think it was worth the hunt since I love it so much. Wish I could find the gloss though!
I have only done it once, yesterday I ordered MAC heroine from amazon for like 2x the retail price but it’s sold out freakin everywhere… Hope I actually get it & don’t get screwed bc I will be so pissed! I’m super skeptical about stuff like that so this is the 1st & probably last time ill do this. I have, however, got some discontinued items from a makeup outlet in Florida, I got metal maven by MAC & a LE carbon shadow with the villains packaging… I think they were around retail price but I forget what I paid.
I had my eye on the Too Faced Enchanted Glamourland palette, but I wanted to wait until my Christmas shopping was over before I could purchase it. When I went to my Sephora on black Friday, it was sold out. I searched for and bought it on ebay for $135. I have yet to use it.