Would I notice a difference if I bought expensive make up?

[frignorant]

Is there any noticeable difference between Avon/Rimmel and the more expensive brands?

I don't really wear much make up, mainly mascara and matt/primer stuff for day to day, and then adding eye shadow and lippy for a night out.

Since I don't buy make up on a regular basis, would it be a good idea to buy the more expensive brands? Is it worth the investment? If so, what key items would you recommend?

I'm a make up addict, and am guilty of buying cheap make up then regretting it. Avon eye shadows don't have much pigment in them at all IMHO, they don't last on my skin even with primer.

When I buy more expensive eyeshadow, I use less and it lasts longer. I'm love urban decay and recently bought a nude palette from bobbi brown. I'm a big fan of pale matt eyeshadow and big flicky eyeliner and really do find the better brands look nicer and last longer.

Plus, I'm very allergic to rimmel so I have to buy expensive stuff

Yes, there's a massive difference. Try dior and chanel, foundation/bb cream. I can actually see cheap make-up on someone.

Expensive make-up doesn't necessarily equal good make up IME, but most of the good make up I have does tend to be a bit more spendy. I mainly use MAC, Bobbi Brown and some Clinique, and this is because of:

• Staying power. I put my make-up on at around 6.45am, and it has to last for a good 12 hours. MAC foundation, Clinique primer, powder blusher and concealer and Bobbi Briwn cream eyeshadows do the trick pretty well for me. Having said that, I use No 7 loose powder which is really not bad, and I but whenever there is a 3 for 2, plus £5 voucher deal, which seems to mean I get 3 for around £15.

• Pigment. Eyeshadows and blushers (Bobbi Brown and Clinique) are really well pigmented, which means that I don't have to use too much. Having said that, I also use MUA black eyeshadow (£1 from Superdrug!) as eyeliner and that is brilliant and has as much pigment as my MAC eyeshadows.

• Colours. Not sure, but the nice, subtle, not too garish, flattering colours seem to be what I find when I shop at more expensive make up counters. I bought a an MUA lipgloss once that was just too pigmented and it just didn't work for me at all, not flattering and unwearable.

Some cheap stuff is indistinguishable from expensive stuff - I love superdrug's MUA stuff and the Rimmel 25 hour foundation that I blend with a foundation brush. If you don't wear makeup often you're better off sticking to cheap stuff as you have to throw it away after it's been open a certain amount of time. As you will be unlikely to use it up before it expires it will be wasteful to spend loads on it.

I also think that it depends on which brand, but yes, technically you should see a difference between of the formulation that they use. I would say that the brands which have always been a cosmetic brand would have a better formulation and standard in general. I am also not a great make-up buyer though either, but I do know I am a bit picky on the foundation side. Because it took me a long time to find the right blend. I now am a more "less is more" person. Just less items, but use often, and a bit better quality. In MN style, minimalistic!

Thanks for the replies.

The staying power is the thing that I'm looking for. I did wonder if it was something I was doing wrong that made my eye shadow disappear.

I've been toying with the idea of some flash balm (Clinique?) and some nude Chanel lipstick. I'm going shopping next week and will take a look around a few make up counters.

frignorant re: eyeshadow staying power. On these threads I seem to always bang on about Bobbi Brown metallic cream eyeshadows. But that's because it's totally brilliant - fab colours, uber easy to apply, stays put til I take it off with a waterproof eye make up remover. It is expensive, but I wear mine pretty much every day, and one lasts at least 8 months. Cannot recommend highly enough!