Are you brand loyal?

pikachucheeks

Just something I've been thinking about lately!

Regarding your clothing or cosmetic purchases ... Do you have a sense of brand loyalty, or do you just buy whatever you've been recommended / your budget can afford / what's on special offer?

Personally, I've noticed that as I've "grown up", I've become more loyal to certain brands.
Mostly by trial and error! I'll test out a product or brand and if I like it, I'll continue to buy it / from them.

For make-up, I find myself always buying Mac or Benefit and when I'm slightly strapped for cash, Maybelline. I'd rarely buy outside those three brands.
However, I do have certain 'cult' products or novelty cheaper items in my make-up bag.

I'd be the same with skin care (facial) - rarely buy outside L'Oreal, Witch or Nivea. I just find they work, they smell nice and I'm happy enough to keep using them, rather than try something else.

How about you? Do you find yourself switching from brand to brand, or do you stick with just one / a small number of reliables?

I find the whole area pretty interesting, as companies spend a fortune, trying to appeal to its target audience and trying to keep that audience loyal to its products.

Novella

Hmm, I would say I am brand loyal to an extent.

I always use Carmex lip balm and have done for years. It's cheap, it doesn't come in pretty packaging or smell like flowers (or whatever!) or have any real 'oooh' effect but I love it and it works for me and I never change it up.

If I find something that works for me, I will stick with it. However, I am open to trying to new products of course.

I have only recently started dabbling in Lush products and have to say, I am in love. Will definitely be continuing to buy Lush shower gels and skin care.

Perfume wise, I am most definitely brand loyal. I've only worn one perfume in my life. Cerruti 1881. My mam was given a bottle as a present when I was about twelve and I just fell in love with it. Have bought it or been given it as a present ever since and when I don't wear it, I don't feel like myself!

I'm not fussy about things like shampoo, mascara, I just buy whatever is on special offer in Boots tbh! :rolleyes:

beauty101

Generally if I find something that works for me I'd be tempted to try other products within the range. My brands I stick with would be mac, nars + barry m...but i've been known to buy bits + bobs from other lines too.

As for skincare I'm very brand loyal cos most skincare products are formulated for use with other products in the range to make them more effective

Twee.

I'm definitely loyal when it comes to make up, certain brands for certain products - Mac, Benefit and Dior. I tried a cheaper mascara a while ago, ended up buying two mid range priced ones as I didn't like the first, so I may as well have just spent the 28 on Dior Blackout.
Clothes wise, I shop mostly in Topshop and Urban Outfitters, but I wouldn't call it loyalty, I just like their clothes and end up buying loads there, but it doesn't make me avoid other shops.

Stella777

I think the older I get the less brand loyal I am. When I was pre-teen, my clothes had to have "Esprit" or "Benetton" written on them (god, I'm dating myself here.) Now I could care less. In fact I avoid anything with a visible logo. Why should I have to pay to give free advertising to a company?

All I care about is that the clothes look good on me, fit well and are high quality.

Same goes with cosmetics. I judge each one on a case by case basis.

I think in general as you get older you understand more how marketing works and you get that just because something has X label on it doesn't necessarily mean it's good.

So I dabble in many brands, both bargain ones and high end. If it works, then I stick with that particular product, but am still open to other products too. And just because a line makes one good product doesn't mean they all are good. For example, I love Stila eye shadows but have had terrible luck with their mascaras.

Stench Blossoms

Yes I've found as I've gotten older I'm more brand loyal. I think its because when I was younger I was always looking for the cheapest product whereas now I go for quality and have stuck to a brand I find good.

Perfume wise I haven't branched out too much since I was younger. Hugo Boss - Deep Red is my ultimate favourite.

BanzaiBk

I'm unashamedly both brand loyal and brand partial.

Cosmetics wise - I rigidly stick to MAC and Dior. As Twee. pointed out I've often spent money on several midrange brands and pretty much wasted my money. That being said I know plenty people who have fantastic results from the touted "midrange" brands. I wouldn't deny that my choice in brands in psychological but at the same time I do feel that they suit me or work for me better so I stick with.

Clothes wise - Anyone who peeps at the Latest Buys thread would recognise as a slave to All Saints. Coupled with my loves of TopShop, UO and American Apparel I'm set. Apart from the occasional Penneys binge and my love of dorky tshirts I hardly ever stray from "my" brands. A lot of it obviously has to do with my preference for gender ambivalent clothing.

Skin care - I've only ever used St Ives so I can't really comment. I wouldn't have sensitive skin per se but I know the St Ives works so I stick with it.

edit// I forgot about haircare. This is the only area I really am not brand loyal. I have slightly greasy hair but I wouldn't have one shampoo and conditioner that I would consider my only brand.

pikachucheeks

Stella777 wrote: »

just because a line makes one good product doesn't mean they all are good.

True.
However, I will admit that a lot of my cosmetic purchases are based on the fact I like the brand and from use of their other products, I assume the one I'm about to buy will be just as good - or because the brand has a good reputation.I find this particularly in relation to high end cosmetics ... "It's X, it must be good"

orla wrote: »

Perfume wise I haven't branched out too much since I was younger. Hugo Boss - Deep Red is my ultimate favourite.

That's a lovely perfume

I think I'm the opposite, perfume-wise... I have about ten, and I alternate between all of them! I don't have one firm favourite, I wear whichever one I grab first or feel in the mood for!

BanzaiBk wrote: »

I wouldn't deny that my choice in brands in psychological ...

Definitely agree with this.

I think a lot of women buy high-end, designer cosmetics because of how it makes them feel.
There's a certain joy in splashing your cash on expensive make-up... Seems that somehow, expense = effectiveness. The more you pay, the better you consider the product to be.

Speaking for myself, walking out of Brown Thomas with a bag full of Mac feels a lot better than walking out of Boots with bits and pieces from Rimmel.
Although, I'm sure in reality, there's not THAT much difference between the two brands.

stovelid

Yeah, kind of. There are a few brands that I love.

It's not slavish though. I just tend to like the stuff. I wouldn't buy something from the brand that I didn't like, obviously.

Stench Blossoms

pikachucheeks wrote: »

That's a lovely perfume

I think I'm the opposite, perfume-wise... I have about ten, and I alternate between all of them! I don't have one firm favourite, I wear whichever one I grab first or feel in the mood for!

I have about 10 perfumes that which i'd class as newer perfumes that i use for everyday use but deep red would be my old time classic night time perfume.

Creamy Goodness

i have the usual haunts.

h&m, river island, topman, pull & bear, UO, american apparel etc. etc.

i've found myself going more towards AA and urban outfitters more and more these days as i have steady cash and they have great jeans and great plain hoodies and tops in the case of AA.

that being said i tend to shop a lot online and if i like the look of something i'll find a store that sells it and try it on then buy it online if savings are to be had.

Lia_lia

Not at all.

I wear whatever I think looks nice. I have a huge mixture of different brands/labels/whatever.

With make-up it depends how much money I have. And what kinda state my skin is in.

Skincare products, I usually get whatever is on offer.

I don't wear perfume.

Haircare, whatever is on offer usually. I wash my hair everyday anyway and I don't use any other product on it.

Novella

Lia_lia wrote: »

Haircare, whatever is on offer usually. I wash my hair everyday anyway and I don't use any other product on it.

Same! I wash my hair twice a day most days too so I'm not gonna spend a bomb on haircare products 'cause I go through shampoo and conditioner like there's no tomorrow!

Clothes wise, I guess I am loyal to River Island but that's mainly 'cause I work there and get a nice wee discount. Otherwise, I'd probably only pick up the odd thing in there. I love Topshop though, but will shop anywhere at all tbh!

jenizzle

I stick to my brands for face stuff (mostly Lush), hair stuff (Aussie and SFX dye) and deo.

Make up? Anything from Penney's stuff for €1 to MAC stuff I get as pressies!

chocgirl

I think I'm getting more and more brand loyal as I get older. I'm pretty sure this isn't a good thing, its probably just me getting too lazy to shop around!

In terms of clothes nearly everything in my wardobe is either Topshop, zara or ted baker with a couple of really expensive or really cheap exceptions to the rule.

Nearly all my make up is either MAC or benefit but I do buy YSL mascara and I stick to Dermalogica for skincare.

I've even noticed that I stick to the same shops for shoes now - ALDO and Dune.

Oh well New Year soon... time to shop around!

stripysocks85

I think maybe if I had the money I'd splash out on the more expensive stuff, and sometimes I do, but I can't justify spending say €17 for a lipgloss or such. Similarly, I love my shoes, and therefore couldn't only shop in the likes of Aldo or Dune [as mentioned above] as each pair of shoes there could get me 2 or 3 'reasonably' priced pairs!

For make up, I use Maxfactor foundation, Lancome eyeliner etc so it's a mix and match. I don't spend too much on my make up, as I don't wear a lot of it, unless I'm heading out.

Haircare - I use whatever is there - if there's an offer in Tesco for 'Buy 1 Get One Free' for Fructis or whatever, I'll buy that. I do quite like the Herbal Essences pink bottled shampoo & conditioner though

I'm quite lax with my skin definitely don't take as much care of it as others [or maybe as much as I should] but it's in quite good condition and I don't get spots. I used the Lidl moisturiser for a while but didn't like it as it had a strong smell, so I'm currently using Oil of Olay beauty fluid or something! Got a nice Spa O2 set for Christmas and they've a fab 'body souffle' in it which makes my skin feel like a baby's bum!

Clothes wise, I'm brand loyal - to Penneys, Dunnes etc! I get bored with my clothes and have an obsession with buying new dresses/tops etc so I don't spend too much on any one item. If I spent €100 on a dress, I'd be like "Eeeek better wear this out every weekend for the whole summer in order to get value from it!" [Okay slight exaggeration!] But really, I do spend quite a bit of my money on clothes and shoes and accessories etc but I own very few 'expensive' items, and that's the way I like it It's not a big deal if I accidently put a red sock in with all my whites :S

chupi

This such a fascinating topic, thanks op!

Like someone already posted I'm full of contradictions, I always buy the same shampoo (but i think maybe that's a habit not loyalty), I'm not at all brand faithful when it comes to make up and have everything from cheapo chemist stuff to benefit, I'm a colour-whore so I just pick what attracts me. With skincare I'm very very faithful to Dr.Hauschka!

With clothes I always shop in the same couple of stores: Topshop, Zara, All Saints, H&M and occasionally Penneys, I honestly do try other shops but I find their silhouette just does not suit me, case in point I don't own a single thing from River Island.

All stores have an in house shape they manufacture for and I find that those ^ shops suit me. I love independent labels too, and have some amazing stuff from Topshop in London but those would be my tried & trusted shops.

But I have boots & shoes from absolutely everywhere!

I think it's possibly just that I own too much stuff

PrivateEye

Hackett London for the aftershave/shower stuff and so on.

Clotheswise, Fred Perry owe me a gaff somewhere. Everything from bags, scarves and gloves to coats, but a belt and flatcap are on the more unsual side. Whenever I'm in Britland I drop in to one of the shops.

Seems to be lots of love for All Saints in here. I find the staff/shop in Kildare Village very nice but am not keen on the ones in the city centre. In terms of online shopping though they're one of the best.

pikachucheeks

chupi wrote: »

I always buy the same shampoo (but i think maybe that's a habit not loyalty)

I always buy the same shampoo! Has to be L'oreal. When it's on offer, I stock up! I just find it very good ... Keeps my hair smooth and it smells nice.

I'll use the likes of Umberto Giannini and Charles Worthington too ... for hair treatments, hair spray etc...

I'm pretty loyal to those three brands. Haven't been tempted by another range in quite a while. Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways at this stage! (Or have enough cosmetics to keep me happy for quite some time!)

chupi wrote: »

With clothes I always shop in the same couple of stores: Topshop, Zara, All Saints, H&M and occasionally Penneys, I honestly do try other shops but I find their silhouette just does not suit me, case in point I don't own a single thing from River Island.

+ 1. I think as we get older, we figure out which shops suit our shape and style most.
I've found that I only shop in a few shops nowadays, places I know will have staples or cool things that suit my shape! Urban Outfitters is one of my favourites right now.

taram

Some things I'm incredibly brand loyal to, like 90% of my eyemake up is Urban Decay, and my shoes are mostly Clarks or Converse with the exception of gym shoes. Everything else is whatever is nice yet inexpensive I'm a markerters nightmare, I buy whatever seems right at the time, or what's on offer, or what smells good :P

fonpokno

I'd never thought about this really!

For skincare, I suppose I would be. I use alot of Neutrogena stuff and use St Ives scrubs when my skin needs it. Use elave shower gel as it's the only one that doesn't give me a rash and aqueous cream as my post shower moisturiser. Shampoo I'll use whatever, not fussed at all.

Make up, I would be brand loyal for certain things if I could afford it but unfortunately my budget just doesn't stretch that far. For instance I love love love Dior mascara but haven't had it in about a year I love Barry M stuff just for the range of colours, I adore lovely bright eyeshadows. Gosh eyeliner and concealer are my favourite.

I have a few pots of foundation that I found in a tiny shop in New York, best EVER. Perfect colour for my skin so I'll never use anything other than that. Can buy it online if I run out thank god and it's fairly cheap too.

For jeans, topshop ones are the only ones I've found that fit me really well but again can't really afford them. Most of my shoes are Converse, the regular black ones. I'll kinda buy 3 pairs at a time and work through them until I need another few I love Irregular Choice and Nine West shoes too but again, the budget is a limiting factor.

The rest of my clothes I don't really care where I get it, the cheaper the better for me. If it's nice and it looks good I'll buy it!

Lorrrrraine

Not in clothes, not a bit.
Make-up is not that much of a different story.
Barry M has my loyalty, those dazzle dusts, mmm. Can't beat the price either.
But otherwise I chop and change really often. I'm quite fickle.
And also Kiko cosmetics, which I can't find for sale anywhere.
Got loads back in Berlin and fell in love.
So heart belongs to Barry M and Kiko.

The Big Red Button

When it comes to makeup, I'm very much brand loyal, but it seems to be nearly a different brand for every individual item of makeup! It's Smashbox primer, Lancome foundation, Maxfactor panstick, YSL le touche eclat, St Tropez/Academie Bronzante bronzer, Dior pencil eyeliner, Maxfactor/Lancome liquid liner, Bourjois/Mac eyeshadow, Chanel/Rimmel mascara (usually a layer of each!), Lancome Juicy Tubes, Urban Decay brushes ... those are my basics anyways! So there's no one brand that I'm particularly loyal to - and, believe me, I've tried all those products in all of those brands and more!

I'm a bit less fussy when it comes to skincare and hair products - I'll get whatever's on offer etc. Although I am loving L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner at the moment, and you can nearly always get it on offer.

I think it's not so much about having faith in a particular brand ... it's more about finding out what specifically works for you!

chupi

Oh thanks fonpokno, I completely forgot about jeans!

I just do not fit topshop jeans, it's so weird as I everything else of theirs is fine but I can never ever find a pair of jeans that fit in TS, if they fit on my hips the waist is enormous, same goes for Awear, it's like they're trying to tell me something!

The only jeans I can wear come from H&M, the sqin skinny jeans, they are the best fit ever. I literally have them in 5 colourways. Occasionally I try different brands but it's depressing to feel too fat/too thin so I always return to H&M

And I think pikachucheeks is totally right, it is an age thing, I know (or at least hope I know!) what suits me so don't want to waste time shopping in stores that don't work..

panda100

For makeup I would rarely buy outside Lancome or benefit. I've used lancome foundation and mascara now for years. For lip stuff I like Clinique and for eyeliners and blusher I like Benefit. So I guess I am quite brand loyal to Benefit and Lancome.

For skincare I am not loyal as I have found that no brand really suits my skin so I usualy buy cheap boots/tesco cleansers.

For my hair I buy whatever is on offer in boots,though I love the smell of Lee staffod so I try and pick that up when I can.

Clothes wise I am loyal to Topshop Tall and Camden Market.