Now that mineral makeup has become fairly familiar to most consumers the differentiation between brands has begun extended to price. Quality mineral makeup now has to contend with products on the market that do not offer the same benefits but pull buyers in with low prices.
The Truth Behind Discount Mineral Makeup
The simplest answer is you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, when you buy makeup for $5-7 you get a lot of fillers and potentially irritating ingredients.
When fillers are used it dilutes the effectiveness of the product and can cause increased consumption. Sometimes fillers are necessary.
For instance, most of us are not skilled enough to use 100% glycolic acid to remove skin discolorations. But when companies use fillers and dilute it to 30% we are able to safely achieve the benefits of smooth skin in the comfort of our own homes while still saving money on going to the dermatologist.
The same can be true for makeup. Pigments are incredibly bold and unwearable without something to dilute them. Most of us use a mixture of titanium dioxide, colorless mica, silica, calcium carbonate and so on. However, there are companies fixated totally on price and will use much cheaper ingredients, like talc.
Generally, high quality mineral makeup companies avoid fillers like talc because of the potential respiratory problems associated with it. Powder makeup particulates can easily be inhaled and it is safer overall to avoid using talc.
However, these types of fillers allow the manufacturers to achieve a large profit margin and appeal to the price conscious buyer.
The Problems With Discount Mineral Makeup
As you can imagine, when a product is made with inferior (cheap) ingredients you can pretty much assume that it won't last long. That is also true of discount mineral makeup. Typically, this makeup is not overstock or liquidation of high quality brands. Rather, it is a lower quality product that does not provide the same benefits as higher quality brands.
It does not have the staying power and seems to "melt off" or disappear through the day.
It takes several applications to cover a discoloration.
It is not smooth and is difficult to apply, causing overuse.
It contains low quality ingredients that cause skin irritation, itching, swelling, and other problems.
It is sold in smaller packages necessitating more frequent purchasing.
There are fewer products/colors/formulations to choose from.
There may be inconsistencies between packaging and formulations (depending what is cheapest at the time of manufacturing).
Refunds are generally unavailable so your investment is sunk if you don't like the product.
Is Discount Mineral Makeup Right For You?
Ultimately, this is a very personal question. Some consumers are price centric and if that is you, you're in luck. There are many discount mineral makeup brands to choose from. You will likely be paying about the same amount as a drugstore brand.
Some consumers are ingredient sensitive. You are also in luck. Many companies out there craft mid to high quality products at moderate prices. You will wind up paying a few dollars more but will only have to purchase makeup once every few months and will find a little goes a long way.
There are also designer brands and dermatological brands. These are marketed as high quality and may include expensive ingredients such as silk powder or pearl powder. They are at a much higher price point, some as much as $50 a jar. Do your research, though, and you will likely find the same ingredients used in a much more moderately priced (but less widely marketed) brand.
Above all, do your research no matter what brand you are looking to buy.
Beauty Bliss Cosmetics prides ourselves on offering a fantastic value and selection!
