The Reasons Why I Buy Beauty Products

Considering how much I prattle on about beauty products it seems strange that I've never spoken about the things that make me part with my hard-earned cash for a product. And for me the whole beauty buying process goes so much deeper than just something that works, there are so many factors that are involved and here they are;

WHY BEAUTY?

It's all too easy to believe that we have an interest in beauty purely for vanity or superficial reasons and I touched on this on this in Monday's post. To me, beauty is so much more than the way I look and it's 100% about the way it makes me feel. Buying and using any type of product for me is the biggest form of self-care that I can think of and something I absolutely adore doing. In the past, I really did only use makeup because I thought I had to look a certain way to appease others but now it's only something I do for myself because it brings true joy my life.Helping my skin look the best it can makes me feel so confident whilst applying makeup makes me feel ready to take on the world and is an instant pick me up. Some people can deem beauty silly but I simply cannot believe it and we all have things in life that we enjoy. For some it might be going for a run, playing football and for many, it's applying a pretty lipstick or slicking on a red manicure.

EACH PRODUCT IS DIFFERENT

What we want from our products might not always be as easy as we might believe and this is what I typically like to go for in each beauty genre;

PRIMER

Requirements: smoothing, balancing, creates an even canvas and helps the skin feel hydrated and plump.

FOUNDATION

Requirements: medium to full coverage, balancing, long lasting, easy formulation to blend, feels light on the skin and comes with a pump preferably.

CONCEALER

Requirements: creamy, high coverage, hydrating.

POWDER

Requirements: no talc and balancing.

BLUSH

Requirements: cream or powder, minimal shimmer, no talc, kind to the skin rather than harsh and stark.

EYESHADOW

Requirements: minimal shimmer, buttery, not so soft they fall out, easy to use and highly pigmented.

MASCARA

Requirements: long lasting formulation without being waterproof, easy to remove, volumising, able to hold a curl and preferably a plastic brush.

BRAND

I've never leant more towards one price point when it comes to beauty and always enjoyed having a varied mix of products. Of course, when I was a teen I did only buy from budget brands as that's all I could afford. Like I said nowadays I like a mix, I'm not under any illusion that high end = better because it's simply not true. Some brands draw me in more than others but in general, I'm open to anything and don't hold much prejudice towards any brands. Companies I've really loved over the years are;

Liz Earle
Rimmel
Clarins
Origins
Stila
Too Faced
Jo Malone
bareMinerals
Tarte
Pixi

PRICE

I'm incredibly fortunate to receive the majority of the beauty products I use for free due to this blog. I can't deny that is incredibly easy to lose sight of the financial attachment that comes with a product when they just turn up at your doorstep but I've always made a huge effort to attach work to the price of those products. Even when I didn't get sent products for free I never went crazy with how much I spent and if I did buy high end it would have to be something I'd thought about for a while. Money is easily spent and much harder to earn which is always something I bear in mind. When I buy high end I can never justify more than £50 on a product, that's really as high as I can comfortably go and it's rare that I do that. It's mostly on base and skin products that I go up that high as those are the areas that I truly think are worth the investment. When it comes to what we spend on our products it's all personal and not something that can ever be the same story for all of us. One thing I do believe is really important though is that people don't feel obliged to spend on high-end beauty under the illusion that it's better because so often it's not.

PACKAGING

I could write thousands of words on why I think packaging is so important when it comes to the beauty product buying process. I always gravitate towards items that have pretty packaging and it is important that brands do take a lot of consideration over how they package something. It's what draws us to a product even though we know it's what inside is what really counts. It could be the best product in the world but if the packaging was really cheap then I can't say I'd buy it. Of course, as well as the packaging being well thought out and aesthetically pleasing it also has to be functional too. Over the years I've strayed away from see through tubs and now prefer tubes or bottles that have somewhat opaque packaging to keep the product inside safe. Design isn't everything when it comes to beauty but it's what makes the vital first impression for us and sparks an interest.