Why You Should Never Use Cheap Makeup Products
Looking good doesn’t come cheap. Women the world over know the importance of investing in high-quality makeup products. In fact, it’s not uncommon for some women to spend more money on cosmetics than they do on their groceries!
And with good reason. Bargain buys work fine with some things, like cereals or hand soap, but makeup is the last thing you should be scrimping on.
Yet, with the cost of living rising, and the thousand and one other things you need to pay for, it’s no wonder you want to cut costs on something as seemingly insignificant as makeup.
If you’re tempted to save a few pennies and get a cheap mascara instead of splurging on that high-end, top-of-the-line product, or you’ve seen a bargain eye shadow palette that’s just too good to pass up, this post is for you.
Before you hit the checkout button or reach for your wallet, read on to see why you might be making a grave mistake.
7 reasons why you shouldn’t use cheap makeup products
1. Cheap makeup can be harmful to your skin
If we’re being honest, makeup in general isn’t great for our skin. But adding low-quality products to the mix can make matters worse. Cheap makeup often contains harsh chemicals or irritants that can cause breakouts, clogged pores, and other skin problems.
Some cheap makeup brands have been found to contain harmful ingredients like lead, mercury, and arsenic. These toxins can cause serious health problems, including cancer!
2. Cheap makeup doesn’t last as long
One of the biggest drawbacks to using cheap makeup products is that they don’t last very long. A $5 lipstick might seem like a steal compared to a $30 one, but you’ll find yourself reapplying it every hour or so.
Quality products are formulated with long-lasting ingredients and are designed to stay put throughout the day. Cheap makeup, on the other hand, tends to wear off quickly, leaving you with a patchy or splotchy look.
3. Cheap makeup doesn’t perform as well
Another hitch of using bargain beauty products is that they don’t always work as well as their high-end counterparts. Cheaper eye shadows may not be as pigmented or blendable, while inexpensive foundations can leave your skin looking cakey or streaky.
Quality brands invest time and effort in research and development to make sure their products work as they should. They use better ingredients, more advanced technology, and have a better understanding of what customers want from makeup.
4. Cheap makeup can have an unpleasant scent
Ever noticed that cheap makeup products tend to have a strong or unpleasant odor? That’s because they often use cheaper, synthetic ingredients to replicate the scent of higher-end products. Unfortunately, these knock-off scents can be overpowering and even nauseating.
5. Cheap makeup is usually not ethically produced
Most high-quality makeup products are made through ethical channels (not out of any altruistic tendencies, mind, but to maintain brand reputation and comply with industry standards). They’re made in factories that pay fair wages, use sustainable materials or packaging, and meet other ethical criteria.
Cheaper makeup brands often cut corners by outsouring production overseas where labor is cheaper (often at the expense of human rights), using non-sustainable materials or unsafe working environments. Cheap brands, in producing their products, tend to use harmful substances such as microbeads that end up in our water supply.
When you’re buying off-brand makeup, there’s usually no real transparency about where, how and under which conditions it was made.
6. Cheap makeup just doesn’t feel good
You know exactly what I’m talking about – that scratchy, cheap lipstick or chalky eye shadow. Quality makeup products feel luxurious and smooth on your skin, while cheaper alternatives often feel rough to the touch.
We’re not supposed to be able to feel our makeup on our face, it’s supposed to feel light, natural, and pretty much nonexistent. Well, that’s not going to happen with cheap makeup. You’ll feel that stuff all day long!
7. Cheap makeup can cost you more in the long run
The ultimate irony of using cheap beauty products is they might end up costing you a lot more than their pricier counterparts (big surprise!). While saving those few extra bucks upfront is tempting, remember that cheap makeup products often have to be replaced more frequently. You’ll find yourself buying the same product over and over again because it doesn’t last as long or work as well.
On top of that, using low-quality beauty products can lead to skin problems such as breakouts or irritation, which may require a visit to a dermatologist or the purchasing of additional skincare products to fix the damage.
In other words, that “wonderful” saving you thought you made might end up being an expensive mistake down the line.
Wrapping things up
Trust me, ladies, when it comes to makeup products, quality over savings is always the way to go. I get it, you love a bargain, but there’s no bargaining with your health or looks.
At the end of the day, the face is one of the most sensitive parts of our body, and we should take care not to put anything on it that might damage it in the short or long-term.
It’s worth investing a little more for high-end products from reputable brands (bonus points if you can buy them during sales!). You’ll get longer-lasting results and look better overall, which will make you feel even more confident. And most importantly, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your skin is being treated with only good ingredients.