Donya Rouzbehi
Sports Editor
Twelve out of 20 La Verne students who wear makeup said they prefer high-end makeup over drugstore cosmetics, in a recent survey on campus.
Popular brands include Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs and Merit Beauty. Haus Labs is known to incorporate very clean and good quality ingredients, such as arnica, making their products acne-safe.
However, some people in the survey said they prefer drugstore products for the price, convenience and sometimes similar quality to the expensive products.
Specifically, drugstore concealers, such as Maybelline and NYX, are quite popular according to the survey. drugstore mascara as well, including brands such as L’Oreal.
Those who prefer drugstore mascara said it is a staple and part of their “must-have” makeup products. Brooke Herrick, a senior child development major, has always preferred drugstore mascara to high-end mascara.
“Personally, I feel that drug store mascara has always performed better than high end mascara,” Herrick said. “Although I have my favorite products that I will always buy, I never have a problem trying something new on the drug store – or high end side.
However, when it comes to skin-care and heavier makeup products, such as foundation or blush, the higher end brands are popular.
Mellanie Grbavac, a junior psychology major, said that skin care and makeup go hand-in-hand, and that they’re both worth investing in for the sake of healthy skin.
“As someone who cares about what they’re putting on their skin, most of my products tend to be high end,” Grbavac said. “I use Tower28 which is skin care as makeup. I’m not only just putting on makeup but I’m also taking care of my skin at the same time.”
The general consensus was that if you wear makeup every day, especially for long periods of time for either work or events, they want to make sure they’re applying safe and natural ingredients to prevent skin issues.
Aastha Baral, a junior computer science major, makes a point in being conscious of what products you’re using if you’re prone to break-outs.
“It depends on the person’s skin,” Baral said. “But for me, most of my makeup is high end. I have sensitive skin so I try not to use anything that breaks me out.”
When asked what they would use for the rest of their lives, the majority of them would choose high-end makeup. They chose the more expensive products because of their typical better quality and safer ingredients.
But a majority of people chose drug store makeup to stick with for the rest of their lives. Many claimed it was because of their very similar quality to the expensive brands, but cheaper price which sold them.
Rania Kartouch, a senior political-science major, has always chosen drug store makeup. She said she’d rather invest in clothes and shoes than makeup, since a lot of the products, high-end or not, are made up of the same ingredients and economical.
“If I had to pick, I’d choose drug store makeup,” Kartouch said. “It’s cheaper and if you do some research on what’s in the products, it tends to be the same as the expensive stuff.”
Makeup has become a booming industry that contributes to a lot of trends lately, especially among Gen Z. People all over the world use makeup. Some use makeup casually and some have their own professional makeup studio.
Many would argue makeup is an art form. It can be a beautiful and artistic way for people to express themselves around the world. There has always been a competition between high-end makeup products and drugstore products.
High-end makeup usually has the reputation of having cleaner and “safer” ingredients for all skin types. More expensive products also usually last longer due to the better quality, which prompts people to invest.
Makeup is subjective to people and mainly depends on their preference on quality and concerns surrounding their skin health. Some use it to express themselves and experiment while others buy what is familiar to them, regardless of pricing.
Donya Rouzbehi can be reached at donya.rouzbehi@laverne.edu.
Donya Rouzbehi is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print/online journalism, and staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. She has previously served as sports editor and a staff writer for the Campus Times, and is co-editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine. Her other writing can be found at trillmag.com/author/donya-rouzbehi
