The first high end beauty product I ever bought
March Beauty Favorites
I was browsing the Benefit area at Sephora the other day and my eye caught a little tube called Ooh La Lift. I was suddenly transported back to my bedroom at my parents house. I remember exactly where I sat, it was on the floor in front of a huge mirror propped against my wall, and I opened up 2 beauty products that I had ordered online.
Ordering things online was a new concept, and I’m pretty sure it took weeks for the products to actually arive. It was either actual weeks, or just the feeling of weeks because I was so excited to try out these products that I had spent a lot of money on.
It was the first time I bought something from someplace other than a drugstore or Ulta.
I loved experimenting with it. I was in high school, and already really into hair and makeup at this point, so these special hard-to-get-your-hands-on products were thrilling.
I used Ohh La Lift up until it was completely empty, and I can’t even remember if I repurchased it at that point. If I know myself at all, it’s more than likely that I bought something different to try when I was looking to buy something else.
Do you remember the first “fancy” beauty product you ever bought?
PS. It’s officially spring! For an easy spring look, check out my 5 minute makeup routine and this beautiful golden makeup tutorial!
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I remember at age 16 I purchased Beautiful by Estée Lauder! It became my favorite, and even after all these years (I’m 41) I still reach for it almost daily! Great post ❤️
My first fancy beauty product was the dandelion blush by Benefit 🙂 My aunt took me to Sephora for the first time (I’d never even heads of it!) while I was visiting her for the weekend. It was then that the obsession began….haha
Oh goodness, yes! I first ventured into the whole Merle Norman craze. Remember that one? So fun to think about.
Oh my! That brings back memories!
I think my first “luxury” purchase was Ooh La La Lift as well!!
Oh my gosh. This is so fun. When I was just getting in to makeup, all the talk was translucent powder to set your look. So I researched liked crazy and ended up buying one from Sephora. It was so exciting- all for translucent powder. 🙂
My first “expensive” purchase was some Hard Candy nail polish from Sephora. I bought it in California at Downtown Disney when I was there on vacation and browsed the store. I had always wanted some Hard Candy nail polish! That actually started my Sephora obsession!
MAC lipstick and the color was “O”. I was 24 and on a date. I had told him, prior to our date, during one of those marathon getting-to-know each other phone calls how I never worn lipstick because I couldn’t find one that I thought looked right on me. So, as part of our first date, he took me to the MAC counter at Nordstrom and waited patiently while the sales women found the perfect shade. 18 years later, it’s still my go-to brand and color.
What about the guy is he still around 18 years later?
I want to know about the guy too 😀
Ditto, what about the guy? How sweet that he did that for you!
We were married 3 years later.
Sadly, he used this move on a several other ladies so…yeah, no longer married. But its still a very sweet memory for me. ?
Thanks for sharing your story with us 🙂
Good question!
I remember my first higher end makeup I bought on a whim. I believe, I was about 15 years old. Philip Pelusi hair salon was having one of their beauty days where they had a booth set up that displayed their makeup that you could purchase. I honestly don’t remember the brand. . And it was this lip gloss that came in a short fat…triangular tube..the color was a pretty pink I believe it may have been called “baby lips.” It cost about $14.00 dollars. I loved it even thought it made my lips ultra sticky!!!!!
lol you don’t even tell us what the product is, just it’s name….
Or what she liked about it..or how she used it. I had to look it up to see what it was.
I grew up in a tiny, tiny town where the cosmetics shopping options were Dollar General or Bi-Wize Pharmacy. Not a wide selection–mostly Wet ‘n Wild. In college, I started reading makeupandbeautyblog.com and Karen inspired my first high-end purchase of the Too Faced Natural palette. The obsession grew from there.
A friend of mine had recently visited the MAC store and I discovered that her lipglass made her lips look amazing… so I ventured out to the new, big mall and bought some! Hooked for sure. Of course, I had lots of Estee Lauder freebies that my grandmother used to give me, but I splurged on the lipglass… and I loved it!
I remember when I discovered MAC, which was the first not drugstore brand I ever used and I was obsessed! I still opt for mostly drugstore – but for staples like foundation I love finding new brands. Great post!
Kim
http://bit.ly/1RzSRCa .. Let’s get some ROMPERS!
When I was young Tommy Girl perfume was huge! I was so excited the day when I bought myself a small bottle! I felt so trendy and grown up! =P
Origins foundation! I still love using that stuff every now and then when I want a good, reliable foundation.
Also, bought Burt Bee’s Fuscia Flood yesterday…LOVE. It’s perfect.
I think mine was Benefit’s “High Beam” and I used a gift card for it (since I figured now was the time to splurge- with a gift card!)
Clinique lip gloss in a pot at Foley’s department store. Even got one of their cute gift with purchase bags. Such a fun post! Thanks!
The first make-up product I ever bought were these roll on eyeshadows. Of course in all the understated colors such as seafoam blue, purple, navy blue, etc. haha. The first high end product I ever bought was Benefit’s high bean. Loved that stuff!!
I only use Arbonne for my makeup products. Usually my moms gives them to me because she wants me to use them, she has extras, or it’s a Christmas present! I think the first thing I bought with my own money was foundation. It wasn’t super exciting though because it’s not like I used other foundation ever… more lame because I was having to spend my own money on it, ha!
Mine was Clinique Black Honey.. So popular and still amazing. And I think I got a Clinique pressed powder that day too. I felt so chic at the counter haha
I think my first big make-up purchase was Aveda Foundation. I remember it had a wand on the inside of the lid. All my friends were fascinated by this little wand in the lid. lol
The first higher-end product I got was a Mac lipstick. I was so excited and used it up to the very end!
Evelina @ Fortunate House
Dior mascara!!! I won a gift card to Sephora and blew it all on one tube of mascara lol!
Bareminerals makeup was my first purchase. Well, I convinced my mom to buy it after my dermatologist told me it was a good product to use for acne-prone skin! 10 years later and still have acne-prone skin, but am now using Boscia BB creme!
Clinique foundation in 6th grade! I had bad acne as a preteen/teenager and felt like if I caked on enough high end foundation then maybe no one would notice. I’m sure everyone noticed that I looked like a mime, however!
Naked 2 Basics was my first big purchase at the age of thirty. I love it so much and have added a little Tarte Showstopper and Lorac PRO Matte soon after!
First high end beauty product I personally purchased was the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. My sister bought me the BareMinerals original foundation before that.
Kiehls!! I was obsessed with skincare for some reason. I still love the brand today.
Mel | http://www.thegossipdarling.com
Clinque!! my first high school job I bought something so I could get the “free gift” with purchase.
I can’t remember the first “fancy” item I purchased but it was definitely at the Benefit counter in Macy’s! It looked the most fun & inviting when browsing all the “grown up” counters. I know some of my first products were the Hoola bronzer, Dr. Feelgood mattifying balm, Georgia Peach powder, Boing concealer, & Bathina body balm! I still love a lot of their products and their counter still looks like they are having the most fun 🙂
I believe my first high-end purchase was Lancome’s lipstick in Rose Lame. It was my first ever lipstick color and I loved it! I was 22! I didnt even wear any other makeup, just lipstick. I soon ventured out to wear Lancome’s Sugar Maple. Then I tried MAC… I’m 44 now.
I still have my Lancome Rose Lame lipstick. I bought it in the early 2000s. Still going strong in 2017 🙂 I also still have my oldest lipstick from 1988. A Glemby frosted pink color. I wore it yesterday. Still smells and tastes wonderful 🙂 I own over 300 lippies 🙂
Does anyone else remember when Benefit was a catalog based company? My first high-end product was Benefit Benetint and High Beam. I ordered them by calling the company (which I believe was based in San Francisco) and ordering over the phone. I think this would have been in 1997/98. I also remember buying red lipstick from Urban Decay around this same time because I heard it was one of Gwen Stefani’s favorite brands. This was also ordered over the phone from a catalog.
Yes! They had the cutest catalogs, but I don’t think we ever ordered anything. I also remember getting a few Sephora catalogs back then too.
My very first trip to Sephora was before there was one anywhere near where I live and my family and I were on vacation in Florida. So I find out there is a Sephora at a mall near our hotel. I BEG my dad to take me. So after some convincing, he takes me to the mall so I can set foot in my first Sephora (I was about 14).
The lady there does my makeup for me and I feel like a superstar. My dad being the sweetie that he is tells me he will buy me two things out of the products she used on me. The ones I ended up picking were Stila Convertible Color in Poppy and Hard Candy Eye Shadow Quad in Old Skool. It was the beginning of an obsession!
I don’t remember my first purchase, but I do remember in high school my mom gave me her Clinique Gift with Purchase — I treasured those little samples so much.
-Meg
http://www.smalltownsisters.blogspot.com
Cargo San Fran lipgloss… I bought from Sephora online. I liked Clinique as my first higher end brand though. Black Honey lipstick was the stuff!
My first time in a Sephora store was so amazing… I thought it was heaven on earth lol!
Mine was Too Faced shadow insurance. I was either in high school or had just started college. I still love it so much!
I had to be like 19 – I was in college – and we went to the MAC store to buy a lipstick and a lipgloss for a college party I was going to. Still remember it was Viva Glam with a gold lipglass. Still have the lipstick case.
Ok, get ready. I was on a trip to Paris with my best friend and we went into the very first Sephora! We couldn’t get over it, a whole store full of just makeup! Bonkers! I bought a Gianni Versace lipstick in the most beautiful tube and some eyeliner. I had that lipstick for years, couldn’t throw it away even when it was empty!
Mine was a MAC eyeshadow that I bought from a blogsale! And then a few years later MAC’s MSF and after reading this you’ve reminded me about how much I loved my MAC MSF (because it was my first ‘new’ and expensive beauty buy!).
Emily // Beauty and Lifestyle Blog
xx
WOW the memories 🙂 I don’t quit remember but I know the first fancy product that I used was a lipstick by YSL that mom gifted to me (but it was MINE then right even if a gift?:)), I was in high school I believe and boy I loved it so much. What was the first I bought for myself? I am not really sure! I think it was Mac lipstick 🙂
I think that Revlon introduced Blush-on in the second half of 1963. It was $5. I don’t remember if the brush came with it, or was sold separately. This product rocked the
beauty world. Until then you could only buy a red rouge, which was too dramatic. I still have my blush-on brush, but the paint is cracking off the handle.