I think what keeps drugstore products really affordable are the volume and frequency of discounts, sales, and coupons. I’m always surprised to see some products get as high as $10-15. I remember that when L’Oreal HIP came out, and the prices on a few things were remarkably high.
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NYX- enough said
I don’t think NYX is overpriced. Their stuff seems appropriately priced to me.
they used to be so much cheaper..
I am always astonished at lipstick prices of all the major brands. For some reason I feel like they should all be under $6, but now some get up to above $10. I still purchase them with coupons, but it just always surprises me for some reason.
Physician’s Formula, for sure. Their products are good, but I don’t think they’re so much better than other drugstore products that the pricing is justified.
I have to disagree with Stacey about NYX being overpriced, though. Their prices are similar to other drugstore products of the same quality, and I’ve never had an issue paying that price for them.
I agree with PF, for the most part. Because I try to stay away from talc & parabens when it comes to face products I wear day-to-day, I’m willing to pay the prices for those PF products that are free of them, which are still less than what I can find at Sephora (especially with sales & coupons).
As for NYX, I don’t find the overpriced at all, unless an individual store hikes up the prices. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up 2 mosaic powders at $12 each, while they typically retail for half that. I was shocked when they rang up so high, but by then, I was already at the register.
I agree with your guys opinion of PF but you can get great deals on this brand very often at rite aid. I enjoy their product so it’s great to find a bargin. They are always having a 40% or B1G1 50% deal plus they often give “cash” back when you spend over a certain amount. (rite aids wellness+ rewards club gives you 5,10,15, etc dollars off your next purchase)
I recently purchased 10 products (mostly their eyeshadow palettes) for under 20 dollars after receiving my wellness+ rewards. I reallt encourage everyone that feels certain drugstore brands are too expensive to check the rite aid ad each week.
I agree. In fact NYX is cheaper than a lot of drugstore beauty brands.
I agree. NYX prices are amazing for the quality. $6 for an eyeshadow? Sold!
Agreed, outside of NYX new expensive studio line, their prices are where I think other DS brands SHOULD be. Blush ought to be $6, lipstick $5- I think they’ve been lovely about not insanely inflating their prices.
Physcian’s Formula can be high but it is frequently on sale at certain US drugstores. I wouldn’t pay regular price, but CVS frequently has some sales that are worth it.
L’Oreal is pretty pricey, overall. Even things like concealer can run upwards of $9-10 per tube, though I have to admit their True Match is one of the best I’ve tried. Revlon’s products can sometimes sneak into that range, mostly their face products. Covergirl is generally all right, but their “Naturals” line is surprisingly costly. The foundation starts at $13, which is what keeps me from trying it despite the great reviews I’ve seen or it.
In general, I think drug store makeup has seen a serious boost in pricing in the past couple of years. When you’re shelling out that much for stuff that can’t be tested beforehand, it’s not too much of a jump to understand why some people see the higher end stuff as having better payoff in the long run.
I think I need to move to the US – in Australia the Loreal Concealers are about $30 and the foundations closer to $40! Remember that the US and Australian dollars have been worth about the same since 2011. Rip-offsville for cosmetics here…..
That probably has to do with the differences in socialized medicine and minimum wage between our countries. The cost goes down the line and shows up as increased pricing on goods and services. I’m looking at the numbers on wikipedia right now, and, to be honest, I think it balances out in the long run. There are places in America where $30 is four or more hours of work PRE-taxes and voluntary deductions.
I’m currently living in the US and the difference between the prices is amazing. I get my mascara from the drugstore and it’s only $8 as opposed to the $15 I was paying in Australia. Only downside to the cheaper prices is that you can’t test drugstore products before buying them.
Especially when you factor in the return policy of places like MAC and Sephora. Knowing I can return something if it sucks is worth a lot.
Most drugstores have a super flexible return policy with cosmetics.
At CVS, you can return anything as long as you have the receipt and packaging (sometimes even without the packaging, depending on the store). If you forget your receipt, you just get store credit.
At Target, they have a 90 day return policy with the receipt.
Im a canadian and frequently visits the states. Can you still return it if the product is opened and already tested?
You’d have to check the individual retailer, but generally, yes. American return policies are generally pretty consumer friendly.
I feel like pixi is a little overpriced. Some of their palettes are kinda expensive. I don’t know…I think their products are cute- so I buy them!
I totally agree–Pixi is WAY overpriced, at least from my perspective. I’ve only tried a couple of their products–Nude Wardrobe and Rose Lip Tint. The cardboard container that the Nude Wardrobe palette is housed in is really flimsy, too. I don’t think their packaging is all that, either, so the price is totally unjustified to me.
Despite Pixi being available in US drugstores, over here (UK) they’re not really considered drugstore that way L’Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon etc. are. They’re a more mid-range brand (although still available in drugstores such as Boots, but Boots also sells high-end makeup, so that doesn’t count against them).
Pixi even has a standalone boutique in central London, a tiny little shop with pretty, delicate interiors, it’s really cute! True drugstore brands wouldn’t have that.
I feel like some foundations are a little overpriced, especially from Loreal and Revlon. I love both brands, but I have a hard time justifying $10+ for a drugstore foundation.
Totally agree with this!
All if them here in Australia!
I’ve been a fan of L’Oréal for many years, and while they’ve been in the higher end in terms of cost, they’ve stayed pretty consistent over the years. The same can be said for Revlon & Maybelline, although the latter has creeped up a bit more than the others. I’ve also had pretty good luck with these brands, and when I compare current prices to some of the mid-range brands I’ve picked up the years, the pricepoints are still proportionately similar.
CoverGirl, on the other hand, has gone *way* up over the last few years, and I’ve just never cared for the brand. Back in the late-80s/early-90s, they were priced just above WnW, with L’Oréal being at the highest end; now, CG has some products that actually cost *more* than L’Oréal, and have not improved.
I don’t mind paying a bit more for DS products if they perform well, and the prices go up just a bit every year, but when I see a brand double & triple their prices while others stay the same, I just stay away on principle. I just won’t touch CG, even on sale.
I haven’t used a CoverGirl product for several years; they just seem to be so low-quality! If the product is lousy, it’s overpriced, no matter how much it costs. Does that make any sense? XD
In my country the mascarad are way overpriced. Such as Max Factor (comparable to Covergirl in US) its about 17 euros per piece (22 dollars). You can get them on sale for 10 euros (~14) dollars but thats the cheapest price you can get. High end mascaras are between 25 and 30 euros here (35 dollars). I cant believe Im paying so much for just one mascara!
PF, definitely. I think a lot of their products are actually quite good, but at ~$20 apiece, they definitely *feel* overpriced! I think brand image has a lot to do with it, though; if the packaging and marketing campaigns were sleek and sharp (instead of clunky and kitschy), I think the price point would feel far more reasonable.
As you said, though, a lot of drugstore pricing does have to do with sales! Most foundations in Canada sit around $18, for instance, but even 20% off is enough to make them seem worth the “downgrade” (eg. in packaging, shade range, or return policy) from a mid-range or high-end product.
if 10-15 dollars is overpriced in America i want to live there. that’s unimaginably cheap for a decent makeup product here in Australia.
I’ve always heard prices are relative to your wages though. I dunno, because I’ve seen some absurd prices. (what’s $10 here, is $30 there, and so on) Our minimum wage is around $7/$8 an hour (depends on state) whereas I’ve heard aus minimum wage is over $15. So it doesn’t match up exactly (should be closer to $10 here/$20 there) but at least you have a wage that sort of compensates for the inflated prices.
we do get paid more, i get paid less than minimum wage because i’m yet to be 18. but something that’s $8 in america is $40 here, which is the equivalent to approximately one hour in america and around 2.5 in australia. which doesn’t really compensate at all
That’s it! I’m planning a relief mission to Australia- I have lots of luggage and many well stocked drugstores nearby. Not that I needed an excuse, but this is philanthropic!
L’Oreal and Physician Formula kill me… I have a few things from L’Oreal but I can’t justify the prices of any of the Physician Formula products (except for the eyeliners that come with 3 colors, but still, I don’t find them appealing) plus I hate PF packaging… tacky in my opinion.
Why is makeup remover so expensive? I still haven’t found a brand that even works very well, and it seems to run $7 – $10 for a bottle.
Maybe I’m just upset because I’d rather be spending that money on something more exciting, like actual makeup.
I murdered my L’Oreal clean artiste in a fit of frustration last night. It took NONE of my waterproof eyeliner off. The only thing that works is Lancôme Bi Facil and I just wait until GWP and snag some, because the DS ones are a joke.
Haha! I was using the L’Oreal clean artiste a few months ago. At one point I fumbled it and dropped the bottle on my counter, and half of it splashed out all over my pants and sink.
Instead of being upset, I was a little relieved.
“Oh good. There’s barely any left. Now I can replace it even sooner.”
The Milani one works well. But you’d have to order it from their website or Cherry Culture. I actually like it better than Bi Facil. From the actual drugstore, the Neutrogena Oil Free one is not too shabby–it works well enough that Target, Rite Aid and CVS all have generic brand versions of it. Since that cuts the cost down even more, check it out.
LOL I feel your pain on this one. It seems like the kind of product that should be cheap. I haven’t even found any that I really love from either the high or low end so I’ve just been sticking with whatever’s dual phase remover is cheapest.
When I’m swatching stuff at Sephora/Ulta I use the Urban Decay “Meltdown” makeup remover, and I’m always impressed with it.
It’s $24 dollars though, ugh!
If you have access to an Asian supermarket or if you don’t mind buying from online, Japanese cleansing oils run from around $7 to $11 each for 8 fl. oz. and they REMOVE EVERYYYYYYTHIIIIIINNNNNG. 🙂 A single bottle has lasted me more than a year and a half already, and I still have a 3rd to go. I recommend Kanebo Naive Kracie Olive Deep Cleansing Oil. It’s the best I’ve tried!
I want an oil made from naive olives! No more “worldly” olives dirtying up my cleanser. But seriously I’m going to check this out..I miss living in SF for so many reasons.
I’ll also check that out! We do have a few Asian supermarkets around here.
I love using CVS Brand Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover!~ It’s about $6 for a 6.4 fl oz bottle, but I even wait for BOGO1/2OFF on CVS brand items to stock up.
It works really, really well. I don’t want to spend a lot on makeup removers too!
Ohh! That comes out to $4.50 a bottle. Not bad. I’ll have to check that out, thank you!
Try olive oil for stubborn waterproof make up, followed by your favourite toner. Works a treat plus nice and cheap!
Definitely lipstick- especially when you can’t even try it on first. I prefer to go to mac and pay $15 for a lipstick and know it’s exactly what I want.
I think any drugstore product over about $10 or $12 is getting into the range of “why should I buy this when for like $5 more I can buy a mid-level or better product”? I don’t have specific examples because I don’t buy a lot of drugstore makeup, but I’ve noticed foundations are pretty pricey these days.
Some Aveeno skin products are $30 a bottle. Way uncool.
I think the celebrity lines that have come out are along these lines: Nuance, Khroma.
Aside from that, just the occasions where the product totally flops. If a product is a complete failure, it doesn’t matter how much it costs, it’s worthless.
(I got sent a line of Garnier shampoo/conditioner, the Sleek and Shine, for free and it was literally the worst conditioner I have ever used. Wasn’t worth the time I had to deal with ratty knotted up hair. I’d feel the same way about a $1 eyeliner that didn’t work.)
Yes to those lines as well- Salma- as beautiful as she was at the Oscars- supposedly had Nuance products on her. Now, a talented MUA can turn a sows ear into a silk purse(disturbing phrase) but even *I* wasn’t buying that she had used those products.
I like the Nuance line, but I do wait for BOGOs, coupons, & CVS Bucks. I do see where some people may not care for them, though, especially if there are any significant skin “issues”. I’ve pretty much passed that phase, and need minimal coverage (most days), so while they fit my needs, I would never even suggest them to most people I know.
I remember when the L’Oreal HIP line came out I also thought it was SO expensive. And I find Physician’s Formula to be too pricey for drugstore.
Here in Jordan the brands that you in US consider as drugstore brands are sold in department stores along with the high end brands, so the are all overpriced and make up in this side of the world never goes on sale nor have coupons to useso you can consider yourself pampered when you buy a maybelline mascara. however the most expensive between the “drugstore brands” is Loreal, their prices are insaine, like 20$ for a single infallable eyeshadow and I feel that it is not better than other drugstore brands for the price so I dont buy from Loreal.
another thing is that highend brands never give you samples so you always have to take the risk with your money.
Anything in Australia compared to the US. L’Oreal here? The lipsticks are considered cheap if you can find them for under $20. Normally they are up to $30 not sale. Same with all other major brands like Revlon. Covergirl is slightly cheaper.
MAC/Illamasqua lipsticks are around $35, so I often spend a bit extra anyway to get a higher end product.
In Belgium the drugstores products prices are really exagerated compared to the States.
You won’t be able to get a L’Oreal lipstick under 16$ for example! How crazy is that for a drugstore product? Maybelline Color Tattoos are sold at 13$! It’s basically twice the price :-s
Here in Europe, drugstore makeup is usually way more expensive than in the US. For a Maybelline Color Tatoo for instance I pay I think 7 or 8 €, which is about 10$. Quite expensive, I think. Also, L’Oreal’s prices are sometimes almost as high as MAC, and I personally haven’t had one product from L’Oreal that I liked.
It’s funny to see what you Americans call overpriced.in Europe, brands like L’oreal, Revlon and Maybelline sell mascara, lipstick and foundation for around 15 euro. That’s almost 20 dollar. Now you think again.
We do this song and dance on the regular. Yes, many cosmetic companies sell their products cheaper in the U.S.. We get it. I could go into our failing health care system and growing ranks of impoverished underfed families but I won’t because this is a make up blog. A lot of people abroad arrange for friends to send them things, additionally I believe we pay a lot more for many Euro brands. I think some of you may be missing the big picture. While I am a huge proponent of complaining- vent, vent it’s good for your health! Talking about how great we Americans have it here is a bit myopic and has become a broken record. Love hearing from you ladies in all other respects though!
thank you! thank you! i m a bit sick of hearing about “how you americans have it better”. Europeans and Australians breathe/breath ( i m not sure) better air. that should make up for it, and as mentioned before, our wages are lower also. 🙂 i mean no ill-will really.
This, agreed. I get that prices are higher in Europe and other places, but you have a *lot* of things we don’t, including free health care and a better social safety net. You pay $20 for a drugstore lipstick, but last month I paid $760 for medications I *need* to take–and I have insurance!
Sorry. Stepping off the soapbox now. Just…it’s not as simple as compare price X to price Y in different countries.
Agreed! I’m sick of hearing about overseas prices too! I’m European but live in the US. I’ve lived in several countries around Europe and every year I go for a visit for a month or 2 so I get it! Healthcare is a big thing for me…Europeans dont have to pay the dentist/hospitals nearly as much as we do here, even with insurance so I’m sick to death of hearing about makeup prices here vs makeup prices there. Sure, we can return things here. But the cashiers always give me hell for it, the one time in 10 *years* that I do return/exchange something, and I follow all the rules (receipt, original packaging, within the alloted time frame) so dont think its so easy to return things here willy nilly.
Yes, to *all* of the above! There’s also talk here in the US of a VAT abounding (although I don’t think it will actually happen anytime soon, if at all), and if that happens, we too will be paying the higher prices. We also have more brands available, which means pricing has to be more competitive. Then, there’s our actual “take-home” pay & wages that someone else mentioned above.
We have to pay more for other products, as well. Music, for example produced & pressed overseas, and not otherwise available here, can cost 5X as much for a CD. I have a few I paid $75+ for, in addition to fees paid to a retailer to order, *and* sales tax.
Another thing to take into consideration is many brands that are now DS were once sold in department stores here, but were subsequently squeezed out my the more “luxurious” brands. Instead of going bankrupt, they decided to change venues, thereby having to lower prices. Then, lower-end brands were made available here, keeping pricing down. Now some of those brands are creeping up in price, allowing the others to go up. CoverGirl was once lower in price, but once P&G picked up Max Factor, their closest competitor in terms of price (besides Maybelline), prices quadrupled, allowing Maybelline to increase, thereby allowing the more “prestige” DS brands to creep up. Because all of these brands are (for the most part) widely available in the US, in mass quantities, pricing has to remain competitive, especially with brands like WnW stepping it up.
Also, “sales” are ploys to get you to actually take a look at a product you may otherwise pass up, and the “regular” prices are intentionally inflated to allow fore “discounts”, which is why the same brands are “on sale” every couple of weeks, at every store. The same goes for grocery stores, as well as some clothing/department stores.
I agree with your comment. While our makeup may be less expensive compared to other countries, there are ways that we are less fortunate. At the end of the day, it’s just makeup.
I definately agree with PF, L’Oreal and that Pixi is just ridiculous! Revlon has gotten too big for her britches as well. Nail polish has really gone through the roof, however. Essie and OPI (whom I believe have the same parent company) are like Rhett Butler during the Civil War- crazy profiteering. That being said I bought 8 OPI today- oh la la! Then again I picked up some Pure Ice for $2 a piece. But yeah, those four are waaay outta line and I would never purchase if not for coupons/specials.
I spent $20 at Walgreens last weekend on nail polish. I bought two by Essie ($8) and four from Sinful Colors on sale for 99 cents with my Walgreens card.
I love in Europe, so compared to some of the prices in the US many brands seem overpriced, especially L’Oreal. Their mascaras alone cost between 8€ and 13€ here, that’s around $10 to $17 – for a drugstore mascara. L’Oreal eyeshadow singles are around $10, blushes start at $13. Don’t let me start about their foundations.
Maybelline prices are comparable, maybe a bit lower. I’m not saying that their products aren’t good, in many cases they are, but they seem overpriced, since there are drugstore brands with excellent products for less than half the price.
I went in a CVS the other day to browse through the make-up there (haven’t done so in forever) and was so shocked to see some of these prices. I think I saw a $13 lipstick from a mediocre-at-best brand. Why on earth would you buy that when you could get a $16 MAC lipstick for triple the quality? It just makes no sense to me….yeah, you can save some money buying drug store make-up, but you can still easily spend a TON of money, and *most* (not all) of the products will be highly inferior to department store brands. Plus, the majority of drug store make-up makes me break-out horribly…severe allergic reactions. Milani has been kind to me though.
In Canada, there’s a big overlap between “drugstore” and “high end” – may drugstores here carry Guerlain, Dior, Lauder, etc. and, believe it or not, drugstores are the only place to get TheBalm products! But, having said that, of the “traditional” drugstore brands/products, I think a lot of the skin care items – moisturizers, serums, “treatments” – are almost as expensive as department store brands.
Maybe it’s New York pricing, but I’m always surprised that it seems like almost all makeup at drugstores (foundation, lipstick, mascara) is $10-15. Not a fun little splurge, but something you really have to think about!
I don’t live in NY or any metropolitan place like that, but even here many brands are in the same range you mentioned. Esp with foundation and lipstick.
So no, it’s not just NY pricing. 🙁
Went to NYC a few months ago and was shocked at the prices! I cringed when my CG mascara was $13+ (after tax) at CVS. :/
Too bad there’s no Target in NYC.
Physician’s Formula, definitely. While I appreciate the quality, I think $20 for a drugstore compact is a little overwhelming. $15 would be far more reasonable.
All mascaras. in the uk they adverge 11-13 pounds which is rediculess when estee lauder, laura mercier eta are 20.. saying that tho the only mascarras i love are clinique bottom last which is a 10er and max factor mascarras which are 12. still is a redicless price..
I think most of it is overpriced considering I can’t swatch it. I end up paying more in the long run because I’m terrible at choosing colors/formulas in the drugstore.
I do love Nyx though. A few of their products seem a bit overpriced, but in general I’ve been very pleased with the brand.
L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows and the revlon colorstay whipped foundation. I love the eyeshadows but it’s kinda pricy for single color ones.
Physicians Formula seems overpriced to me, but I’ve used coupons and in store sales to get $20 worth of stuff for under $5 at CVS. I’m surprised how pricy Pixi is for being sold in Target too! It’s definitely mid-range price. I love the Covergirl Natureluxe liquid foundation, but it’s $14.49 in some stores! I’ve seen it on clearance lately, so I’m curious if they are discontinuing it 🙁
Here in the Netherlands, a ton of the drugstore stuff is astoundingly overpriced – and significant offers/coupons/discounts etc are rare. Maybelline, Rimmel, L’Oreal, Max Factor etc are all wickedly priced, Essence and Catrice being the true bargains. As I’m from the UK I know that the prices are much higher than we would expect in the UK or in the USA, so it baffles me that consumers are willing to pay almost the same price for drugstore as for high end brands, particularly if you order them from overseas.
I find cringe worth that drugstore price are on par with MAC pricing here in Canada. We lucky if you get sale that priceing the price down to the full price you pay in the US. 😉
Some Physicians formula products, and some neutrogena products.
You can also return anything to CVS, open or not.
L’Oreal, Revlon, CG, Maybelline, Physician’s formula are all over-priced. I feel there has been a serious hike in the prices of drugstore cosmetics over the past few years. Back when MAC had something good to offer, I always chose to buy MAC because the drugstore prices weren’t that much lower AND you actually got to try things out at the MAC counter before buying. Not to mention you had a much larger selection. Now that MAC has gone to hell in a hand basket, it’s a different story.
Personally, 99% of what I buy is high-end. I’d rather spend $50-$70 on a foundation that I can actually get a sample of and try beforehand and STILL have the option of returning (should it not work out) than potentially waste $20-30 each on a couple of drugstore foundations that I can’t try beforehand, that I have to guess the colour match of based on what I see in the bottle and that I will experience more hassle over should I attempt to return once opened. I find that while I may spend more money on high end cosmetics, it’s actually less money wasted in the long run.
I thought I was the only one who thought MAC is over hyped.
Is it because Estee Lauder bought it?
Furandlace, what high end do you suggest over MAC?
Oh no, you most definitely aren’t the only one 😉 The irony is that I actually enjoy Estée Lauder’s offerings! Who knows why MAC is so different than it used to be…
Anyway, I enjoy lots of brands. Burberry is fantastic. If I could build my eye shadow collection all over again, Burberry would be my choice. Their blushes are gorgeous. Their concealer pen is awesome. I could go on! I also enjoy select Dior products. Their lipsticks and glosses are beautiful as are some of their foundations. Beautiful eye palettes too. Guerlain are an all round fantastic brand…Lip products, face products, bronzers etc.I enjoy select Chanel products…mainly their cheek products and their vitalumiere aqua foundation. Nars blushes and eye shadows are lovely. Cargo blushes are beautiful. Hope that gives you some ideas!
thank you so much.
I think NYX, Physician’s Formula and Neutrogena products are grossly overpriced.
Lipsticks( even though I dont wear lipstick), Blush , Foundation and makeup remover. I wanted to try the new L’oreal blush, but once I saw the price of it I said nope.
And we have to pay almost 25$ for a drugstore foundation or mascara.. 🙂 Hate to live in Scandinavia.
christine what foundation would you recommend as being close dupe of mufe invisible cover? drugstore dupe?
Anything in Canada, though not as bad as Australia, and we can easily drive to the US and buy there if we wish.
I don’t live in the US, and drugstore products here are quite expensive compared to what they are there! NYX, Maybelline, L’oreal, Revlon… they are all quite expensive when they are just considered drugstore products.
The new Drew Barrymore line, FLOWER.
Most of REVLON and LOREAL.
Wow !!!! hearing some of you ladies from all over the world talk about how exorbitant the prices are for DS makeup is really disheartening!! I would be going bare-faced if I had to spend “grocery money” prices on makeup!!! Anyways I think L’Oreal and Revlon are the most overpriced DS makeup on the market.
Here in South America everything doubles the US price. Both drugstore and high-end brands. We also don’t have discounts, sales and such. If we dislike a product we can’t return it. You are very lucky!
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Canada! It ranges from $13-$16 here!
I was just at Rite Aid and saw that Revlon photo ready foundation was $14.59! Sure, they usually have buy one get one 1/2 off, but you still have to pay almost $15 for the foundation! I only recently bought it because it was 40% off. Other than that, I would never pay that much at the drugstore!
I can’t complain about any of them really. You have to test each product and compare to your higher end/ luxury brands. L’Oreal’s HIP pigments for example are every bit as good as Mac’s. With the Ulta coupon (there’s ALWAYS a $3.50 off $10 available to print) they come out to like $7.50.
Aren’t the HIPS a lot smaller though?
That question only matters if you actually plan on hitting pan–like if you were an MUA.
Physican’s Formula is bit pricey for being a drugstore brand but also Neutrogena can be a bit pricey for me >.<
drugstore foundations are super pricey for me, especially the liquid ones. I find the PIXI line at Target WAYYY too pricey for something thats not that great quality wise. And some drugstore brushes are super pricey but terrible. The ones at Target cost more than my beloved Ecotools and Real Techniques, but dont perform nearly as well. I just bought a Revlon Lip Butter for $6.99, I’ve never paid that much for a drugstore lip butter. I guess I find drugstore stuff too expensive because I go to cosmetic company outlets, where I find high end brands for cheaper than drugstore. For example, I bought a Lancome color design lipstick for $4.30. And its pigmented, long lasting, and high end. I was never able to find a drugstore lipstick for that much or lower that I liked enough to use everyday and went back to repurchase.
The new microblur primer from l’Oreal is quite a bit pricey, 33$ CAN for a drugstore silicone primer is a way too over priced for me.
I agree that lipsticks generally tend to be overpriced. I love L’Oreal’s lipsticks and sometimes I almost buy one until I realize I’m about to pay $11+ on a lipstick.
Also, for me anything over $10 takes some thinking. Is it worth it to buy this especially if a drugstore doesn’t accept returns? What will work the best for my current needs/wants? And lastly, is it so important I have to buy it now OR can I wait until it’s on sale?
Nyx is overpriced?! Are you high? A blush is $5, a jumbo pencil is what $3? The quality is terrific, I’d pay more for their products
I agree! NYX is actually awesome quality. I think they’re super cheap. I don’t get why people are complaining about them.
It could be the stores they’re finding things in are price-gouging. S.H.A.P.E.S. Brow Bar (at least at my local mall) doubles the prices on some products; I don’t attribute the pricing to NYX at all, but the retail outlet has lost me as a customer.
L’oreal Mineral blush. It was so expensive. I think it was $16. That’s a lot considering a MAC blush is about $20. And yes I’m in the US.
Pixi and L’Oreal is expensive to me.
Physicians Formula is pricey, but I wait for sales at CVS before buying. I like their products.
You can really save a lot of money from the sales. PF was a rare 50% off just a few weeks ago.
Only a few drugstore products are reasonably priced here, namely Jordana, which even though is mediocre in my opinion, costs about 2 dollars in most places or even the equivalent of 1 dollar if you are lucky. This is the drugstore brand that gets the most sales in my country, with other no name brands aswell. Overpriced are Maybelline, Revlon, Loreal, Cover Girl, this brands cost as much as half a Dior product would lol. A Revlon gloss costs exactly half as much as an obviously infinately superior Dior gloss. The result is that very few people buy these brands, so they are limited in amount and variety, everyone I know will either buy Jordana if they want cheap or go to Chanel, Guerlain, Ysl, Dior etc. if they want high end.
Loreal !
I think Revlon is overpriced in the UK, and mascaras in general, but apart from that I do think that current drugstore make up here offers great value for money.
I live in Mexico and I feel DS foundations are overpriced, considering you can not test them and that there are no return policies. Actually, you can rarely test any DS product, but I believe foundations are the most difficult to choose!
With respect to brands, L’Oreal seems overpriced to me but its prices are still considerably lower than those of a high-end brand.
I agree with the majority of people. Drugstore products have gotten more and more expensive over the years, especially foundations and lipsticks! I think Milani is the only drugstore brand that has stayed pretty consistent. I’ve seen a lot of rave reviews about their new lipstick line, and it seems to be cheaper than L’Oreal, Covergirl, Maybelline, etc. Christine – have you tried their new lipsticks? What do you think?
I’m jealous in australia $20 is typical for drugstore products