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 Giving beautiful
names with vague meaning to products is quite common in cosmetics industry. However,
the name is essential for the success of a product, as properly selected name is
beneficial both for manufacturers and customers: the former enjoy quick profits
and the latter benefit from high quality and attractive design. Emerging brands
are well aware of this tendency and in order to compete with mammoth labels
invent most seductive names and characteristics for their products to attract
gullible customers who easily fall for vague terms such as «organic», «natural»,
«hypoallergenic», «premium», «high-end», «deluxe» and «luxury» cosmetics. This
is easy to declare, but hard to come up to the name, since it takes a lot to be
classified as «luxury cosmetics».
When
speaking of luxury cosmetics, the recipe for success includes several
ingredients which can not be removed or substituted. Despite high price which
is often a reflection of the ingredients' value, the final product always
enjoys high popularity. Because the effectiveness of a product differs from
individual to individual, it is easier to examine the ingredients and
concentration of active ingredients than to compare which brand is better.
Expensive products don't always have better ingredients; even some very
luxurious products contain cheap petroleum-derived ingredients. In recent
years, many companies formulate their products without petroleum-derived
ingredients to be more environmentally friendly and safer on sensitive skin.
When
selecting a product, always check the list of ingredients. The concentration of
the ingredients are listed in that order, so the ingredients that are listed
first are the more active ingredients, while the ones listed last are the least
active in the product. If you see mostly chemical fillers and water at the top
of the ingredient list, the product is likely not to be very concentrated.
Conversely, if you see many active ingredients at the top of the list, the
product is likely to be more concentrated.
However,
luxury cosmetics should not be confused with professional treatment products
used in beauty parlors for specific beauty-fixes. Comparing «luxury» and pro cosmetics
is the same as comparing green and soft. The principal difference between them
is in their purpose: pro cosmetics is designed to quickly fix specific beauty
problems, while luxury cosmetics is intended for daily care and its lasting
effect is partly ensured by high price and famous name on the tube or pot.
Professional
products are cosmeceutical products with drug-like benefits; their
effectiveness are often felt and seen in a much shorter period of time due to
the high concentration of active ingredients. However, in terms of fame, these
are probably not as well known as most of the luxury products, due to the fact
that professional products are not as widely advertised and sold mostly at
professional salons and spas, which cater to a more specific clientele, the
kind that can afford such treatment products or real beauty junkies who are in
the know. Professional products are more results-oriented and their reputation
depends upon the word of mouth of elite users. Examples of professional brands
include Dermalogica, Yonka, Ingrid Millet, Jane Iredale, Maria Galland and
Aromatherapy Associates.
However, sometimes
there are legitimate reasons for the high retail prices of certain products.
Some ingredients are scarce and precious, driving the production costs high;
some are purely for commercial reasons, such as international patents. Patents
are not easy to obtain and are extremely costly and time consuming to apply
for, and once the patent (especially at the international level) is obtained,
it gives the company a sense of prestige. Also, there are huge research and
development costs behind the development of a patented ingredient. Combined
with the high cost of advertising, the company is free to set the prices of its
patented products (or products made with its patented ingredients).
It's up to
you whether to choose luxury, professional or mass-market cosmetic products.
It's the matter of your taste, needs and money. But if you go for luxury
cosmetics you won't be able to go back to your previous choice as it's very
hard to resist the magic names such as Yves Saint Laurent, Lancome, Chanel,
Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Helena Rubinstein, Guerlain, and Clarins to mention a
few.
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