The SAD TRUTH About Drugstore Makeup in 2024

Drugstore makeup has always been my favorite..but lately it seems like it's either poor quality or so expensive you might as well just buy the more expensive brands. Have you noticed a difference when it comes to drugstore makeup? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
01:50 Inflation/Economy
04:30 Marketing/PR
06:08 Packaging
08:30 Consumer Expectations
13:35 Inclusivity
14:09 What Can We Do?

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💖 ABOUT ME:

Hi, my name is Jen I am 44 and live in Connecticut with my husband and 8 year old son. I am a stay-at-home Mom and full-time YouTuber with a degree in business with a focus in marketing. Before leaving work when my son was born, I was a commercial lender at a bank. I also worked at Sephora and Macy's doing visual merchandising.
I have dry skin with some hyperpigmentation and fine lines. I love natural makeup looks but occasionally go outside my comfort zone a little bit. On my channel you'll find lots of videos about drugstore makeup and drugstore dupes (those are my favorites to film!) but I also review high-end makeup as well. I hope you enjoy my channel and if you do, please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & leave me a comment!

[JenPhelps]

Do you think that drugstore makeup is not as popular as it once was? Are you buying more luxury makeup or drugstore?

[beckyrobbins]

Honestly I think the quality of MANY things, not just drugstore makeup, has gone down while prices have gone up. Even grocery portions are smaller but more expensive. It’s disheartening.

[marylove]

I'm kind of over dupe products. It's starting to feel like all companies are just selling the same thing. I've started buying less, and sticking more to some basics. I miss the days when drugstore brands were kind of doing their own thing.

[BuyLessJess]

Price increases have made makeup utilitarian for me. I have actually spent much less, the price hikes will eventually hurt the manufacturers and retailers more than they hurt me.

[kaivickers]

I think a lot of makeup markups aren’t costs rising, they’re price gouging. If an Essence can have a great foundation for $6 then Cover Girl doesn’t need to charge $22. I’m fine with a 20% increase but we’re talking 70%+.

[ladidaohoh]

Maybe the high cost of things curbing consumerism might not be the worst thing in the world. When you have 10 year olds on tiktok talking about how a $80 drunk elephant product is a must have, we may have went off a cliff and might need a priority correction lol.

[SydneyShooksOffical]

I kind of get irritated with the drugstore prices on mascara. Mascaras used to be the #1 thing I would never buy "high end", but with the drugstore prices increasing, you could buy a L'Oreal mascara for the same price as Tower28. Not even kidding.

[janetv]

I am so tired of incentivized reviews on websites. I rarely buy anything blind based on e-commerce sites. This is why I love your channel - honest reviews, we're the same age range, similar skin types in terms of dryness. You are one of my favorite channels so please keep it coming with affordable makeup plus dupe/alternatives! They are the best!

[makeuplover]

As a retired retailer who spent over 33 years in retail in Canada I urge people to always return products you are unhappy with, the notion that "returns drive the price up" is just not true. All financial budgets in retail are created with around a 2% shrink factor, that accounts for returns as well. The returns are so minimal because most consumers simply can not be bothered to return a product that they end up not liking or does not work for them. With the huge increase in the cost of living it is absolutely worth it to take the time to take back any item that falls short of your expectation.
Just know what the return policy is from the retailer and stick within their guidelines, the avg is 2 weeks with receipt and you will get a full refund, this is for the USA and Canada, I know that this is very different in the UK and AUS. If you can not use a tester to determine your best shade, then it is 100% okay that you return something that turns out to be the wrong shade for you.
If a product has such a strong fragrance you can not use it, return it. Returns are also the very best way for companies to get feedback on a product that is not meeting customers expectations or was too heavily fragranced or the bottle/packaging is faulty and hard to deal with/messy etc. Most retailers will get a credit from the brand when they return the defective goods or goods that a customer returned stating it did not meet their expectations. These credits are used by the retailer to offset markdowns if the product ends up being a dud and slow seller.

[noemimatias]

Please do a video on all your favorite “classic” drugstore/affordable makeup in every category. I would love to see your picks .

[katypiette]

It’s not operating costs…it’s price gouging like ALL companies have since COVID. Record profits have been posted and the CEO’s take home pay has spiked. Also, these drugstore brands OWN the luxury brands-they’re not hurting for money. It’s a bunch of crap 💩. The beauty industry is absolutely terrible.

[annelieberman]

I always wait to buy for at least a few weeks. That way I can read the real reviews, not just the incentivized ones. It really saves me so much disappointment, not to mention cash.

[leahwitt]

Hi Jen—thank you for this video! I have been buying drugstore makeup since a teen in the late 70’s, and it used to be that brands like Covergirl and Maybelline were considered the “affordable” ones, Revlon was higher, and L’Oreal was “expensive.” Now, it seems they’re all expensive—though, I have to say, I really have grown to love L’Oreal’s products for mature skin. My dream would be that drugstore brands go back to basic packaging and the things that made/make them desireable—and skip the frou-frou packaging and the hype marketing, and maybe they’ll last another few decades. But those are just my thoughts.

[kaylan]

I do like that elf still has their cheaper products. They still sell their standard cheap collection alongside their more expensive "dupes". I'll be bummed if they ever get rid of the cheap products and brushes/tools.

[gigik]

Seems like a lot of brands are content to just sell us the product one time. Then they move on to the next viral product. Business is booming, & it's lead to a rat race.

[scarlethara]

K-beauty all the way! I havent been interested in much at the drugstore, so I am overdue to get some things from a K-beauty site. It’s worth it even if I have to wait longer for the items to get to my door.

[Trudence]

What I'm realizing is how much money I've wasted on buying makeup that I didn't need and much of it I don't even enjoy. I am not buying makeup, haven't bought it in several months now. I am enjoying using my stash. I have SO MUCH makeup! And each product lasts quite awhile. Although I know liquid products and especially mascaras need to be replaced regularly, I have other products that I'm rediscovering and really liking again.

[laikanbarth]

It’s upsetting how expensive drugstore makeup is getting because it’s all I can afford right now. My husband needs a liver transplant so I have to watch every penny but I still want to look presentable and feel pretty. I love makeup so much. Since I was a little girl I’ve loved makeup 💄.

[GrandmaRose]

Yeah, nah. Retailers and brands are price gouging like the grocery stores. We've all got plenty of makeup. Refuse to buy until the prices come down.

[CixiaKyrrah]

Corporate greed has been the main driver for inflation in the last 2 years. Companies have admitted to it/got caught.