Drops and Primers Out the Wazoo: Necessity or Not?
I don't know about you, but I feel like the last few years have seen a lot of new makeup products flooding the market.
Maybe it's just me, given that I grew up believing there were only six types of makeup product: eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, foundation, bronzer and lipstick. I mean, I’m nearly thirty and I’ve only just started contouring. I’ve only been wearing primer for two years!
At Déjà Dupes, we love makeup and we love trying new things--but this doesn’t mean we’re incapable of criticizing the beauty industry and questioning the necessity of these products. If you recall, I discussed skincare routines in a recent post, and stated in my personal opinion you did not absolutely require every single product available to take good care of your face. Kami discussed why she doesn’t contour and pointed out how contouring often ends up in emphasizing eurocentric features.
Please keep in mind this is an opinion post. Not everyone will agree with me, and that’s totally okay! Discussion is fine if you keep it civil.
Onto the post!
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional. I cannot provide personalized advice on which products are best for your skin. I also don’t have an insider’s view on makeup artistry, and am approaching it from a layperson’s perspective.
Every time I wander into Mecca or Sephora it seems like I see new types of product 'add-ons' every time.
(By add-ons I mean extra things makeup companies are selling us, beyond what I would personally consider a feasible product).
Face primer? On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = you don't need this and 10 = it's an absolute necessity) I'd say it's about a 5. It's good if you want more wear out of your foundation, but let's be honest: you're not going to die without it.
But do you absolutely NEED a separate eye primer, lip primer, AND a lash primer?
Eyebrow products? Great, whether you prefer pomades, powders, pencils or tinted gels. But do you really NEED eyebrow wax, AND clear eyebrow gel?
Highlighter? Love it. But do you really NEED brow highlighters and illuminators? Will you die without unicorn or radiance drops?
Concealer? I'd call it important for most. But do you NEED a separate under-eye concealer?
I mean, do you REALLY need it?
My opinion is no, you don’t.
Beauty brands (and the stores they're stocked in), at the end of the day, are businesses--so of course they're going to sell these products to you.
If you ask someone who works at Sephora or Mecca or Ulta, or even CVS or Priceline, if they recommend a particular type of product, of course they're going to recommend it. Often they’re required to push products as part of their job, and there’s no criticism meant in that--we all have job requirements. But considering a lot of these products are $20 - $50 a pop, it all adds up to a hefty price-tag--and that’s even if you just buy drugstore! For someone who loves high-end beauty products, it can be quite expensive.
Why not invest in something you can use on multiple areas on your face? You can mix a liquid highlighter in with your foundation, use it on your cheeks, collarbones, eyes and blend onto your brow bone. You can use all over face primer with a little extra on your eyes and lips. You can get good quality mascara that conditions your lashes as well as providing extra length and volume.
You don’t have to have all these extra products; companies sell these as staples because they want you to buy their stuff. Choose quality over quantity.
