What is the difference between
"Store Brand" and "Professional" Cosmetics? 

Everyone has heard the cliché "you get what you pay for". This is the main difference between professional cosmetics and store brands. You have to say to yourself "How come I can buy eye shadows in the store and they only cost $2.00?" The reason is the quality of the products in just not as good. Let me give you some practical examples. First let's look at foundation. Most of the foundations found in stores that are liquid are just that, liquid. In order for that foundation to have the consistency of water there has to be a large amount of water in it. You are also playing a guessing game when you have to choose the "right one". This is the reason why we charge more for our Custom-Blended Foundation. It is a cream-based formula with SPF-15 sun block, so it will moisturize and protect your skin while you wear it. Since we custom-blend our foundation you can be assured that it is the right color and shade for your eye color. This is important because you will notice that our foundation will not change colors on you over the course of the day. Another benefit is that it does not contain any waxes to cause it to crack or wrinkle after a short period of time. You can already start to understand the differences. Let's move on to lipstick.

Lipstick seems like a pretty general thing, but it isn't. Most of the "long-lasting lipsticks" tend to stain your lips and make them dry like the desert; whereas our lipsticks are cream-based, so they will stay on a long time and not dry your lips while you wear them. A great way to change the look of each of our lipsticks is to use your blush color as a base. Try that with the "long-lasting lipsticks" you will not see any difference, so you end up having to buy a larger variety of them in order to see any change.

While walking through the store you might notice a new eye shadow you like. Stop and think about it. What am I really getting? Most of the store brand eye shadows contain waxes that when mixed with the oils in your skin will start to crease and
wrinkle much like the foundation mentioned earlier. Our eye shadows go on smooth and they can be applied either wet or dry. When applied wet they become water resistant, so a night out dancing is no problem.

Have you noticed that a lot of store brands are going towards compact powders instead of loose powder? You say to yourself "this seems more convenient". There is a reason they have to make it so "convenient" - you are going to need to "freshen up" all day long. Our powders are so finely processed that once you apply them in the morning you will not need to reapply it later in the day. Now of course if you are out in the sun being active, I am not saying that you will not need to freshen up later. What I am saying is that during normal activity like when you are at work there will be no need to reapply your powder. This will make your powder last a lot longer.

You just finished applying your make-up and you are about to put on your mascara. You open it and find out it has dried up again. Many of the companies that are producing "waterproof mascara" are still trying to figure out a way to keep their mascara waterproof without flaking and drying the eyelash. This is a pretty hard task for chemists with 10 years of college to figure out. Our mascara leaves your lashes thick and soft. There are no staining agents to cause our mascara to flake or dry your lashes. Those same staining agents are what cause the water-proof mascaras to dry out so fast. Even though they are charging less for their mascaras, the store brand manufacturers know that you will never be able to use the entire tube.

I have saved the best for last, concealer. When you browse our website you will notice we do not sell anything named concealer. The reason for this is it is not needed. Our Beige Eye-lite is a highlighter. This is used to lighten dark areas of the face like dark circles under the eyes, frown lines and other wrinkles or
blemishes. The benefit to using our Beige Eye-lite is that it is creamy to blend seamlessly with the rest of your make-up, and you will still get the coverage you are looking for. The problem with a lot of the concealer is they are formulated like lip balm, so no matter how much you blend you can still see them.

I am not here to tell you what you are using is wrong. If you have been with us at Make-up by Armando since we started our website in December of 1999 you know our philosophy is to help our visitors get the tools and information the professionals use. I am merely showing you what you are buying for $2.50. We sell and promote our cosmetics because we know how well they can help everyone. We have had our own line of cosmetics since the early 70's. Just look at the facts and decide for yourself if it is really worth buying "store brand cosmetics."

Make-up by Armando - Your Beauty Solution
www.makeupbyarmando.com

About the author:
Armando's son, Adem, received his cosmetology license in 1994 and began managing Armando's Salon. Adem brings a strong sense of family values to his father's business. He now manages Make-up by Armando as well as contributing to the site's Beauty Advice, answering make-up and skin care questions and writing the monthly newsletter, pulling from his experience to offer his skills and knowledge to the Internet audience.