Brand Loyalty/Product Snob?

[greenapril]

I mix it up. I have some favorite brands but I'll always try something new if it's at a decent price. I'm more of a budget buyer. I'll maybe splurge but I'll have to really think about it before jumping in.

 

[19ten20]

Originally Posted by MissLindaJean /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I was talking with a close friend's girlfriend earlier and she was asking about my eye shadow. It's a bronze look using Maybelline color tattoo, my UD Naked 2 palette and ELF shadows. She told me that she uses MAC exclusively and will never venture into other brands. It came across very haughty IMO and the conservation fell flat afterward because I'm not that familiar with MAC and she really isn't familiar with any other ones.

Is this common for any of you fellow beauty junkies and product lovers? I understand loving a brand or product, but I don't believe there is any brand that is Gospel and why limit yourself? If you find an HG product, of course the obsession is understandable. But limiting yourself to one brand seems like selling yourself short! I think there are sooo many desirable brands and products, from drug store to luxe and high end.

Feel free to sound off and let me know what you think!

This is such a silly idea of only using MAC products, but I know a lot of girls are like that. Honestly, when I first started with make up in Jr. High I had a lot of acne scarring and sensitive skin (I had severe acne from the age or 9 to 11). My parents always bought me expensive foundation because they felt it was a higher quality product. Obviously I know this is not true. So anyway, I got into the trend of buying higher end makeup like Lancome, Estee Lauder, and Dior. In High School girls actually would make fun of me because my family was considered a rich family (we're wealthy, but by no means rich). These girls would ask me why I didn't buy MAC since it was the best makeup available and my make up that I used was "garbage". I was always shy and just kind of ignored crap like this, but one girl would pester me so bad in class that I finally told her to shut her mouth and not to be jealous that I could afford high end make up and I didn't have to buy cheap A$$ MAC and that no matter how much MAC make up she bought and piled on she would never be able to hide her ugly personality.

But anyway, as I got older, my skin got much less sensitive and I was able venture out and try drugstore make up. Many products still irritate, but primer helps stop it. While I go on make up shopping sprees quite often I have no trouble buying Dior, Tom Ford, and other high end brands but I will also buy very low end brands like ELF and NYC. I'm also looking forward to the supposed release of Christian Louboutin cosmetics. In terms of MAC, I eventually started buying a lot of it as it was so inexpensive and they had a good range of colors. However, some of it is crap quality and some of the LE lines have been kind of gimmicky. A couple products I bought about 3 years ago were complete bombs and I gave them to my friend's teen sister. I'm holding off on buying more until the MAC Archie's Girls collection comes out (I'm a big Archie fan).

I think the whole MAC snob thing is going too far with people knowingly buying fake MAC just for the "status". In my honest opinion, its not the brand of makeup that should matter, but your application skills and how well you wear it.

-Sarah

 

[msdollfaced]

Couldn't have said it better myself 19ten20. Like others on here I have a variety of brands. Collecting only one brand (whichever it may be) seems very silly and very snobbish to me but I can also agree that for some it may be a self esteem/peer pressure issue. While MAC might have a few good products, their whole gimmick tries to come across as this edgy, chic, rebellious, trendy company, kind of like how Hot Topic used to be and that's why I think so many people flock there and are obsessed with it, because it seems "cool" or "hip" if you orbit the MAC counter. I do own a few MAC products like Fix + spray and the Blot Powder but personally, I think this company takes themselves way too seriously, very hit or miss products hidden by a good name. 

I figure the whole fun of having makeup is in exploring! Like technology, makeup is ALWAYS expanding. So don't limit yourself, it's like only shopping at one clothing store. 

 

[aleeeshuh]

I used to be "MAC exclusive" throughout high school and college until I started experimenting more with makeup. Personally, I was very naive about makeup. I thought just because I owned a crapload of MAC I was a kool kid, but in reality I was a poor college kid using my parents' money

Now, I love soooo many different brands. I'm glad that I branched out to other brands and found products that I love. It's so interesting to me that MAC is a status symbol, when there are a ton of "higher end" brands.

 

[SnowLeopard]

I use a mix of high end and drugstore products, but MAC is one of the few brands I avoid completely. I have given them a chance in the past and everything that I tried was awful. I think companies should aim to do just a few things really well instead of every single imaginable product mediocre at best. For instance, Urban Decay makes amazing eyeshadows, liners, and primer potion, they make other great products,but the focus is on their core strengths. I really do not understand the appeal of MAC, I've heard people say the packaging is stylish, but I disagree and find it cheap/tacky looking. They constantly put out boring, uninspired collections just so the obsessed will buy more of their rereleased limited editions. Of course a company should try to drive sales, but I think it is more important to be producing a quality product. I do not identify with this brand at all. Using only MAC makeup is like eating only at Olive Garden, there's a lot on the menu, nothing is that good, and there are so many better restaurants out there. At least you get friendly service at Olive Garden, unlike the notoriously rude MAC employees.

 

[MollyC2153]

Originally Posted by 19ten20 /img/forum/go_quote.gif


This is such a silly idea of only using MAC products, but I know a lot of girls are like that. Honestly, when I first started with make up in Jr. High I had a lot of acne scarring and sensitive skin (I had severe acne from the age or 9 to 11). My parents always bought me expensive foundation because they felt it was a higher quality product. Obviously I know this is not true. So anyway, I got into the trend of buying higher end makeup like Lancome, Estee Lauder, and Dior. In High School girls actually would make fun of me because my family was considered a rich family (we're wealthy, but by no means rich). These girls would ask me why I didn't buy MAC since it was the best makeup available and my make up that I used was "garbage". I was always shy and just kind of ignored crap like this, but one girl would pester me so bad in class that I finally told her to shut her mouth and not to be jealous that I could afford high end make up and I didn't have to buy cheap A$$ MAC and that no matter how much MAC make up she bought and piled on she would never be able to hide her ugly personality.

But anyway, as I got older, my skin got much less sensitive and I was able venture out and try drugstore make up. Many products still irritate, but primer helps stop it. While I go on make up shopping sprees quite often I have no trouble buying Dior, Tom Ford, and other high end brands but I will also buy very low end brands like ELF and NYC. I'm also looking forward to the supposed release of Christian Louboutin cosmetics. In terms of MAC, I eventually started buying a lot of it as it was so inexpensive and they had a good range of colors. However, some of it is crap quality and some of the LE lines have been kind of gimmicky. A couple products I bought about 3 years ago were complete bombs and I gave them to my friend's teen sister. I'm holding off on buying more until the MAC Archie's Girls collection comes out (I'm a big Archie fan).

I think the whole MAC snob thing is going too far with people knowingly buying fake MAC just for the "status". In my honest opinion, its not the brand of makeup that should matter, but your application skills and how well you wear it.

-Sarah

Since someone told me that there could be fecal matter or dirt or god only knows what in the "fake cosmetics/fake mac" i gag a little whenever I hear anyone mention fake stuff! 

 

[kawaiisquawks]

Originally Posted by SnowLeopard /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 At least you get friendly service at Olive Garden, unlike the notoriously rude MAC employees.

About 3 months ago I went to a MAC counter in Nordstrom with the intention of picking up a few lipsticks for my mum's birthday and there was only one girl, who was chatting away on her phone. She ignored me for 10 minutes while I stood 3 feet away. I just gave up and walked off. I'd actually thought it was because I'm often mistaken for a 12-14 year old and unfortunately a lot of salespeople, especially at pricier stores, decide I'm not going to really buy anything and that I'm a waste of their time/effort.

Quote: Originally Posted by MollyC2153 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Since someone told me that there could be fecal matter or dirt or god only knows what in the "fake cosmetics/fake mac" i gag a little whenever I hear anyone mention fake stuff! 
Ugh, this! It horrifies me when I see stories of people doing swaps and ending up with counterfeit items. There's no telling what dangerous stuff could be in there and I don't know how they could freaking sleep at night knowing they sent fake crap to another person to try and score some "free" makeup.

 

[bbbrandnewww]

I first started buying makeup from a local store (they also gave makeup application lessons) that was pricewise on par with MAC, but my grandma would buy me MAC makeup quite often. While I liked the MAC stuff, the quality was actually lower than my local business (now out of bussines) products. I've ordered a few things from MAC over the years, but other than the Fluidline and brushes, I don't really care for their other stuff. I find the zillion product releases a year frustrating. Too many products and colors disappear by the time you go to rebuy, or half the crap is sold out by the time you get to the site. It's just too much of a hassle for me to purchase from them. The few times I've been to some of their stand alone stores, I can't even get service (or get some rude b*tchy girl) and just left and bought nothing and went to Sephora or somewhere else instead. Their rude customer service doesn't even convince me to replace products I actually like a lot and WANT to rebuy, so I haven't in a while. I don't get their cult following as I've found SOOOOO many brands that have better quality for half the price (and better customer service, of course).

I think their LE collections definitely put pressure on avid MAC users though. They released what..... 4 or 5 in the pastmaybe 3 months now? I keep seeing posts about new stuff on one of the main blogs I follow and it's honestly just hard to keep up. Being a MAC snob/fan/whatever seems a bit too stressful for me.

 

[internetchick]

I don't think brand loyalty necessarily means someone is being a snob. I prefer lots of brands, but do tend to gravitate towards certain brands. 

 

[19ten20]

Originally Posted by internetchick /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I don't think brand loyalty necessarily means someone is being a snob. I prefer lots of brands, but do tend to gravitate towards certain brands. 

For me brand loyalty is different from product snobbery. I feel that brand loyalty is like repurchasing products that you enjoyed and having more trust in brands that produce good products whereas I feel product snobbery is only buying one or two brands in addition to feeling that all other brands are inferior and that users of the other brands are inferior.

-Sarah

 

[MollyC2153]

Originally Posted by 19ten20 /img/forum/go_quote.gif


For me brand loyalty is different from product snobbery. I feel that brand loyalty is like repurchasing products that you enjoyed and having more trust in brands that produce good products whereas I feel product snobbery is only buying one or two brands in addition to feeling that all other brands are inferior and that users of the other brands are inferior.

-Sarah

YES. You are a smart cookie. 

 

[19ten20]

Originally Posted by MollyC2153 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

YES. You are a smart cookie. 

Thanks.

 

[Sheila5561]

I use to be a make-up snob having worked for Chanel Cosmetics for 6 years I would only use high end makeup and thought anything from the drugstores were crap. I do also feel like the drugstore brands have come a long way in quality and now I find myself buying more of it! I love makeup way too much to only stick to one brand! As far as cheap brands ELF has become a big fave or mine!!!!!!!

 

[Tyari]

I used to be completely loyal to MAC. A lot of my makeup is still MAC but I've ventured out and expanded my collection. I still love MAC, I just really like their products (expect their foundations/powders because I have extremely sensitive skin, I can't wear hardly anything). However, now I love ELF, WnW, MUFE, NYX, etc, along with MAC.

 

[quene8106]

i'm not a product snob or loyal to a brand unless they hire me to work for them. i'm not giving them free advertisement lol

 

[skylola123]

That's crazy I don't think I would ever just be a one brand kind of girl. Specific brands have their forte, Urban Decay are their eyeshadows, NARS their blushes, Clinique their skincare line. For me I know I will keep repurchasing Clinique's gel moisturizer & Benefit's Bella Bamba. For Drugstore I love ELF's eyelash curler & Simple's facial wipes. I think that the problem with me not buying drugstore makeup is that you can't test it out. I can go into Sephora and test everything out but unless you live near an Ulta you can't try drugstore makeup at a Walgreens or CVS. For me that is a downside because I don't know what I am getting myself into. At least you can return items at Sephora or Ulta which I hate doing but when something is 30+ I don't want it to go to waste. 

 

[yousoldtheworld]

I do have a bit of brand loyalty in some areas - I'll experiment in all areas, but there are some products that I always keep on hand and know I can "come home" to them (and for me, this is mostly in the skincare, body care and fragrance department). I'll try most anything I get in a sample box, for example, though I am a bit pickier about what I spend my own money on. But when it comes to makeup, especially, I've come to find that the experimentation is half the fun. I'd hate to limit myself to a single brand of ANYTHING.

I do know a person in real life who will use only MAC products. I have to admit that I don't get it. I haven't used that much MAC, I used to have a few brushes, I have a few pigments, and I've tried out a couple of blushes. My main experience is with the pigments...and, while they're nice enough, I honestly don't see anything special about them, I get color payoff and results that are just as good from my shadows from GDE, Cargo, and sometimes even Wet n Wild and Coastal Scents. I understand that sometimes it's a status symbol and the idea that being a fanatic makes you a member of this community of fellow rabid fans, but I guess I just personally don't care that much about that.

 

[divadoll]

I was a loyal Shiseido Benefiance line user.  I loved loved loved their skincare but it is expensive.  I started playing with actives and making my own skincare.  Bye bye Shiseido.  As for MAC, I have never received good CS from a MAC store or counter, I would prefer to spend my money where I get great service.  Its overrated high school junk anyways.  I buy what ever I like or got good reviews.

 

[MollyC2153]

Originally Posted by divadoll /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I was a loyal Shiseido Benefiance line user.  I loved loved loved their skincare but it is expensive.  I started playing with actives and making my own skincare.  Bye bye Shiseido.  As for MAC, I have never received good CS from a MAC store or counter, I would prefer to spend my money where I get great service.  Its overrated high school junk anyways.  I buy what ever I like or got good reviews.

I'm telling you, gotta find the MEN who work at mac. The girls do nothing for me, but I've ALWAYS had great service from the guys who work there. 

 

[MissLindaJean]

I'm telling you, gotta find the MEN who work at mac. The girls do nothing for me, but I've ALWAYS had great service from the guys who work there. 

Only snotty women at my MAC counter, so they get no business from me.