When I saw this on the news last night it caught my interest immediately. Not because I wear a lot of make up because I wear almost none but I knew there would be a twist. Paul asked me what store I thought would be the cheapest and I said Walmart right away but said “since it’s expected to be Walmart, it will probably be one that we don’t expect it to be.”
Here it is broken down.
Ulta came in at $41.25
Walgreens was $40.71
Target was $38.89
Walmart’s price was $38.26
The difference between the highest and lowest was more than $8 for the same items.
Eight bucks is a lot I think but then it said it varied from store to store and not all Walmart’s have the same prices but they will always meet competitors prices.
So it made me wonder. How much make up do you wear? Do you buy it all at the same time every few months or just when you need it or when it’s on sale? I stock up just because I only wear a base powder and when I find what I like, I buy a gob and I’ll buy 2 mascaras at the same time but I hardly ever wear it. Almost never so mine goes bad before I ever run out.
But it’s not even just make up. It’s all the pharmacy or toiletry items that really vary from store to store. Even deodorant, tooth paste to all the anti itch and neosporin creams we buy. They are as must more as $2 a tube at Target than Walmart.
I buy it almost all of ours at Walmart or Target but Target’s prices, in Buffalo, are much higher on make up and pharmacy items. Even band aids.
Where do you buy your make up and toiletries?
Us Girls..Our Views 
I buy everything from Walmart. Just because that’s where we shop. I don’t stock up, because it is expensive. Way too expensive!! Can’t believe how much that stuff is…. So I just buy whenever I run out.
I used to shop at Wal-Mart, because I had been advised that it was the most reasonable. Now it’s too much of a hassle to go there much – it’s out of the way and I have to take my kids when I go, so it’s a production. There is a Walgreens across from my kids’ school, so that’s where I go when I’m running out of something. There are a few things I buy at my organic grocery store as well.
I don’t buy make-up, but I do spend a bit on acne products. Other than that, it’s just bare basics – bath soap, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste/rinse, moisturizer. Aveeno, Suave, Toms, and generic. I only buy what I need, when I need it, and I use it sparingly, so I don’t worry about the cost difference. If anything, I might be saving money, considering the gas prices nowadays.
I dislike Target for several reasons, one of them being the higher prices. There is only one product (not a cosmetic) that I have bought at Target because nobody else had it. We have a CVS nearby, but I haven’t been there since Walgreens opened. Ulta is not a place I would shop.
We don’t have Ulta’s here. I’m not sure what kind of store that is. I love Walgreen’s. I can wander in there for hours.
I only buy at Walmart. Very rarely do I even go to Target. It’s crazy how expensive that place is, compared to Walmart. I only buy make-up when I need it. Most days, I don’t wear any so it lasts a long time. I buy all my personal hygiene products at Walmart.
I got a flyer for Family Dollar in the mail the other day. Most of the stuff was more expensive than Walmart! It’s supposed me a cheap store! What the heck??? Some of their products like Cover Girl foundation was 50 cents more. That all adds up.
You have to be careful of Dollar stores, I’ve heard, with stuff like toothpaste. Apparently they get ‘knock off’ stuff, or ship it in from China or something, so Crest is still Crest, except it’s got weird stuff in it that’s ok in China but not here. Wish I could remember where I heard that…
Well that is good to know!!!
I’ve found that with dollar stores too. I’ve also found that they carry things Walmart and Target don’t such as I once found a Cherry Secret gel deodorant and loved the smell and I tried finding it everywhere else because I liked it so much and it had been taken off the market a LONG time ago. It almost makes me wonder where all that stuff sits waiting to be sold. It wasn’t cheap either. It was $3 something. I never did find more of it. When I got back to that dollar store it wasn’t there anymore.
Have you been to the Dollar store next door to WM? That is a real $1 store!!! The one downtown is joke.
No but my mom has an appt next Tues with her oncologist in Monti and I’d like to stop there. I LOVE to wander those stores.
I took her in there yesterday. She didn’t buy anything but she liked it. It’s pretty big. I like to wander through there, and Lilly can always get a treat or prize (since she’s always good) and it costs me a buck or two. Very convenient location too.
I use both ends of the spectrum. My face wash and moisturizer (2 kinds) comes from Clinique. I have a mild case of Rosacea, and they have a “red calmer” that just rocks. They also have a cream that helps with brown spots, and I have two on my face, so I get that stuff from there. It’s wicked expensive, and when I’m running low, I’m obsessing over the Clinique website for deals – usually the best I can do is free shipping, but sometimes they have free samples of other stuff that I use, so I consider it the best I can do.
I’ve found ‘regular’ brands (Cover Girl, Maybelline) of mascara and eyeliner that I use, and those I get at Walmart. That’s my go-to makeup. Almost every day (except days that I’m doing nuthin but dirty stuff around the house). I’m also obsessive about lip balm, and will only use Burt’s Bees Honey-Beeswax balm. That lasts forever, though, so when I run out, I don’t mind spending a few bucks to get a refill (I have so many tubes, I can go six months or more without replacing).
Foundation comes from Clinique, as well, because I know it works and won’t irritate the Rosacea. I don’t wear it much – only when I’m dressed up, so it lasts forever. Eye shadow, lipstick, blusher… these mostly come from WM, unless I get freebies from Clinique.
Deodorant, shower gel (can’t use soap – too drying), moisturizer (Aveeno), shampoo, toothpaste – these generally come from WM, as well, although I’ve been known to splurge on shampoo/conditioner. My hair products – an ‘uplifting foam’ and hairspray – are fancy because my hair is baby fine, and difficult to manage otherwise. But I found a place in Waterloo that has great prices and a punch card (fill it and you get $5 off next purchase – and they often apply it to your current purchase AND give you more punches to start your next card), so it helps. And I only stock up on that stuff when I’m in WLoo for something else, so I dont’ worry about gas.
And I totally LOVE Target, so I avoid it like the plague. I spend WAY too much every time I go there. I really wish they’d open one here in town. I’m getting really sick of the cheap quality of the rest of WM’s stuff.
I have a brown spot on the tip of my nose, what is the product you use for that Laura? Does it work?
I use the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector. (they should really shorten these names!) I use it directly on my two spots, and also on my redness. It’s worked like crazy for the dark spots. For my redness, which is mostly on my cheeks, but I also get some up my nose and my forehead between my eyes, I use Redness Solutions (that’s a link to the kit. They sell each individually, too, which is what I buy). There are three steps – the cleanser, moisturizer, and the primer – a green paste that is used under foundation to neutralize the red. I don’t use the primer much. But the other stuff works like crazy, and doesn’t burn like I’ve had other cleansers (mostly) and moisturizers do.
I use both ends of the spectrum too. I don’t skimp AT ALL with my hair products. Without getting too into it now, this was a question the other night and I have a post about it coming….but…I buy mostly salon hair products.
I use St. Ives hand lotion as well as their moisturizer. I’ve tried expensive face creams and stuff but they make me turn bright red and break out. My face is allergic to EVERYTHING! I found something in a cheap St. Ives so I’m sticking to it.
I use Cover Girl mascara and their eye shadow when I buy that. My face powder varies. My favorite is the Cover Girl but they discontinued my shade! WHY DO THEY DO THAT????? My skin is very dark but dark powder tends to look orange so I struggle. I’ve tried Clinique but it’s so hard to pick a shade online. The one I did order was way too light and not worth to send back so I was stuck with it. I’ve tried a L’Oreal powder and found that was okay too but I’m still searching for my next favorite shade.
I do buy the cheapest fingernail polish I can find. I only really use it in the summer for my toenails and I won’t pay a lot for nail polish. I also paint them purple during football season but don’t tell anyone!!!