Shopping Cosmetic Lines: To be Faithful, or To Play Around?
Nov 07 '01 (Updated Dec 04 '03)
The Bottom Line What is this category FOR, anyway? I'm not sure, so I'm using it for whatever comes to mind.
Decisions, decisions!
I was ringing up a customer's cosmetic purchase last week, and (being the excellent sales associate I am!) I naturally introduced her to our latest product. She said "Sure, I'll take it, and you know I'll be back again soon to stock up some more, since I use products ONLY from this line." Hmmm...
Just moments later, I was ringing up another customer at my counter, and introduced her to a new product as well. She said "No, I'll just take the moisturizer, that's really all I like from your line. I'm a pick-and-choose type, I guess." Hmmm...
That got me thinking... what are the benefits of sticking to one cosmetic line? What are the benefits of hopping around? This is how I spend 'down time' at work, pondering these deep and complex facets of human existence.
Let's look at all the benefits of being a "line loyalist" and then we'll look at the perks of "playing the field." By the time I'm finished, you'll be fully informed and ready to decide which fork in the road is right for you. Either that, or you'll be more confused than ever.
BEING FAITHFUL:
As those (precious few!) of you who regularly read my reviews know, in the past I have discouraged being a "line loyalist." What I really only meant to do, though, was to discourage BLIND loyalty... the kind of line loyalty that might make a woman use a toner that sets her skin on fire, just because it "goes with" her other skin care items from the same line, for example. That silly kind of loyalty aside, there ARE some very real benefits of finding a line that suits you best, and settling down, so to speak. Here they are!
*** Product Compatibility and Synergy:
Yup, you've heard it a zillion times from cosmetic counter salespeople... "You should use skin care products that are all from the same line, because they're especially designed to go together, and to work together on your skin." The fancy terms for that? Product "compatibility" and "synergy." It is a concept that is talked about especially in terms of SKIN CARE, where it's thought to be most important.
Is this concept for real? Weeelll... sometimes.
YES, products from the same line are sometimes designed to work together. But whether these products ACTUALLY work well together is sometimes another story. I once bought a toner and moisturizer that were designed to be used together. Yet, when I put the moisture on, it made the powder in the toner underneath ball up into tiny white globs on my face! It was so freaky, I wrote the company about it. They pretty much just said "Yup, that's a problem." So much for product "compatibility" there!
It's also less likely that you'll cause your skin any major distress if you remain faithful to one line, since the liklihood of "overdoing it" is slim. This is because most lines do not overload each and every product with harsher or mega-powered ingredients... they know (and hope) you may be using the whole line, and so they have sense (usually) not to do that. If you hop around among lines, though, you may inadvertently choose products that, when used together, do either too much of a good thing, or not enough.
*** Product Philosophy:
If you find a company that's got a PHILOSOPHY you really need or like, that may be reason enough to pledge undying loyalty. Say, for example, that not testing on animals and not using synthetic fragrance happens to be important to you. Well, then it might pay for you to stay with a line that can be depended on to offer you these features , rather than to shop around at different lines and always have to ask about animal testing and read labels to find out if there's fragrance additives.
We all have "pet features" we like in regard to our cosmetics, and you can bet there's a line to match your own personal philosophy. Are you a natural products nut? A young, fashion forward urbanite? A no-nonsense spendthrift? A sucker for luxury with money to burn? An upwardly mobile type with hardly any free time? There are lines that embrace each of these market niches.
It's a pleasure to find a line you can have a meeting of the minds with, and if you do, there may be little reason to shop elsewhere.
*** Avoidance of the three cosmetic C's:
Compulsion, Confusion, and Chaos! Do you buy stuff you don't need or even really want? Are you confused about what to buy? Are you forever roaming from line to line, looking for that pie-in-the-sky moisturizer that doesn't exist? Does your bathroom look like you're expecting at any moment to be called upon to supply an entire Miss America pageant with skin care and makeup?
Deciding to stick with one line can help you resist the craving to buy too much. After all, there's only so much damage you can DO at one counter or store! Accumulating nine moisturizers from the same line is rather unlikely... you'll be more likely to use up what you've got before buying more. Line loyalty can also help inform and streamline your routine! It's a jungle out there, and too many choices can be overwhelming and anxiety producing.
Being a line loyalist will help keep your bathroom a little tidier, you'll see.
*** Help, I Need Somebody, Not Just Anybody:
A big benefit of putting all your eggs into just one basket is the HELP you get from the sales people in deciding which skin care and makeup products are best for you. Once the salespeople get to know you as a familiar face, they're that much more likely to help you understand what the products are meant to do, and give you valuable tips on how best to use them. It's only human nature to be more forthcoming with those we're familiar with.
Once you establish yourself as a regular,you should expect and get VIP treatment . They will notify you of special events at the counter, and of special deals on your favorite products. Returns should be a breeze, and the samples should flow freely. Gift wrapping and shipping may even be at no charge. Many women even enjoy the social aspect of seeing the same salesperson for all their cosmetic purchases.
*** "My what nice matching bottles you have." :
O.K., that may seem like a silly reason, but trust me on this one, it IS a reason (of sorts). I know this, because it is my best friend's reason for being a line loyalist. She even likes to make little stacked pyramids with all the matching jars in her bathroom cupboard. She once told me she threw out a perfectly good lipstick because it did not match all the other identical ones on her vanity. In fact, it absolutely clashed with the others. Now, if this were anyone else, I'd say they were certifiably nuts, but since she's my best friend I have to say that, indeed, the mismatched lipstick tube scenario sounds horrifying! Who could blame her?
PLAYING THE FIELD:
All that said, there are still some definite benefits to picking and choosing your products from among different lines.
*** Picky, Picky!!! :
If you're like me, you are very choosy about what you purchase. My cleanser, for example, has to be just right. My lipsticks can't smell funny, or taste odd. My foundation has to match my skin tone so well that not even a dermatologist with a 10X magnifying mirror could tell it wasn't my own skin.
But some women are even choosier than this! If that rings a bell (anyone we know?), shopping just one line may be waaaay too limiting. Shopping just ten lines may be too limiting! The very particular woman is sometimes best off being a run-around-Sue. That way she can find that blusher that's "a little bit peachy but mostly tan with no sparkle but not too flat looking either, and that goes on very sheer, but with buildable depth, and comes with a really soft brush inside a mirrored (of course!) compact that will be thin enough to fit in the little pocket of her red evening bag. If this is you (don't be ashamed!)then don't even kid yourself: you need to shop multiple lines. And may the force be with you!
*** Variety is the Spice of Life:
If you like to check out every new product that comes down the conveyor belt, you'll love shopping multiple lines. Trendy or fashion conscious women sometimes fall in this category, or those who like to pamper themselves with delicious new "treats." For these women, being a one-liner would only have you twiddling your thumbs waiting for your line to s-l-o-w-l-y release some captivating new stuff.
*** What a Deal ! :
Does the thought of a gift with purchase send shivers down your spine? Do you live to hear the words "special value set." Are you fond of telling your friends that it really IS a deal, because what you don't want makes great stocking stuffers?
If you enjoy taking advantage of these special deals at a rate of about one per millisecond, no one line will be able to keep up with your pace. Have fun shopping around, and remember that she who dies with the most bottles of tiny yellow moisturizers wins!
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS:
If you don't seem to fit neatly into one camp or the other, you can always do as I do, and be BOTH a line loyalist, AND a cheater. In other words, I enjoy the predictability and convenience of staying with familiar territory. I have a few lines I'm partial to, but I never hesitate to "stray" here and there. This is because I'm awfully particular, and I also like to treat myself to variety... to me, cosmetics are for the soul as well as the body!
I've found that if you stay (kinda) faithful, but aren't afraid to cheat a little, you can reap the benefits of both worlds. In cosmetic shopping, anyway... applying this same theory to marriage doesn't work out quite as well, but that's another article.
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thatsmytake
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