Skip to main content

Is there such a thing as Brand Loyalty and what creates it?

When I watch beauty Vlogs on YouTube or read a beauty blog I am always surprised by how many people brand hop.  When I first started wearing make-up as a child it was about what colour you liked - it was the 80's and I was around seven so blue eyeshadow made sense.   Once I hit my teens and my skin started breaking out and becoming more sensitive I tended to go for the products aimed at my age and skin type - Clearasil anyone? But then as I left school and all that baggage behind me I moved on to more luxury brands that matched my skin.

I remember experimenting with brands including Clinque and Dior which just didn't work for me, before settling on Lancome, which I used for around ten years.  Ten years is a long time to be loyal to a product and it wasn't just one product either.

I used the whole range, from skin car through makeup everything I had was Lancome - why?  Well at the time I started using it, being brand loyal was a bonus. Your skin care and makeup were tailored to work together.  The foundation would sit well with the moisturiser, it wouldn't slip off or dry your skin out and it wouldn't change colour half way through the day as it oxidised.

One of the things that kept me brand loyal were the advisors at the counter.   I got to know them really well and they took care of me in return.  They knew I would stick to their counter above all others so they would give me the nod if a sale was coming up or a new product, I'd get samples to try and make overs every few months to check my skin and skin care package matched and it worked for me for a long time.

Until like a lot of brands do the recipe and my skin both changed.

Now I was out in the cold, I couldn't use a go to product - brand loyalty had been great while it worked for me but now I had no idea what else was out there that would be good for my skin.

 If you read my makeup evolution post you get an idea of how my use of skin care and make up has progressed.


Anyway, the thing is I'm still pretty brand loyal where I can be - but the years have taught me to be more savvy about it.

Currently I'm using Clarins skin care and make up - however, I also experimented enough to know that Channel foundation is great on my skin and it works with the Clarins moisturiser I'm using.
Clarins is great and it works for me - well most of their products do, there are some which I just can't use.  The assistants at my preferred Clarins counter are great, they take their time with me, answer my questions allow me to try products and don't push me in to buying something I'm not ready for.  That keeps me going back because I've developed a trust in how they advise me and their sales technique.

I've been to other brands and other Clarins counter where its all about the sale, I had similar experiences over the years with Lancome and other brands, a sale is important but selling the wrong product to the customer might loose you sales in the future.

I'm currently happy with Clarins but as I've said there are somethings that just don't work on my skin, which gives me pause, I don't want to be in the same situation I was when I could no longer use Lancome so right now I'm experimenting looking for a brand that works and has a customer service policy I can feel comfortable with.

There's something to be said from being able to brand hop - in a way I wish I could, my wallet probably wouldn't appreciate it but my love of make up would.  There's also a lot to be said for being brand loyal and I'm sure brands prefer that kind of repeat customer.  But I think for me right now the best place to be is the middle ground.

At least then I know what is out there, what can work for me and gives me the opportunity to experiment with more than one look.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Get Ready With Me - Pamper Routine

Life is hectic, stressful and chaotic, it can play havoc with your skin, your health and your general wellbeing.  Sometimes you just have to say stop and take a little time for yourself to give your body a treat and recharge your batteries for the days/weeks ahead. After going through periods of stress and anxiety I found that taking some time to have a mini pamper session could lift my mood, help my skin and lower my stress levels.  I try at least once a week to give myself a mini pamper session to relax and refocus my mind. This is currently my pamper routine; As we move in to Spring I'm exfoliating my skin with Calcot Manor Body salts, this is refreshing my skin and leaving it feeling smooth after months of being hidden under long sleeves and jumpers. I apply to damp skin using a circular motion starting at the feet and working my way up. CALCOT MANOR SCRUB I then shower off the salts which do leave a bit of oil on the skin, I tend to follow up with Treacle Moon

Festive Reads - Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market

My second Festive Read, yes I know it's still technically September, was Heidi Swain's Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market.   Released in October 2016, this book is part of the Wynbridge series, in this story we are introduced to Ruby who has recently dropped out of university and is heading home to run a market stall for the Cherry Tree Cafe in order to save some money to go travelling. Her dad is not happy that his daughter whom he seems to want to live vicariously through is working as a market trader.  It soon turns out there maybe more to his concerns about her working on the market than it first seemed.  Not only is Ruby faced with dealing with her dad and his strange behaviour but she is working on the stall next to her childhood sweet heart who after three years she still hasn't got over.  Throwing herself in to making this the best Christmas market ever Ruby is determined to being back the community feeling and turn Wynbridge's Christmas mar

10 Things I Love about "It's Okay to Not be Okay"

It's Okay to not be Okay, started this past weekend on Netflix and TVN, produced by Studio Dragon, Story TV and Goldmedalist, it is a Romantic Drama a a whimsical fairy tale twist, staring Kim Soo Hyun in his first TV drama since returning from military service and Seo Ye Ji of Lawless Lawyer. This is a show I've been looking forward to since it was announced and I have to say the pre show hype did not disappoint. So two episodes in, here are the ten things I love about this show so far; 1.  Burton esq Whimsey The show begins with a Tim Burton esq animation, reminiscent of the Corpse Bride and Nightmare before Christmas, with a twisted tale to match.  The dark fairy tale and graphic characters of the animation are carried through in to the illustrations of Ko Moon-young's (Seo Ye Ji) children's books I love how the animation isn't dark which makes some of its darker themes all the more impactful. It also sets up Ko Moon-young as a character bea