Bestselling: Blush Prices

We're going to get into pricing a little bit. Starting out with Blush and moving on to Foundation. We'll be working with prices from the Bestsellers list, from Sephora.com and Ulta.com. Both store/websites sell a lot of the same products but as you well know Sephora doesn't sell any of the lower priced products. It only sells high-end goods or should I say high priced goods. Just because it costs more doesn't always mean that it is actually of higher quality. All it means is it costs more. Sometimes, higher prices are associated with better quality goods. We'll delve into that on every account during our look into pricing. You'll see high and lower priced goods on both Bestsellers lists.


We're going to jump into Ulta's Bestselling Top 10 blushes, to begin with. I'll list them below. The Top 10 bestselling blushes on Ulta.com has 1 blush at #10 and another at #11 that belong to Ulta, that is why I listed 23 instead of only the top 20. I do not consider that a companies own blush on the list to be truly accurate but I didn't want to leave them out altogether. As I did my research I noticed that both stores had products in either the Top 10 or Top 20 of both lists. It is their site and store, I figured that was probably a fabrication. Maybe not wholly but in some part. Anyway, as you can see there are 8 out of 10 blushes that range from $19.00-$38.00, then the price drops drastically to $5.99. The lowest price blush on the list is NYX's blush and when I did the research it was in spot #7, now it seems to be in spot #9. I am assuming, from what I've researched, that lists are constantly being updated on a day to day basis dependent on sales. So when you go to look at these lists you'll see some variation from mine but for the most part the Top 10 remained part of the Top 10, just in a different slot, for the time being. The most expensive blush on the list is actually a palette. It consists of 6 different shades that can be used in a multitude of ways; contouring, rouge, highlight, and etc. So it's a pretty good deal, considering, that the next most expensive items on the list are $30.00 Urban Decay's NAKED Flush, consisting of a bronzer, highlighter, and blush and Too Faced Sweethearts Trio, 2 blushes and a highlighter or a perfect blend of all three to make 1. Still, anything on the list $30.00 and over consists of 1 or more shades to be used as you please. 

Ulta Top 10 Blushes- prices vary from $5.99 to $38 

1. Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush- $30.00
2. bareMinerals bareMinerals Blush- $19.00
3. Urban Decay NAKED Flushed- $30.00
4. Benefit Cosmetics Hoola- $28.00
5. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush- $26.00
6. Japonesque Color Velvet Touch- $22.00
7. bareMinerals Ready Blush- $22.00
8. IT Cosmetics My Sculpted Face- $38.00
9. NYX Powder Blush- $5.99 
10. Ulta Cheek Color- $7.00
11. Ulta Mineral Blush- I$12.00 
12. Maybelline Master Hi-Lite- $9.99 
13. Benefit Cosmetics Rockateur- $28.00
14. Benefit Cosmetics Benetint- $30.00
15. Maybelline Dream Bouncy- $7.99
16. NYX Baked Blush- $6.99
17. Benefit Cosmetics CoralLista- $28.00
18. Ulta Extreme Wear Mousse- $8.00
19. Tarte Cheek Stain- $30.00
20. Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion- $28.00
21. NYX Cream Blush- $5.99-$6.99
22. Maybelline Master Glaze Glistening Stick- $8.99
23. IT Cosmetics Vitality Cheek Stain- $24.00 

Now, we'll discuss the bestselling Top 11-20, listed above in red. As you can see the only drugstore brand that makes it on to the list is Maybelline. They have a total of 3 blushes, if you don't count Ulta's because its their site, 1 in the top 10 and 2 more in 11-20. They didn't win by 1, though, Benefit Cosmetics has 4 total blushes on the list. Most of the ones by BC on the list are blushes in-a-box, except Benetint. That is the most expensive of the 11-20 and doubles as liquid blush and lip tint. Starting to see a pattern here? Anything $30+ on the Top 20 list has 1 or more shades or doubles as two products. If you scroll passed the Top 20 you'll see that Benefit has 4 bestselling blushes in the top 30. It's probably a pretty good "guess" buy if you're unsure and want something on the higher end. If you want something on the lower end or you just want to pop into the drugstore, go Maybelline. 

Number 1, Bestselling, Blush by Too Faced.

Winner, Benefit Cosmetics, has the most items on the Top20 list (pictured "in-a-box" blush).

OK. We've done Ulta's bestselling blushes and are going to head straight into Sephora's. Since, they sell a lot of the same items but not all of the same items we are only going to take a look at Sephora's Top 13. That will give us the most accurate comparison. We'll take into account that the other 7 would probably be a mix of lower priced items, if they sold them.  The bestselling Top 10 range in prices from $18.00 - $42.00. AS you can see NARS is all over the list. Ulta doesn't sell NARS but if it did I am sure that it would have a few of NARS' items in the Top 10. Prices on the items that match Ulta's are the same. We see a lot of the same items in the Top 13/20 list but what surprised me most was that the #1 bestseller from Ulta is nowhere to be found in Sephora's Top 13 or, scrolling down, their Top 20. Items in their Top 10 over $35.00 are all multiple use items, with two exceptions at a lower price, Benefit Benetint and Josie Maran Aragan Infinity. Between the two stores the highest priced bestselling items are all multiple use items. It seems to me that if we're spending the money we want it to be useful in more than 1 way. All of the Top 10 from Ulta, that are sold at Sephora, except Too Faced made it on the Sephora Top list. The bestsellers are fairly universal and range highly in prices.

Bestselling Blushes @ Sephora: range of $18.00 - $49.00

1. NARS Blush- $30.00
2. Hourglass Ambient Lighting- $35.00
3. NARS The Multiple- $39.00
4. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour- $26.00
5. Urban Decay NAKED Flushed- $30.00
6. NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo- $42.00
7. YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Lips & Cheeks- $40.00
8. Benefit Cosmetics Benetint- $30.00
9. Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle- $27.00
10. Josie Mara Aragan Infinity Lip & Cheek- $18.00
11. NARS The NARSissist Cheek Kit- $49.00
12. bareMinerals bareMinerals Blush- $19.00
13. Tarte Cheek Stain- $30.00

Lowest priced, Bestseller @ Sephora, and multipurpose- Josie Mara Aragan Infinity.

Number 1 bestseller, @ Sephora, at a mid-level price. Nars Blush.

Practical Magic or Impractical Waste

I post my hypothesis entries to see what kind of interest I get in them before moving forward with the series. It didn't seem like everyone was interested in packaging, dispensers, and boxes, like I am. I think the big companies are more interested in what their packaging does for us then readers would be. At least, in the form I was purposing.  So we aren't going to do a series on it. We're just going to do an entry on practicality, waste, and best product dispensers then move on to pricing. That is something I know consumers are interested in; after you pick the package up you turn it over and look for the price. If it isn't there you look around on the display. So we'll be talking about price point, in depth. This is something that I think we'll require some real time and research so I'll enter my post on dispenser practicality or impracticality, then my hypothesis on pricing and we'll get into it a little bit by Wednesday. The new idea portion of the series will have to do with Bestsellers lists. I noticed that they jump from between $35-$40 to $8. Where is the mid-priced non-drugstore higher end brand? Is there one? We'll find out soon enough. 

So packaging. It is one of my favorite things about make-up. I love the look and feel of it all (well the ones I like) but I do have to say that if a dispenser doesn't work for me, if it isn't simple enough or releases way to much product in one go I won't repurchase it. Even if I like the contents; pump, swipe, whatever. If I absolutely love the color, like a foundation color, then I may figure out how to transfer the contents into a dispenser I like better, if transferring doesn't waste most of the product. Foundations are really hard to find in my perfect shade, though. Other than coverage I won't usually go through the trouble. Most of our foray into dispenser will be liquid. Powder products are all dispensed in 2 forms; press and loose. You choose the brush (brushes will be a whole different series). Liquids on the other hand are packaged and dispensed in many different forms; tons of bottles of all shapes and sizes, click pens, upside down flat tops, sprays, and etc. 

We're going to start with click pens because I love and hate them. I love the way they make it so easy to apply products like Bare Minerals Well-Rested, where no matter what the type of dispenser is you're applying the product, or trying, in neat lines around the face. The click pen makes drawing those lines really easy. It makes applying gloss to lips a little more difficult. I always feel like click pens just don't work for lips. Tons of liquid-creamy lip products come in the clickable applicators but they come out thick and the lips are just not long enough to really smooth out the amount dispensed, unless you use your finger. Product gets wasted. Even though you technically need less product for your lips the clickable applicators, for lips, always run out quicker than a concealer, let's say. My concealer or highlight always looks better when I apply with one of the built-in brush/product combos (some don't click).

Click/Built-in Applicator Concealers- 

• Bare Minerals- Well-Rested Face and Eye Brightener 
• Maybelline- Instant Age Rewind Eraser 
• Maybelline- Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer
• CK One- 3-in-1 Concealer
• Lorac- Touch-up to Go Concealer  

Note- Some believe the sponge, on Instant Age Rewind, would be better replaced with a brush. They find the sponge to be dirty and a little wasteful but the product does apply smooth, evenly, and easily. It is a bestseller amongst drugstore concealers and a favorite of many make-up artists. 

Built-in Applicator

Wand Applicator

Click Applicator

 I added wand applicators in because they are part of the whole package and the wand is built in to the lid but they aren't on the same level with true built-in's and click applicators. They do not  give you the precision of either. I always find myself taking a small concealer brush and grabbing some product off of the wand. Now, that's not all wands. I think wands are very nice when it comes to lips. They spread the product out smoothly and lightly as long as you scrape the extra off on the edge before applying. 

Now, Bottles. Their are tons of them. I don't like the ones that are true bottles cap and circular opening, to pour. If your foundation comes in a bottle it should have a pump top dispenser or an eye-drop top dispenser with a firm form, so as not to over squeeze. The upside down varieties are usually a ticker consistency so they don't come pouring out when opened. They tend to have a less distinct dropper dispensing format; one short squeeze equals a drop. One long squeeze equals a line or about 3 drops. Less precise than a true dropper or pump but much, much more precise than a liquid pourer or True bottle. True bottled foundation ends up getting wasted. You pour out too little the first time and too much when you need more or you pour out an enormous amount to begin with. Its never precise, never the same. I like knowing what my face needs; one pump or two, 2 drops or 4. Whatever it may be I like to know so that I can reduce that for lighter coverage or increase for fuller coverage. I want to control it and I definitely don't want to waste product. It is not cheap. 
 

Pump dispenser.

Circular pour out dispenser.

 

Upside down squeeze dispenser. Less precise dropper, situation.

Pump and Drop Liquid Foundations- 

• MAC- varying lines in both pump and dropper form
• Giorgio Armani- varying lines in pump form
• Philosophy- Miracle Worker 
• Benefit- Hello Flawless
• Bare Minerals- BareSKIN
• IT Cosmetics- Ultra Repair 
• Lorac- POREfection 
• Revlon- Photo Ready Makeup

  Sticks and all the rest are pretty self explanatory. As long as you blend you'll always get a nice even application. We'll be moving on to pricing next. Enjoy this beautiful day!!!

Clarification: Blusher

OK- so I want to clarify some things. After posting my last entry I got to thinking and felt like I left some things totally unclear. I am not promoting Maybelline's line of blushes over NYX or Urban Decay based on anything but is what you see what you get? They were only the winner because the names for each of their shades was clear and represented properly. We are starting at the bottom. Getting the low-down on cosmetic companies. Maybelline is not better in anything else amongst the 3 except in naming convention alone. I only asked that they put their full line out for those of you that know absolutely nothing about blusher except what the packaging tells you and so that I can test them for quality in the future. 

I'll continue my in depth look into naming conventions in a entry to be posted later today. I just wanted to clarify the above as soon as possible. We'll be looking into lip products next; NYX, ELF, and Tarte. 

Misleading Names: Blusher

Let's continue our foray into naming conventions for blush, blusher, or rouge.

I delved into 3 brands blush products today and did a few hours of research on how many types, the names, descriptions they provide, and if the information was provided on their packaging.

The first company I looked into was Urban Decay. Their Naked products are so popular I assumed they would have a few "Naked" blushes. They didn't. They had one contour combo with a description but not on the packaging, online only. That's really all there is to say...next.

The second company I delved into was NYX. This was the most interesting research of the day. NYX not only had the cutesy names they had in-depth descriptions of each color, on each of their 7 types of blushers and 1 palette; these included tone, undertone, and shimmer or sheen, if any. The only problem is they do not include this on their packaging and some of the names were extremely misleading. Their HD Studio Photogenic blush has a "Georgia Peach" that is a light soft pink, not a peach. I thought maybe peach is technically a "light soft pink," it definitely isn't a primary color but they don't use "light soft pink" as the description for their truly peach blushes.

NYX Truly Peach Blushes: PB= Powder Blush, HDGB= HD Grinder Blush, BBL= Baked Blush, and SB= Stick Blush.  

• AMERICAN GIRL (HDGB05)- Soft peach
• SUGAR MAMA (BBL12)- Soft peach
• WANDERLUST (BBL06)- Iridescent peach
• PEACHY (MPB04)- Golden peach
• Orchid- Peachy-pink with gold sheen
• Tickled- Shimmery peach pink
• APRICOT (PB32)- Pink peach with gold shimmer

NYX Misleading Named Blushers (a few, not all):

• PEACH (PB06)- Matte baby pink
• TERRA COTTA (PB12)- Shimmery rosegold
• MOCHA (PB01)- Matte mid-tone pink
• GEORGIA PEACH (HDGB01)- Soft light pink
• APRICOT (HDGB02)- Plum-pink
• HIBISCUS (SB03)- deep beige pink

PB32

"APRICOT"

HDGB02

"Apricot" is used both correctly and incorrectly. When I think of Apricots I think of peachy-pink like the first image. Since the second one is called "Apricot" and it comes in a different format I would assume that when I applied it it would appear as Apricot, on my skin, that the powder consistency just makes it look pinker. So I would buy it and be disappointed, highly disappointed and left feeling mislead. NYX's powder blush in this color is a correct representation, on the other hand, their HDG blush in plum-pink, is not. The description provided on the full website, only, makes that clear. If you have an iPhone/Smartphone you have to go to NYXCosmetics.com, in the store as your browsing, and click on Full Site, to get color descriptions. The mobile site does not provide any description of color and if you don't know that you need to look you'll most likely end up with a different color than you thought most times (I'll list NYX's colors and descriptions, by type, in a separate post for your convenience.)

Last but not least I took a look at Maybelline's line of blushes. They list 5 types, one is a very soft peach almost beige skin-toned highlighter, in stick, cream, powder, and mosaic form. All of their blushes, no matter what form, come in the same 5 color schemes; nude, rose, pink, mauve, and coral. The only exception to this is their Dream Bouncy blush this comes in a combo gel/powder texture in 10 colors all named with a color or indication of color. The packaging, again, does not list the description but they don't really need to; the name and look say it all. Maybelline is true to their conventions. The only thing about this that I found disheartening was that I have never, not ever, seen their full line of blushes in stores, any store. Their Fit Me blush comes in the 5 based colors mentioned but in light, medium, and deep; making 15 Fit Me blushes, altogether. Have you ever seen all 15 in any store? I haven't. Their Dream Bouncy brand is the only blush I've seen their full line, in stores. Disappointing considering that after all my research I would buy Maybelline over NYX if I didn't have my iPhone on me and I wanted to trust the name and color listed or just not have to go through the trouble of going to the full website to get the information I need as a consumer.

Our winner for the day, by a landslide, is Maybelline and their 4 blush types in 5 base colors!!!!!! MAYBELLINE PUT THE FULL LINE IN STORES, PLEASE!