I honestly prefer self-service because I don’t feel pressured to buy products. When a salesperson isn’t pushing a product, it’s a lot easier to tell myself, “You don’t need that.”
Same. A shopping experience with a lot of personal attention from sales associates sounds way more uncomfortable than luxurious. I remember the days of beauty counters! Shopping was much more intimidating when that was the way I had to buy prestige makeup brands. The arrival of Sephora and Ulta and the much more hands off experience was so welcome! The only thing I miss about the counters and dedicate brand stores was the larger amount of products they carried. At stores like Ulta and Sephora, there’s less space for each brand so the shade ranges and number of products they offer in store have to be smaller.
Very true and I feel the same. I prefer the self service approach when shopping for makeup, clothes, shoes etc….and if I have a question or need something I have the option to ask someone. I’ve had good and bad experiences at makeup counters. I always felt pressured to buy something that I really didn’t want or need also being told if you spend $50 more dollars you get a gift with purchase and you end up spending more than you would have.
Sephora has lost so many aspects of what felt luxury to me - cracking down on return policies, dirty/messy stores, and yes the Sephora kids affects my experience. It feels much more like shopping at CVS now.
The professionalism of the Sephora employees has gone way down hill too in the past several years. When I first started shopping at Sephora a little over 15 years ago you could tell the employees were trained very well and they had excellent customer service. The store was always clean and well organized, as it should be for a luxury makeup retailer. Now most of the staff couldn’t give a rip and the stores are messy as hell. Sephora needs to get it together because they are way too expensive to have such trashy in-store atmospheres.
I was shocked when I as a long time VIB Rouge went to my nearby Sephora to return two of the five products my significant other bought for my Valentine gift. The two I returned were sealed and unopened. Because I did not have his receipt they would not let me exchange them for products I would use. Very annoying
@@barbraluce5706 Similar thing happened to me. Longtime VIB Rouge member, purchased product using my own account. I thought product had gone off but they would not let me return because it was after 30 days. So effectively Sephora only guarantees products will be fresh/within date for 30 days?
I feel the exact opposite about Sephora. I love that I can return things I don't like. I don't find the stores dirty at all. I will admit that the employees aren't as knowledgeable about make-up in general as I'd like them to be, but they do know what works for them and I don't feel pressured into buying anything even if a person has spent a considerable amount of time with me.
Try this: I kept an empty La Mer eye cream jar (had used it up, liked the packaging and the silver cooling wand) and filled it with a budget eye cream to see if I noticed real differences in the actual product. Nope: I still feel like I’m using a luxury product & have not seen one iota of change under my eyes. Now as I use up my expensive stuff, I wash out the jars and refill them with my cheaper replacements. My vanity looks pretty and I can’t tell a difference in most cases. I’d suggest trying that as an experiment. The placebo effect is real but we can’t deny part of the reason we love luxury products is the feeling we get using it. It’s a good way to know if it’s really the product you love or the feel of owning it.
I also really love using cosmetic pharmaceuticals for the same reason. They make me feel like I’m using something scientifically researched and developed for a purpose and quantifiable results. It’s in my head but I’m persuaded that they are more effective.
I did this recently with an expensive moisturizer with a jar I liked (one of those airless pump jars). While I still think I liked the fancy moisturizer more, I don’t like it *so* much more it’s worth it to me to repurchase especially now that I’ve put my inferior-but-still-good moisturizer in better packaging.
Going to a counter is not what it used to be. The employees are often covering more than one counter and don’t seem to be the product/brand expert that they used to be.
This is so true. When I think of luxury beauty and going to let's say... The Bay to go to one of the beauty counters and there stood this airline-dressed, impeccable-looking woman in three-inch heels that she never takes off, even to sleep, who sits you down in her beauty chair and walks you through absolutely everything with immaculate language and explanations of the products. This never existed at Sephora or at least not the ones in Toronto - and the other department stores are disappearing so this will be gone too.
These companies also don’t want to invest in experts. And expert wants to be respected in their field and properly compensated. I’ve worked at a high end makeup store and I’ma makeup enthusiast, but they also hire people that know nothing about makeup and don’t even wear makeup, because thats the only person they could find for the pay they were offering. I quit very fast, because it felt more like I was working at Target than a high end makeup store.
Kelly -- you are so right! Retail does not offer a luxury experience but still is charging luxury prices. When I worked Lancome counters in the late eighties and moved to Chanel immediately after, I knew everything about every product each line sold. I kept cards on each significant client, with HUGE amounts of information about them, and they got personalized skin care and makeup regimes or travel samples specifically for them. That was luxury makeup. And the Chanel experience was even more intense, because even at the department store level, it included the beautiful wrapping for one lipstick (generally the cheapest purchase at that time). Repeat customers got early access to holiday makeup specials and gift sets, etc. We knew their birthdays and called them and sometimes had cupcakes and little champagne bottles cold for them if we know they were coming in around a birthday or anniversary -- that is a luxury experience. I can't think of a singly retailer I've been to since the Plague that has offered that level of service. Yes, the Cle de Peau saleswoman at N-M does keep in touch via email -- that it. That is not luxury.
Oh how I miss this! our somewhat upscale, department store closed a few years ago, and the closest one now is a few hours away. The level of service you described was exactly my experience. My Lancome ladies knew me and knew how to make me feel special - especially around the holidays, Mother’s Day, or my birthday. They knew how to spoil me and help me to spoil myself. ❤
Even in the early -mid 2000s. At least clothing it was very similar. My aunt explained VERY similar situations and tasks she had to do working in like Macy's and such department stores. She kept tabs similarly for the clothes she sold. I wish we had more of that
Cassandra Bankson said that ''bougie is not for the rich...it's for the poor who want to pretend they're rich'' and I pretty much agree. I highly doubt that truly rich, bougie people are watching Mikayla or Glamzilla for reviews on Dior products. Also preconceived assumptions can so easily trick our brains into thinking something is so much better because it costs a lot, has a pretty package or because a Kardashian uses it and hey, if it makes you feel good about yourself it's your money but I guarantee that most of us using Elf aren't suffering from envy.
Just stumbled upon a real rich kid TikTok and honestly I had not a single clue which brands are those. No Dior or wtv "mainstream" luxury brand on sight. The real rich from old money use stuff we don't even hear about it
Honestly, I have seen the reviews for the luxury brands and the really luxury brands. They're all pretty inconsistent, with some of them being worth the absurd prices and others being worse than what you would get at Walmart
Man go to a MAC store if you have a degradation kink cuz the sails girls there are that rude. And it's the same in every country cuz I remember a comment thread where a woman described her bad experience at MAC in her country and other women commented that it was the same in their countries.
one frustration with Ulta is that the high-end to luxury brands that added in the past several years are having a very limited selection of products, nowhere near what is carried at department stores
Yeah, I figured someone would point this out too. The rewards are helpful if you purchase from them frequently enough and consistently - and actually USE the rewards instead of forgetting about them like I sometimes do! 😂
I think it's all about how one defines "luxury." I enjoy quietly shopping online and buying directly from ELF, Physician's Formula, Miliani, etc. They constantly run sales, ship directly to my home, and the products will arrive safely and NOT picked over like in a store these days. If something is broken? They'll work with you to replace it, but I've never had to do that. I like knowing I can take my time to consider my purchase, and that my order will come directly from a clean warehouse. And...I can do all this in my PJs with a hot cup of tea, LOL! ☕
@@greatsmilesI recently returned a used Lipstick from Saks which came from a warehouse after ordering online. It seems there is a lot of returned items being resold. The "clean and untouched" warehouse was a myth I used to believe until I noticed it more frequently now than ever.
Unfortunately the "things not being used or picked over" in warehouses is a myth I used to believe. That used to be the case but recently I have had used makeup show up coming directly from warehouses. Even from luxury stores from Saks and even on luxury items. Its gross and I am going on a no online shopping hiatus for a while.
Unrelated but if you’re ever thinking of a different career, something that involves explaining stuff to people would be perfect for you. You’re very articulate
I have to say that I do get a kick out of the Nordstrom employees wrapping my most basic bra purchase in tissue paper, then walking around the counter to hand me my package in a pretty shopping bag.
Yes! Nordstrom understands the luxury of Graciousness. That extra touch of service with care. To me, that is a huge component that makes it worth any extra charge.
When I started wearing makeup around 1974, there was drugstore makeup (orange and gross) and department store makeup counters. Now we have middle of the road price points, Indy brands, etc. as well as high end or drugstore products. As long as the shades and textures are up to standard, I’ll find the best value and go with that. I still find that some drugstore products have limited or crude shade ranges, too powdery of a formula and reduced concentration (think mascara) but that’s why it’s great to consider product reviews from content creators like you.
@@gachapinkfloofuwu826 That just happened to me!!! The hinges on pressed powders suck for every brand that I've ever owned, I think I'm just too heavy handed
That's so sad but when I can still use the product I don't really care because they are affordable and cruelty free wich I still don't get why huge brands can't do this?😢
Omg the way the letters on my extreme shine gloss fade is annoying af 🙄and this goes to other of their products as well,but gotta love how they put the quality in their makeup rather than packaging ,the opposite of what some luxury brands do🫤
I've probably written this here before, but I had a friend who worked for a make-up company several years back. He told me that they had three lines; a high end one, a mid range one and an inexpensive one. The difference? The packaging. The same product went into all 3 lines and the only difference was the look. Blew my mind. What a scam.
Nope. The difference is the country of manufacture and the margins. The ingredients in Chinese makeup is going to be different and lower quality from those made in Italy or France. A good happy medium is South Korean makeup.
I also own a small business and the experience my customers have opening their package is so important to me. My mom doesn’t understand why I always to want to spend so much on packaging but it’s just important to me for a more “luxury” experience!
I appreciate this effort from small businesses so much! It makes it so much more personal and it feels like I'm buying from a real person who put their heart and soul into the products, rather than a big money hungry company.
@kelcilewis 💖✨️when I order things from small businesses, they always come, magically, on my what the fck day'. When everything is somehow going the ABSOLUTE worst way possible, even though it has been PREPLANNED and taken care of?? Yeah !! That day is when I will get some cute little package that I ordered, and the awesome shit you guys put in it, handwritten notes, stickers, drawings etc... It's genuinely the only thing I can hold on to my sanity with, by a thread. Thank you 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💖✨️💖✨️💖✨️
Sephora lately don’t even put samples that you are choose into their packages. I reserved multiple packages without samples I choose to receive. It is pathetic.
In Münich Germany Sephora(the only sephora in a huge city!) has never samples to give to customers for anything that is new and considerable expensive, the employes are rude and not so knowledgeble, the shades for makeup products are always half or less from the actual range, is also dirty and out of stock for many products, (also on line), testers are not existing for popular products, overall is terrible experience trying to buy from them brands that are sold exclusively there. And very important here u cant return an opened cosmetic product bought in shop that for some reason didnt worked for u.
I requested luxury samples with my last sephora order. I got Inkey List foil rip-open moisturizer instead. I didn't expect the large samples, but why would I buy Armani if you can't even semd a sample? I'm not a huge customer anymore so I guess they didn't think I was worth it. Makes no business sense either. I liked the IK sample but the drug store hss a better reward plan. Thanks for sending me there Sephora!
I think one of the reasons people buy luxury items is because they are status symbols. Buying and owning them tell others that you have certain financial resources. Luxury brands don't just sell you an experience, but an opportunity to tell others that you've made it. They sell you a fantasy of success and exclusivity. Funny enough, I think, nowadays, more people from different economic backgrounds are buying luxury items. Luxury brands probably have mixed feelings about this. They are likely to enjoy the increase on sales, but won't like that people who are not "the right people" have their products. I mean some luxury brands are known to burn their unsold products instead of sending them to Marshalls or other places for resale... 😱Not judging anyone who buys luxury (I own a few pieces myself). Sometimes the fantasy keeps you going in a tough world! 😓
Yep! I feel a little bit bougie when I use my Charlotte Tilbury compact eventhough it's since been used up and refilled with wet n wild. For me it's remembering the good times before I became disabled. At least I still have pretty things :)
Kind of true. I own quite a few expensive products, but I don't tell anyone because it's not really a rational thing. It's just to make myself feel special. Not even my boyfriend knows how much money I spend on things like that. I love luxury brands and at the same time it think they are ridiculous over priced.
Well said on all counts. There's a certain escapism and aspiration to a luxury lifestyle than the average person can achieve with a splurge purchase. It's so much more accessible than it the past (still a status symbol but not an unattainable one).
I used to be able to buy luxury products! I'd go to the Dior counter and walk out with 3 or 4 items and had spent $500 but since becoming disabled it's impossible! I do still buy a few things, for instance I bought a mini ND pallette but no more Dior!
Ease and comfort come with being financially secure. Buying "luxury" items just gives the illusion of having money. Nowadays, though, people have adopted a herd mentality and will spend their last dime on things they really can't afford.
Yes, yes, yes. Materialism and consumerism have reached disgusting heights, fueled by the mindset of “more more more”. The introduction of the online selling platform “Temu” has given consumers opportunity to really indulge in gross acquisition, with people posting videos showing haul after haul rife with purchases of cheap, never-to-be-used, landfill-toppling, factory worker abuse spurring, cluttering junk. Although individual item prices are very low, those small amounts add up. I have become absolutely disgusted seeing SO many people having (seemingly) no moral, ethical, financial or common sense issues with their non-stop buying of useless junk. It blows my mind that SO many people have absolutely no qualms with placing order after order, delivery after delivery, (and drawer-full after closet-full!) of knick knacks, ugly, ill-fitting clothing, never-to-be-used kitchen gadgets, crap jewelry, etc etc etc. At what point will the rationale “it’s only 82¢, it’s only 17¢, it’s only $1.32 - so I’ll get it” finally fail? How many junky sandals, nail art bits, makeup brushes, epoxy craft molds, swimsuits, junk electronics, on and on and on can someone waste their money on, before they say “enough - I’m done”? I’ve yet to buy a single thing from Temu, and I never plan to. I am grossly repulsed with everything Temu and I have no desire to ever place a Temu order. I can’t be the only one who has become keenly aware of (and thoroughly sickened by) the nonstop Temu-crap-buying epidemic, right? Please tell me that there are others who can see a Temu ad for a 75¢ bear-shaped humidifier, yet have the sensibility to resist buying? I can’t be the only one with the brains to understand that I don’t need any of the low-quality crap that Temu tempts? Right???
Yes, true that. Some of the poorest people will have the latest greatest cell phones for example and can'r make rent that month.......very sad, indeed!
I find that Sephora and Ulta are less likely to help you if you are of a certain age or older, which is strange because we are the ones spending the money
I'm a younger person and one time I asked someone for help for a certain product I was looking for skincare-wise, and I specifically told her I was looking for drug store stuff that was "cheaper". She helped me but only showed me the luxury stuff, and after she was done I went right back to the drug store side. She checked me out and was really passive aggressive the whole time.
I went to Sephora yesterday (got the dulche de leche lip softie btw and it truly does smell edible) and I had no joke about 5 different employees ask if I needed help. The line was long and one of the attendants actually rang me up separately on the side! That was a bit luxurious for me 😂
While you were talking I had the thought that online shopping IS the new luxury experience. Having something delivered to you, potentially even same day, is a luxury that for many consumers outweighs the desire to have an in person experience. I think this could be an exciting challenge for brands. Like you mentioned, they can still package a luxury product, and they could be competitive with ship times, etc. Maybe we will see some ingenuity or maybe this is their fall (in the beauty space).
Being 57 yrs old, I’ve noted that both luxury and drugstore makeup have greatly improved in quality since I first began using makeup. Also, duping has definitely gotten better. I remember Avon used to try (usually unsuccessfully) to dupe high end products, but now affordable brands are doing it with much better success❤
A great book related to this topic (which focuses more on fashion but still really relates) is Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster by Dana Thomas. It's a tiny bit dated now because it was written in 2007, but I still highly recommend it if anyone wants to dive deeper into this topic!
Another good one is Don’t Go to the Makeup Counter Without Me. Her comparison of effective ingredients to look for in skin products is an especially useful section.
People want a 1000k dollar purse with only 100 dollars in it instead of a Target store or Walmart purse with 1000k in it.. Wealthy people do not waste money on high end products like those of us who aren't.. Middle class and below spend the most money on higher end products and clothes...trying to look wealthy ..these companies know us better than we realize... 😂 I no longer waste money on higher end products of any kind anymore...I find many excellent products for way less money now with same ingredients!! ❤ The dupes a lot of the time are better if not exactly the same.
I'm annoyed drugstore makeup is nearly $20 now. There are concealers and foundations now from l'oreal and others that are $18+ and I'm not here for that. At least at Sephora you can redeem points for samples and rewards.
Came here to say this exact same thing. I live in Canada and drugstore prices are no longer cheap. You can can tower 28 or rare beauty for basically the same price. And when it comes to shades for foundation and concealer, the drugstore still lacks in undertones. I'm neutral and fair, difficult to find at the drugstore.
For drugstore makeup fans, the Ulta rewards system is pretty good & [for the US] I absolutely love CVS for coupons & rewards. I have a lot of prescription costs, so it's nice that when I'm getting my meds, I'm also earning money I can use on nail polish or skincare.
@@savannawarcop1129Ugh, the struggle is real for fair, deep, & neutral/olive complexions at the drugstore... One of the most inexpensive products that actually has a shade for me is the new About Face foundation. I haven't bought it yet, but I'm excited to no longer have to mix multiple products together or pay $30+. 😭
One of my favorite things about Kelly's videos is the background information shared in them. There are so many GRWM videos that delve into the products themselves (eg. colors, characteristics, wearability, etc). As a 65 yo woman I find the backstory so much more interesting! At this point I want products that perform, but also, I want to support brands that have values that are meaningful to me. Thanks for all the research you do Kelly!! ♥️
When I was in uni I worked on luxury counters like La Prairie, Lancôme, YSL, Shu Uemura ect. I was agency so I got to bop around these counters. The biggest luxury experience difference is the store you are shopping in. A Lancôme in Harvey Nichols is wildly different to one in a Boots. If you want a luxury experience go to a ‘luxury store’.
10000%! Quality has evolved significantly and as an industry insider-I’ve worked in prestige at Sephora/Kendo (ie makers of Fenty, KVD) as well as mass (J&J, Covergirl) and now the founder of a masstige brand sold at Target/Ulta-a lot of these products across price points are manufactured at the SAME labs and the packaging is really the core differentiator. I also think the rise of Amazon has shifted beauty purchasing behavior
I agree that luxury makeup can often perform like drugstore and vice versa. But I also think there can be a different experience when you're using a luxury product, regardless of whether you bought it straight from Dior with the fancy box (super wasteful BTW) or got it at Ulta. The packaging feels heavier and more substantial, the ingredients may be higher quality and it might look smoother on the skin. I do love a lot of drugstore products (most of my makeup is drugstore), but none of them have captured the exact feel and finish of the Charlotte Tilbury Glow Wands, as an example. They might come close but I can tell a difference and I find myself using the CT blush and the others just sit in a drawer. Also the lower price tags from brands like elf come at their own price, which is cheap labor from China. I would prefer to spend my money on a product made in Europe or the United States rather than support child labor or forced labor. As I get older, I realize that I sometimes spend way more money on drugstore makeup trying to find the "right" product, than if I just bought the original luxury product and saved myself a bunch of time and money. This isn't always the case as there are wonderful drugstore gems out there...but it just takes a lot to find them sometimes. So no, I wouldn't say that luxury makeup is a scam. Some of it is overpriced but in some cases you get what you pay for, including cost of production/labor, nicer packaging, and quality ingredients.
They put weights that cost three cents each inside the components to make them heavier. It's not a luxury experience knowing that I'm being conned with a simple trick.
3:00 I agree!! Queuing is NOT a luxurious experience! Before during and after, I've always see queues at luxury brand stores (I'm not in the US) and it always amazed me that people would wait that long in a line to buy some overpriced bs. But I also live in a country where people will queue up in incredibly long lines because a foreign branded cafe or restaurant opened (they queued for subway and popeyes simply cause its american lol)
It's kind of weird that they haven't developed a more refined system to handle an influx of customers, like buzzers or texts or pre-established reservations/appointments.
The Dior example is also Chanel's experience if you buy directly from them. Out of alllllll the brands I've bought from directly (still have yet to buy from Dior directly, one day) Chanel has been the best I've ever bought from. If you order early enough in the day, they ship it out by the end of that very same day! And then when you get it, you get this beautiful box or bag if you want (you get to choose), your order paperwork is put in a cute white envelope, and it's all just so fun. Such different experiences compared to Ulta and Sephora. I like both, they're just different.
I do all my shopping online b/c I'm disabled so leaving my home is a total headache and not worth it. So when I do buy luxury I buy for the packaging if it looks sturdy/reuseable. So if a luxury brand is selling something in cheap plastic that I have to throw away, then FORGET IT! I woukd rather buy the drugstore version which works just as well for me. Plus nobody is gonna know if my blush is covergirl or dior when it is on my face.
That's funny because I really related to this. I'm also disabled and don't go out too much and like the reliable packaging of the higher end brands. I also find they have a better shade match for my skin tone (fair light olive).
Back in 2018, when Benefit was really big, I finally got to see the products in real life. I was appalled at how cheap the packagings felt. Even cheap make up brands' packagings don't feel that cheap 😮
In my experience luxury products still have better packaging, ingredients and components than the dupes do. Personally I do enjoy using luxury components more vs. cheap ones. Also luxury perfumes are a good example for getting what you pay for. The synthetic ingredients in cheaper perfumes and the less complex formulations and cheap dispensers do have me turn more towards the luxury perfumes. Additionally I am weary of purchasing formulations made in China. I have no idea if the Chinese factories have the same quality of ingredients. In the past even things like baby formula have had contaminants in it let alone makeup. I am putting products on the biggest organ of my body and I don’t trust Chinese factories to be honest about their manufacturing practices. Also China is not known for their ethical labor or environmental safety. Luxury or not I am willing to pay a premium for my makeup to be hopefully ethically manufactured in Europe, North America, Japan, etc. Lastly I divide makeup into three tiers. Luxury such as CHANEL, Tom Ford, Dior, Armani, YSL, etc. Mid tier like Natasha Denona, Pat M. Charlotte T, Hourglass, Patric Ta, Haus Labs, etc. And drugstore like Elf, Cover Girl, Nyx, Colorpop, etc. I try to stick to the top two tiers, and choose makeup I can afford and that is manufactured with hopefully good ingredients and in an ethical way. 🤞
For me I feel like the classification based in price would be luxury (Chanel, hourglass, etc), high end/pro (rare, urban, Mac), Mid tier (the balm, rem, Kylie, Inglot), drugstore (Maybelline, L'Oréal), low cost (Revolution, tecnhic, w7, essence)
Watching your video to relax myself after sending the umpteenth job application (it always gives me major anxiety, but I'm trying to keep myself positive 😅). Great video as always, Kelly, and hope you had fun here in Europe during your recent trip 🤍
I love beautiful packaging and a quality experience. If I'm paying more than drugstore prices, the packaging should at least feel quality. If it doesn't, it should be sustainable/refillable/etc.!
I think this goes for skincare too. There’s so many excellent affordable skincare products (K-beauty etc) with better associated experiences than what I’ve gotten from higher end. I’m about cutting back cosmetic spending overall. Less is more. 💕
Agree! K beauty is often as good as or even sometimes better than more luxury prices. I turned my sister onto Tony Moly’s ceramide toner and she and I both love it, and you get a large quantity. We’re both astounded!
It is way better for sunscreen. I’m melanistically blessed (nothing zinc works, to much of a cast) and also have an odd issue with chemical sunscreens available in the US (makes me burn, like physically because of the change in UV to infrared). The formulations for K beauty include tinosorb and mexoryl, photostable options and next gen, with more cosmetically elegant applications. I have no issue getting the full quarter teaspoon or at least close to it with it, and it hydrates so I can skip a moisturizer in the summer, as a menopausal dry combo lady, compared to the school paste you can get here.
@@CandidLy1 Yesss it’s so good. I switched my entire skincare routine to Korean based and it’s helped so much with acne control and my super congested skin. I highly recommend the Anua line.
@@TheBaumcm Yes I agree! I have a collection of mostly Korean sunscreens and they are just superior overall. The only American sunscreen I like for zero white cast is the Summer Fridays. You should try it, it’s 100% mineral with no white cast no matter the skin tone. Otherwise K-beauty all day lol.
I used to feel intimidated to go to the department store cosmetic counter when I was younger because I could only afford one thing at a time and no one was in a rush to help me. That feeling of being treated ‘less than’ stuck with me, so I gravitated to drugstore options even once I could afford higher end.
I could not agree more! It actually makes me feel bad instead of good. Because such a gorgeous outer packaging is a shame to just throw away, but what would I do with it? Can't keep it around, but can't throw it out either.... meanwhile you did pay for it. I still have a beautiful cardboard box from Pat McGrath somewhere. Yes, lovely box, but what can you do with it? Nothing. But it feels wrong to toss it. So I would absolutely prefer: minimal outer packaging, maximum free samples.
@@marielle7505 I repurpose my especially beautiful bottles and jars with hand lotion, another cheaper cream that I love etc. And boxes I cut the lid part off and use them to store hair clips, cotton swabs, lipstick samples, and disposable mascara wands.
You can donate it to thrift stores. They use as wrappings when people buy dishes, or glass ornaments. Someone will appreciate the bags, ribbons, tissue paper, boxes. 💐💐
Having spent a lot of money on luxury products and a little to a medium amount on drugstore products I had never thought about the experience. I'm not the person who needs that experience. It's always nice but I tend to forget about it. You are making such a brilliant point That we're paying for it when we're ordering online and not getting it. Thank you for being the voice of reason. For your beautiful young age, you have such a open mind and consider everything for your viewers and the consumer. You are a gem. ♥️
Great video, I find the psychology of marketing fascinating, especially for beauty because the profit margins are so high. If the main purpose of makeup is to enhance your look, then the packaging is irrelevant. However as you state, if the luxury experience is important to someone they may be willing to pay high prices.
I prefer Ulta over Sephora every time. They have a better rewards program and better range of prices as you mentioned. I also like the self serve, BUT the associates will offer assistance or you can seek out a person to help should you need them. I really like that better than the “counter” experience. I love dupes! I love drugstore makeup now that it has gotten so much better. I am in my 50s so I remember well when drugstore makeup = chalky eyeshadows, hard, stiff eyeliner (we used to carry our eyeliner and a lighter just to soften it to apply and you had to reapply during the day 😳), stiff lip liners that were almost unusable, and makeup tools consisted of the sponge applicators that came with the chalk eyeshadow, the awful brush that came with the blush, and those cheap triangle sponges. We applied foundation with our fingers and if we used powder, we just used the puff that came with it. NO makeup brushes in sight! I am loving what I find at the drugstore now. I agree, though, that the prices have continued to increase and increase. No way should a drugstore foundation (Covergirl ahem!) cost over $20 😳 I really enjoyed this video. I love your content and look forward to your uploads 😊 have a great weekend! Hugs! 💖🌸
I think Sam Ravendahl and her brand Auric is a perfect example of luxury. Everything from the ad campaigns, the name of the brand, the outter packaging, the product packaging down to the components, and so much more. The items are also unique and it really is an experience when I use them.
Absolutely!! I'm so glad her brand is being offered at Beautylish now - which is an online retailer which I find puts a lot of effort into neatly packaging their boxes w/ care. I always feel like I'm treating myself to something nice when I get a Beautylish package.
I agree with your take. Luxury is an experience which is why the price is higher, and the product packaging is better. In today's market, your experience is the same whether buying low-priced makeup and expensive "brand" makeup. There is nothing luxurious about all the different packaging in today's market either, as its all light plastic with some colors slapped on. The only thing you buy is the name, and the name is not enough to impress me.
I agree that "luxury" has just become synonymous with "more expensive." You get an identical shopping experience if you buy drugstore or Sephora brand vs. the luxury brands. (I suppose you could argue the luxury purchases from some pay for the "luxury" experiences of service for all, but I still means you don't get a unique experience when you buy pricier items.) You could argue that brands will have nicer ingredients or packaging, but dupes prove the quality can be similar and brands like CT stand out for having really mediocre packaging for the price.
But the people making dupes aren't paying for R & D, packaging design etc. Obviously it's going to be much cheaper to copy something rather than invent it. You can't dupe something unless it exists in the first place. The dupe industry is essentially parasitic in nature.
I think brands like Chanel are relying on the experience of buying something from Chanel and being able to display it on your vanity. It’s more about buying their brand than the product. I do see the appeal of the counter if you know you are going to buy something and you have a ballpark idea. I’ve had a nice time at the benefit counter at macys and the Bobbi Brown counter at Nordstroms. It’s a more memorable experience than trying to remember that one time I went to Sephora to buy that one thing. But not as convenient.
Going to the counter before wasn’t always a luxurious experience. The assistants were often snobby and limited what customers could see or try. I prefer self-service with help on demand.
Funny this just popped up after I bought a new Chanel highlighter and Gucci bronzer. The packaging and products I find superior but the packaging is what gets me on those items specifically. And while the difference between $20 drugstore and $50 luxury might seem like a huge difference as a % the actual dollars are worth it to me. I won’t toss the gorgeous compacts after the product is done, and that takes a while! Also, the Gucci and Chanel makeup fragrances remind me of my grandmother’s vanity and that’s priceless ❤
@@hcf4kd1992Same. The moment I read 'granny's vanity' my inner child is having a very bad asthma attack and these companies want to put it thisclose to my nose? 🤮
I like both self service and counter-style. If I know what I want I'm fine with self service. There are times when I want help in selection by someone who actually specifically knows the product. I still love a combo of luxury and drugstore. While influencer channels are great and helpful, many get tons of PR and are sponsored. They may also have a much different skin tone and type that I do.
I personally tend to have more success (not always) in finding true quality/luxury products in brands started by those without an existing fan base (ie. celebrities, legacy brand names, influencers, etc) to rely on for sales - they more likely have to work harder or overcompensate by having superior products in order to stay in business (ex. CeraVe, Cetaphil, Tarte, Benefit, Youth to the People, etc) 😊
I am now on a complete no buy with Ulta. I had been a very frequent customer for many years and a simple request of Customer Service turned into a nightmare. I was ignored and pushed away like I was trash. I will never buy from them again.
In the UK, one of the biggest retailers is Boots. They've moved from a really special counter service experience to a bog-standard self-service model. If you're buying Fenty or Elizabeth Arden or Max Factor or L'Oréal, it's all the same experience. With that in mind, I might as well buy a L'Oréal lipstick for £10 rather than a Chanel lipstick for £30. It's really taken the 'luxury' and specialness out of buying cosmetics.
To try products on, the counter is so much better. Someone is making sure it's hygenic and you can see them making sure it's ok. The hygiene concerns that I have at Sephora and Ulta are real - it's a free for all of testers. It doesn't feel great at all.
I agree with testers being more clean at high end counter stores. Even then I just use on my wrist so can wipe off with a disinfectant wipe. Our Target store is hideous with stolen testers and opened packages.
I don't think dupes hurt prestige brands that much because they target different markets. I cannot afford to buy a lipstick or blush that cost more than $20, no matter how much I like it. Therefore, Charlotte and Company hav no chance of getting me as a customer.
Luxury is definitely more about the experience in the modern day. It's more accessible but there's still an exclusivity there (sometimes discriminatory but that's another conversation). Yes, some luxury brands have increased quality but I think when consumers are able to find something that's stellar at a drugstore or mid-range price? They don't care to even look at luxury cuz they're satisfied with what they have.
It's funny because I don't necessarily consider all 'high end' brands to be luxury brands. I wouldn't consider Charlotte Tilbury or Natasha Denona luxury, more like high end makeup artist brands. When I think luxury, I think Hourglass, Pat McGrath (unless she continues with this cardboard packaging), Dior, etc. I do agree that ordering direct from the brand's website makes it a better experience. The only massive caveat I'd say with the drugstore is that they have still not really managed to get their eyeshadow game together. Not all more expensive brands do this well either, and indie brands often manage to have amazing eyeshadow quality (think Cliodnah Cosmetics).
Indie is the way to go if the product is buttery and blendable. I can’t recall the last time I bought drugstore eyeshadow. I don’t think I ever will, I feel it will be patchy:/
Ulta3… just laughed out loud. I worked at the head office in Romeoville. The warehouse sales; makeup and skincare for years at a buck or so!!! Best experience ever ❤
More than luxury, everyone should focus on toxic ingredients in these items. Regardless, of price point, we are being poisoned on a daily basis. Titanium dioxide is a heavy metal, aluminum (many forms in makeup) is a heavy metal, iron oxides (coloring) are heavy metals, preservatives are hormone disruptors, coloring such as red 7, 8, 27 (the staining agents) and anything labeled "fragrance" are so toxic to the human system that they should be illegal. What people should be asking is why are all these substances allowed in cosmetics? It is not for our benefit, but healthy people are not profitable.
You are basically calling all metals heavy metals. Heavy metals don't equate poisons. There are plenty of heavy metals naturally occuring in your body too.
@@hanoimusli5316 Copper, for example, is a metal, but the difference is it a trace mineral--we need a very small amount to have our bodies function properly. HEAVY METALS in our cosmetics/food/water/air are artificially placed there in abnormal levels. With cosmetics, depending on the frequency of use, they are deadly to our bodies, because our bodies do not need them in such large quantities. Furthermore the process in which they are extracted from natural sources and hybridized with other chemicals in makeup, makes them even more deadly. Remember, a healthy human is an unprofitable human.
I really didn't enter the beauty space until 2020 and once I learned enough to kinda know what I was doing, I started sharing with my mom. She was so confused about what Sephora was and why you would want to pay so much for makeup. Then I realized I didn't really know either lol. The transition of how we shop for lux makeup makes so much sense though!
I have to differ on this….lux make up for most part are nicer not just the packaging but the product. I wore drug store lipstick and switch to higher brand and it was day a night. Also, the blush is fab at Sephora. I do agree not everything needs to be lux. I like my L’Oréal eyebrow pencil.
Ulta's rewards are the best. I don't like that Sephora shows shopping preference to those that spend the most...I'm fine with them getting a better discount but not with allowing them to shop earlier, so by the time I can shop most inventory is sold out.
I hate to break it to you, but I heard that the next Ulta 21 Days of Beauty sale is changing how it's done. It's now called the Semi-Annual Sale and they will be dropping the daily beauty steals by the week instead of for the whole sale AND the Platinum and Diamond members get early access. I'm expecting a lot of backlash is headed their way for this.
To me luxury in beauty needs to be an extremely nice, beautiful, and effective product. All 3. Or it needs to be more personal, I think luxury only truly exists in the artistry. The most luxury makeup experience I can think of would be to book a makeup artist you really love so they can make a look that’s personalised for you or give you a personalised class on doing your makeup. In terms of experience you’re given mindful attention and actually get to support someone you admire, rather than just being a potential dollar for faceless corporations. Some of the things I’ve heard people experiencing from these “luxury brands” are genuinely emotional abuse at best. I’d never willingly let myself be treated in such a humiliating way! But I don’t blame them. I think most of us have times in life when we’re manipulated into tolerating things like that, it always makes me really sad to see… Some people have been so caught up in the ideas that luxury brands sell, basically the myth of the brand, that they are actually PAYING a company to treat them like that!
One benefit about ordering a luxury product through Sephora is you earn points. You may get a more luxurious experience directly through the brand with nice packaging and extras. But you won’t earn the same level of rewards like you would through the box retailer. You have to decide what’s more important. Opening a fancy package, or points towards future purchases.
Recently I wanted to just please myself with some "luxury" makeup item. I wanted something not only useful and doing the job, I wanted it so smell nice, look nice, packaging to be made of nice materials that feel good in hands and... I wanted a nice experience in a shop. I went to Sephora to check out what they have, but the experience was so bad I didn't want to buy anything. I ended up going to the shop next to Sephora that was Guerlain boutique - they had the same thing I wanted to buy, but this was luxurious. I was taken care of, my questions were answered, the shopping assistant was sooo lovely and she was a real ambassador of the brand. The price for was of course same as in sephora, product was the same, but the one in the boutique was pure luxury. In Sephora they couldn't care less about me :P
I’ve watched 4-5 videos of high end vs drugstore where half the face is done with one and the other side with the other. 2 being done by professional mua and the drug store side looked just as good if not better. It’s got me questioning if the high end is really worth it?
Unfortunately the "things not being used or picked over" in warehouses is a myth I used to believe. That used to be the case but recently I have had used makeup show up coming directly from warehouses after online ordering. I have seen used makeul even from luxury store such as Saks in a $70 plus lipstick. Its gross and I am going on a no online shopping hiatus for a while. Its not worth the headaches!! Online shopping is nothing but stressful lately for me at least.
On my goodness… I just time warped when I saw those cover girl old-school shadows - I think I had those exact products! What in the world is the color pallet of “country basic”? LOL - “the frosted collection” 😂😂 - and I know I didn’t use those blushes to highlight or contour - those are one-and-done colors;mauve, pink, peach… is this the origin story of why I always think I need at least a mauve, peach and pink blush forever in my makeup bag??? Oh my… am uncovering unconciouses biases from my childhood??? 😅
I remember growing up if you wanted brands like Clinique then you had to get them from the cosmetics counter at a department store. It was kind of a pain in the butt though the service was pretty rad if you needed it (not when they were trying to sell you extra crap though!) I like the convenience of Ulta and Sephora though they're not always as knowledgeable as the makeup counter chickies. My mom was actually an Estee Lauder counter chicky back in the 70s ❤ *I said "chickies" though I should say "people" because of course it's not just women ❤
I used to shop at Ulta3 😂😂 I do buy Chanel makeup (from Ulta) because I feel the makeup provides me with a more effortless look & I haven't found or looked hard enough for dupes!
Things I would avoid is going to sephora physical store or any luxury store with rude staffs. Also the pesky brat kids in those store. Eww I won't let myself come across those spoiled peasants. I rather enjoy the online purchase only. That is true luxury. Why you walk to buy stuff and carry it home when you can have it delivered to you.
I find going to a department store counter disappointing. Most times the person you find isn't the brand's ambassador so they try to help but don't know that much - not sure if they don't do cross training or the brand's don't have the budget to have their associate working each day. 🤷♀ And since I keep up with beauty on YT sometimes I know more about the products than they do.
I still like luxury for the packaging. Using a YSL lip product just feels more decadent than an elf one. That said, I buy both and like both. But for a special treat? Luxury all the way.
For me it’s about packaging. I don’t own a lot of makeup, but whatever I do have gets used heavily for years. A lot of drugstore options just don’t offer sturdy packaging that will last. I used to spend more money replacing cheap broken tubes and compacts that were only a few months old than I do buying one nicely packaged thing. If you’re the type of person who likes using the same thing every day then paying the extra $10 is worth it imo. (This doesn’t apply to everything, of course)
I had such precious memories of my mom taking me to Sears w her, she would try Clinique skincare products and it was a whole dreamy, glamorous experience. I feel that’s why I love girly stuff
as someone who went from drugstore straight to luxery i can tell u there's a difference. big difference. yeah sometimes drugstore blushes can give the same effect as a high end blush same with counselor and eyeliner but mascara and powder big difference! my old sky high mascara used to not stay on for more then 1 hr while my lancome one stays on for days if I don't remember. and so on so it's important. as for the lipstick i also notice luxery looks better or at least korean brands make some good lipstick at a affordable price
@@hair2show1031 it was new years and it stays until the next day so I count that as 2 days I also went to pool with it and it stays pretty well for not a water proof mascara
I disagree about foundation shades- at least in the U.K. I’m half Chinese half English and look Spanish I have a yellow tanned complexion and most drugstore foundations are pink toned or orange. My best matches have been Bobbi brown, shu uerma, Estée Lauder.
Yes, I've noticed people having to wait in line outside Chanel in Paris (including if you're wanting to purchase from their beauty line). Sephora has lost their way, post-pandemic. Ulta has far more regular sales, offers, and rewards. Also, they have a consistently lighter, brighter, cleaner in-person shopping encounter - at many different price-points, too. With luxury, there are any number of unspoken expectations and standards. Including, precedent. That is a major point of differentiation.
I worry that cheaper products will cut corners on ingredients. It’s probably just marketing but I trust a brand like Charlotte Tillbury to have safe clean materials. If I was knowledgeable enough to actually read the labels I might end up saving money and choosing drug store.
Design student here: the experience is a big selling point for many products. It's the selling point for cds nowadays and I've experienced that myself. I love the overall experience I get when plugging my portable cd player to the wall, picking up a cd from my collection, opening the case, taking the cd out and putting it inside the player. When closing the lid, pressing play and being forced to listen from beginning to the end of a cd. It's the reason why I've looked into buying a cd burner or reader that I can plug into my laptop to make my own cds to replace the ones that don't exist in cd form. I've felt so gutted to know that some of my favourite bangers don't come in a cd format that I want that experience back. My brother for example told me I can just use the Spotify app I pay for. But it's not the same. I can get easily distracted using it. It's easy to start and stop. I don't have to click a button from a player in my bag. I can choose to add whatever song I want to my queue. I can choose to scrap the album I'm listening and go for a RU-vid video or listen to an entirely different album all together. A cd forces me to slow down and focus on the music. I love to play mine for example when travelling or cleaning or going to the park for a rest. It's the luxury experience that makes the 20/15 euros value worth it. It's so hard to explain this concept honestly. I think people who either grew up with cds (older than me) or the ones who were born right between the switch (2001) from physical copies to digital ones understand the different feelings in the music listening experience. And I'm sorry if cds is all I can talk about. But I don't have the experience with buying fancy makeup as I only use drugstore.
I love to own my media physically, whether music, video, or reading material, even though I do prefer reading on my kindle. I still buy the hardcopies of good books. Spotify horrifies me!
Ulta needs to do something about their shipping. Every time I purchase an eyeshadow palette from Ulta (they never have every product in store), it comes broken. If you buy from a prestige website, their products always come nicely wrapped. Really - besides getting something right now, what is the draw to shopping in store? The experience is so much better direct from the brand. Great video Kelly. Thank you.
One might argue that being able to participate in the beauty space at all is a luxury, especially in times when so much has gotten so expensive in such a short time period. Is luxury a scam...probably mostly. I think most luxury is paying for the brilliant marketing, the PR, and the namesake or larger than life personalities behind a brand. There are things I won't buy on principle, alone. *cough cough* Charlotte and Natasha. I don't dispute the quality of many of their products but when no one else can tell you've got pillow talk and a nude you apparently needed on your face, it feels like a waste when drugstore has just upped the game so much.
For me luxury means packaging. Paper used and no samples "thrown in." Its an experience for me that must occur in a lovely shop as well. No pushing or i will leave just a gracious shop assistant who recognizes i know what i want and i expect the presentation to be equal in a sensory way to the items that i purchased.
if they can truly dupe it.. it means is just brand stuff.. but some stuff are not dupable.. like chanel foundations, i've never used anything that blends into my skin with all comfort. Like my skin was that way all along, but hiding all imperfections. Not even other luxury brands are able to get there. I've tried, dior, guerlain, armani.. they are not even close. I believe there are some luxury that are not special, but there are some luxury products that are just one of a kind. The chanel less expensive brand, before being bought, bourjois, i loved many of their products when i was a teen probably bcs it had the same makeup DNA from chanel that i now love alot.
II AM A MAKEUP JUNKY AND I FIND MYSELF BUYING MORE AND MORE DRUGSTORE AND INDY BRANDS. NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR MARKETING AND SUB-PAR PRODUCTS DUETO THE NAME ON THE LABEL.
My thoughts are this: self checkout at a grocery store annoys me. I’m not getting any savings by doing the work myself, and if I happen to have coupon(s) I have to wave for an associate anyway, so unless I have only an item or two, I’m going to let them do the work. If you twist things a bit, the same can be said for other retail areas. I realize that I’m very basic…hope I’ve made at least a little bit of sense. 🤪
I see your point, but I prefer self-checkout because I am socially anxious and also kind of particular about packing my groceries, so I'd rather do the work myself than have to grit my teeth through letting someone else do it. (Also, the self-checkout where I go has a system for coupons with a discard bin built in, which helps)
