Every pound, euro of dollar that you spend on cosmetics probably ends up in the pockets of either one or two companies. Think that it crazy! Is your foundation by Bobbi Brown and your blush by Lancome? Is your mascara by Estee Lauder but your eyes shadow by Urban Decay? Is you lipstick by Clinique, but your bronzer by YvesSantLaurent ?

Well think again!

Here are the Estee Lauder brands :   

MAC

Bobbi Brown

Prescriptives

La Mer

Jo Malone

Tom Ford

Smashbox

Clinique

Origins

Orjon

Here are the L’Oreal brands:

Lancome

Giogrio Armani

YvesSantLaurent

Biotherm

Shu  Uemura

Helena Rubinstein

Urban Decay

Maybelline

Garnier

The Body Shop

Only one or two of them were a surprise to me. But I guess if a new brand starts making in roads into your market, what better way to get rid of the competition than to buy it up, and add it to your portfolio. As I concentrate on make-up I skipped over the fragrance and luxury handbags stuff. But you get the point.

So next time Maybeline bring out their next awesome mascara ( and lets face it, they have a few) why not wonder if it is so great, then why does Lancome need another version of Hypnose mascara to compete with it. And when Urban Decay launch another Naked pallet, will you wonder if it would just be cheaper to pick out a few brown shades from the L’oreal range.

Marketing is a wonderful thing, but knowledge is power.It is true some of these brands differ dramatically in what they offer the consumer. But next time you are seduced by the next big thing, think about where it is originating from, and whether it really is for you.