Who owns who? Corporate ownership of global makeup brands

Welcome to my research into corporate ownership of global makeup brands! I have been working on this post for quite awhile - I became interested tracing the corporate ownership chains of color cosmetics brands by researching similar formulas of brands owned by the same corporate umbrella and it snowballed into a huge project.

Why does it matter? My philosophy is that customers and consumers deserve to be informed and that being more informed leads to better decision making. If you have been curious about why certain brands have formulas similar to other brands or how brands change over time, this list will hopefully add some illumination to your buying decisions.

A few notes: 

1. This post is focused on cosmetics brands, but many corporate owners also hold skincare, haircare, and fragrance brands in their portfolios. Feel free to click through the links I posted and see what other brands a company has in its portfolio!
2. Most major fashion houses who have cosmetics lines have separated corporate ownership of their cosmetics line, fashion/accessories lines, and their fragrance licenses. Confusing, I know. 
3. If I left out a brand you are curious about, please leave me a comment and I will do my best to add it!

This list is (to the best of my research) a demonstration of who owns well known global makeup brands. I think a few of them will surprise you! Get a cup of coffee and a snack, this is a long one.

Is it a dupe? Nars radiant creamy concealer vs. Maybelline fit me concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Maybelline Fit Me Concealer is another one of those internet famous dupes. I see this one everywhere online, from blogs to reddit to YouTube. As the owner of both of those products, I feel compelled to put them to the test.

I have shade Light 2 Vanilla in the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($29, .22oz) and shade #10 Light in the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer ($6.99, .23oz). Vanilla is the second to lightest shade of the NARS (Light 1 Chantilly is much lighter) and the NARS comes in 10 shades. #10 Light is theoretically the lightest shade in the Maybelline Fit Me range of 6 options, but is much darker than Vanilla and is rumored to be darker than shade #15.

Skinfood rose essence tinted lip balm #2 review & swatches

I have a tinted lip balm addiction, and today I bring you swatches and a review of one of my favorite affordable options. The Skinfood rose essence lip balm comes in two variants - #1 is a clear treatment balm and #2 is tinted rosy pink. I bought mine for about $5 on Rose Rose Shop, but the price varies slightly on retailer and currency conversion.

I like this product for natural makeup looks and weekends - tinted rosy pink balms add shine and definition to the lips without the intensity or coverage of a traditional lipstick.

Minimalist makeup travel kit + my favorite travel bag

This post is all about my travel makeup essentials, how I pack my makeup for a trip, and the makeup bag I take with me. I have done quite a bit of traveling the last few months, so I wanted to give you a peek at what I take with me.

I have owned my Laura Mercier custom artist portfolio for over a year now and still adore it. It was limited edition and pretty pricey, but I have seen Laura Mercier come out with a few variations so I don't think it is gone forever. As an alternative, you could look at Trish McEvoy or Sonia Kashuk if the Laura Mercier isn't available. I have a full review of the Laura Mercier custom artist porfolio here if you want to see more pictures and how much makeup it can fit.

The makeup case has 4 mesh pockets - 1 large, 2 medium, and 1 small, that are magnetized so they come in and out easily. It also has a zippered brush page with a pocket on the back. Let's take a look at what I packed:

• Eyeshadow: Smashbox photo op eye trio in filter (mini size from a kit), Urban Decay Sin
• Primer: Too Faced shadow insurance (mini)
• Brows / Eyeliner: Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade in medium brown (review here)
• Highlight: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight in Champagne Gold (review here)
• Lips: Jack Black lip balm in grapefruit, Fresh sugar lip treatment in rose (mini)

Inglot eyeshadow collection & formula roundup

I have already posted swatches and reviews of my Inglot eyeshadow collection in 3 groups, but I wanted to do a roundup post and share my thoughts of the formula overall.

The Good

•  Price - $7 per pan is affordable and compared to drugstore eyeshadow formulas is excellent for the price. In the price tier, Inglot competes well against the Wet N Wild Color Icon and Milani Bella formulas. 
• International availability - Inglot is a Polish company and has broad global availability 
• Color selection - Inglot has one of the widest color ranges of single eyeshadows on the market, making it a great choice for anyone who wants to find a specific shade 
• Pigmentation - Each of the shades I have is very pigmented, especially when compared to other stock formulas at a similar price

Inglot Nude Matte Eyeshadows: 373, 359, 349

This post continues my first post on Inglot nude matte eyeshadows with three more: 373, a matte white, 359, a matte light pink, and 349, a matte taupe brown. I paired these shades for this post because they could be used as a face contouring (highlight, blush, and contour) trio for fair skin if you wanted to multi-task. Similarly, these three shades can be paired together as an eye look to add depth and shading.

Product Details:

• Rectangular pans (can fit 5 across in a Z palette 4U/medium)
• Pans are magnetized 
• 2.3 grams / .08 oz of product per pan (for comparison, a MAC eyeshadow pan contains 1.5g)
• $7 per pan
• I buy mine on Beautylish because of the palette builder feature on their website, can also be purchased on the Inglot website

My most used eyeshadow palette - Urban Decay Naked Basics

I love seeing reviews and photos of well used and loved makeup products, and today I wanted to share my most used eyeshadow palette ever - Urban Decay's original Naked Basics. The pictures show the proof of use and my most used shades, so let's get started!

On a boring note, Urban Decay Naked Basics retails for $29 for 6 full size (.05 oz) shades. I bought this myself at Ulta a long time ago on the suggestion of my husband. I had overlooked it many times in the display, but luckily it jumped out at him! (A recommendation to other makeup addicts: shopping with non addicts can lead you to see products you might not otherwise)

Hakuhodo K022 round powder brush review & comparisons

Hakuhodo K022 powder brush

I have had the Hakuhodo K022 powder brush for over a year now and wanted to post my thoughts. The K022 is marketed as a powder brush, but I use it most often for bronzer. In the US, you can buy it on the Hakuhodo USA website (not an affiliate link) or in their retail showroom in California for $38.

Comparison: NARS Douceur vs NARS Laguna vs NARS Madly

Today I have comparison swatches of my three favorite NARS cheek products - Douceur blush (sadly discontinued), Laguna bronzer, and Madly blush. All three are beautiful nude cheek colors, so let's take a look at the similarities and differences.

NARS blushes retail for $30 for .16 oz and the bronzers retail for $39 for .28 oz. I bought all of these at Sephora with my own money.

L to R: NARS Douceur blush, Laguna bronzer, & Madly blush in indirect natural light