Makeup for Older Women: Are Expensive Products Really Better?
Makeup can be really expensive, especially if you look at the high end brands. But is it really worth it to spend so much on a single product? Join us in discussion with professional makeup artist Ariane Poole who has some great advice to share. Enjoy the show!
Margaret Manning:
My guest today is Ariane Poole. Ariane is a professional makeup artist who has been working with Sixty and Me for over four years now. She has been sharing her secrets of great makeup products and techniques, and has shown us how to treat beauty as part of the whole positive aging process.
She’s featured on QVC UK all the time and also on TVSN in Australia. People really love her products and count on her expertise. She has her own product line, but she’s also very knowledgeable about other options we’ve got. Welcome, Ariane!
Ariane:
Hello there!
Margaret:
We love having you here. We all know there are tons of makeup products out in the world, from the drugstore brands up through the super branded ones.
Our community has been asking a lot about investing in makeup. When is it wise to spend more and buy an expensive product, and when is it okay to just play around with the makeup at the drugstore that costs a couple of dollars?
Ariane:
It really is up to you as an individual. You can mix and match the brands however it suits you. You don’t have to only buy premium, and you don’t have to only buy drugstore brands. You have to look for the quality that works best for you.
For instance, you might need to buy a premium or more expensive foundation or concealer because it works for you, feels good on your skin, etc. But you may run to the drugstore for other products like lip pencil, eye pencil, mascara or eyeshadow.
Of course, there are good foundations as well in the drugstore. For example, Rimmel does a 24-hour long-lasting foundation which I think is really great. If you don’t want to spend a huge amount of money on foundation, this one will work just fine.
At the same time, you may want to spend a lot of money on a foundation because you like the texture or the feel, or the color is just right for you. Whatever your reasons, you’re free to pick and choose.
Margaret:
It goes the other way, too. For instance, I have sampled very expensive foundations, but they didn’t really work for me. I like IT cosmetics. They do a really nice foundation that is great for me. It’s actually a little bit oily luminescent but I like that. So I would pay more for that.
My big thing is mascara. There are, literally, thousands of mascaras you can choose from. But they’re not all the same. I’ve had terrible experience with clumpy mascaras that make your eyes look overdone.
I received a Clinique one as a gift, and I love it. It’s got a little brush but it works very well. It separates, defines and volumizes.
Ariane:
For me, the key thing is, redness. I need to cover it up, so I focus my resources there. Then I would maybe buy a less expensive lip gloss/lip balm/lipstick because I know that there are some really great ones out there that are not expensive.
Also, I buy my nail polish from a UK company called Barry M. I don’t need expensive nail polish, and they offer good quality products for a great price.
The secret here is to figure out your key areas of interest. If you want to have a big lipstick wardrobe, you may not want to be spending a ton of cash on that. So you will go and buy those from your local drugstore. But then you would invest more in a mascara or concealer or whatever it is you really need.
Margaret:
Actually, my Armani lipstick is one of the most expensive items in my makeup box. I’ve been wearing it for about ten years now, and I keep buying it. I love it because it writes the right things on my mouth, and it makes the blue disappear.
Ariane:
That’s just it. If it makes you feel good it doesn’t matter how much it costs. If it was a less expensive one, like a Maybelline lipstick that made you feel great, then you would be buying that Maybelline lipstick. It really is about what makes you feel happy when you look at yourself in the mirror.
Margaret:
The one thing I really love about makeup in general is that it’s fun. It’s meant to be fun. But there are some things that we consider pretty essential. When you buy expensive makeup you don’t want to just pay for the brand. You want to pay for something that’s great for you.
I actually discovered a lip stain that works really great for me, and I think lip stains are going to become my next big thing. We all know that with age the color fades from our lips, even when we put a favorite lipstick on, it doesn’t really stick.
Ariane:
It doesn’t stick, and it doesn’t look the same color as you remember it looking. It may be a subtle difference but is it enough that you perceive it. When we notice things for ourselves, we need to address them. No one else might notice it but it is important that if you feel it and you see it then you fix it.
Margaret:
I think makeup is just like clothing. Everybody has a special, favorite item of clothes that they’ll spend more money on, like a coat or a jacket.
Ariane:
Yes! I’ll spend money on boots, whereas I will go to Zara for my shoes.
Margaret:
My friend Maureen will spend money on bags, and I wouldn’t spend over $20 for a bag if you gave it to me.
Ariane:
You’re right, makeup is exactly the same way. You have your key things, and your not-so-important things. Like I said, I’ve got a pair of shoes that I got from Zara for 25 pounds, which is not very much money for a pair of shoes.
But I will spend a lot more on boots because I keep my boots. I’ve got boots that are 15 years old. So, it really depends on where it is important for you to spend that money. It’s different for everyone.
Margaret:
In conclusion, I want to say that we choose our products by the way they make us glow. That’s why they look like they’re expensive on us. The way we feel about our makeup sends a message to the world.
You give a great message. I’m so happy that you’re here for us, Ariane, always open to answer questions.
Ariane:
I love the questions that come from the Sixty and Me community.
Margaret:
And we love you. Thanks, Ariane. As always, it’s wonderful to talk to you.
Ariane:
Bye-bye everyone!
Margaret:
Bye-bye for now.
What is your special makeup product on which you’re ready to spend more cash? Have you compared the quality of expensive and inexpensive products and found that the less costly one was actually better for you? Please share your stories below!
