What is your Beauty Shopping Style?
If you have been following my blog closely, you would have seen an affinity towards a certain few cosmetic and skincare brands. I have even been asked by a few if Bobbi Brown, Forest Essentials and Kiehl’s are sponsoring my posts :) These comments and questions prompted me to write a post on my Beauty Shopping style – Am I a brand loyalist or a hopper? Am I a minimalist or a hoarder? Am I a conservative or an impulsive shopper?
I believe that I am more of a loyalist when it comes to shopping in general, not saying that I do not experiment. In fact the journey to being a loyalist takes a good number of experiments, reorders and a lot of time. I am not the one to try out every cult favorite. I buy what and when I need. I am quite impulsive though. If I see a product that catches my fancy, a label which reads right to me, I indulge. I am sure each one of us have our unique shopping styles. Here are four factors that determine my personal Beauty Shopping style.
Accessibility
My first introduction to most beauty brands happened while living in Dubai. Dubai is a retail heaven and the choices are incomparable. Back in India especially living in Bangalore, I find my options limited. Thanks to frequent travels to Dubai, I still get access to new launches as soon as they hit the stores. When it comes to Skincare, I prefer using natural products and they are widely available in India. What I mean by accessibility essentially is that there may be a wider range of brands and products available abroad, but the whole process of ordering and waiting for a few weeks before getting your hands on it is not really my cup of tea. Also, here is a confession from someone who has learnt from mistakes while shopping online for beauty products. I have seen swatches of lipsticks online and made some horrendous bloopers. Unless it is a reorder, I avoid buying Skincare and Makeup online. I choose brands that I have an easy access to.
Suitability
Just because it suits a million others doesn’t necessarily mean that it would suit me. That applies both to Skincare and Makeup. I always ask for samples of Skincare products before investing. There are certain world-renowned brands, which just doesn’t sit well with my skin. If there is one Beauty brand that gives me the best of both worlds - Makeup & Skincare, it is Bobbi Brown. I have been using her products for the last 10 years. The creamy base and the yellow, orange undertones in Bobbi Brown products suit my skin type and tone. When I find something that suits me, it’s a keeper.
Affordability
Affordability, I believe is a highly relative term. What I find affordable today was not affordable a few years back. Even today, I cringe if I have to spend more than INR 2500/- on a lipstick or INR 5000/- on a foundation. But I would rather spend INR 5000/- on something that I am satisfied with than spend INR 1000/- each on experimenting with quality.
Service
Service plays quite a big role in the brands that I stick to. Who doesn’t like smiling faces, pleasant greetings and the occasional calls from the store when new products hit the rack. I also admire artists and sales staff, who take the time and effort to understand your concerns and needs and suggest only the required products. Once, when Bobbi Brown launched a new type of foundation, I had visited the store to get my shade. I was pleasantly amazed when the artist advised me against the buy as she felt my skin type wouldn’t necessarily benefit from the formula. Now, that’s what I mean by service.
I hope that this helps you in figuring out your own Beauty Shopping style. I would love to know about your Beauty Shopping style. Do write in and stay Beautiful! xoxo
