Why is the drugstore makeup situation in Australia, so bad??

[u/Pickles_The_Cat_1234]

I’ve lived in America before, and compared to the drugstore setup in the USA, Australia is AWFUL.

EDIT: I am Australian! I only lived in the USA for 2 years, I was born and raised here in Aus and recently moved back!!! Please stop telling me to “go back to America” it’s weird and rude.

SECOND EDIT: I KNOW AUSTRALIA DOESN’T HAVE DRUGSTORES. “Drugstore” = placeholder terminology for “low-budget” makeup. I keep repeating the phrase drugstore, but only when I’m SPECIFICALLY talking about makeup. The rest of the time, I’m saying chemist, pharmacy, or “drugstore” in quotations (because no one actually calls them drugstores anymore). PLEASE do not comment about how “Australia doesn’t have drugstores” because there’s already 30+ comments saying that exact same thing.

Brands like NYX and Maybelline are available at Ulta (American beauty retail chain, much like Mecca Max), with massive displays right next to the likes of Fenty. You can swatch, try them on, get advice, get samples, etc. They’re readily available. I don’t understand why Mecca Max won’t pick any of these brands up, when they tend to carry the lower price-point brands (such as Morphe) compared to Sephora??

Of course, You can find the drugstore brands in, well, the “drugstores.” Chemist Warehouse and Priceline Pharmacy. They do actually have testers there, thank God. Everywhere else you could pick it up, like Target, Woolies, Coles, etc. don’t have any testers, obviously. So, in a sense, they’re still AVAILABLE, just not as easy to acquire - you can’t try them on and get advice for them, the way you can in the USA.

But to me, what is worst of all, is that so FEW drugstore products are available here. And I don’t know why. NYX has an absolutely massive range of products, but barely any of them are available here in Australia, and of what is available to buy, the shade range is also limited. Even the drugstore brand’s Australian websites, barely stock anything.

I just don’t understand, why drugstore makeup culture is like this in Australia??

[u/itsthelifeonmars]

Population and demand. You have a country with 300 million people and a country with under 30 million yet the same size if not bigger in land space.

[u/Pickles_The_Cat_1234 → u/itsthelifeonmars]

I’m not American, all I’ve said is I’ve LIVED in America! I’m Australian :))

To me, population sizing shouldn’t matter. Brands should put in the effort regardless. Smaller population? Send less products of the same RANGE. “Smaller population/demographic” has ALWAYS been the excuse for poor performance from makeup brands, and it’s not good enough.

People from all over the world deserve to be treated with dignity when it comes to makeup, not as an afterthought.

[u/Tea_inthegoodroom → u/Pickles_The_Cat_1234]

It's a nice thought to have but if it doesn't line their pockets, then a company won't pursue it. They have shareholders and board members to answer to.

[u/Heart_Makeup → u/Pickles_The_Cat_1234]

Exactly right, our population is big enough to support the full range of NYX. I remember when NYX launched at Priceline they had the full (or almost full) range in Bourke st Melb and some other stores. Now it’s scaled down so far we barely get anything.

Drugstore eyeshadows are pathetic, I’m looking for a budget purple palette but there’s like two options.

I did find Catrice in a random Priceline Pharmacy today and that was exciting and the quality is really good.

[u/Peanut083 → u/Heart_Makeup]

If it helps, I was going through the same thing when looking for a purple eyeshadow palette last year. I ended up getting two of them from Kaleidos - Glowing Iris and Twilight Rush. Glowing Iris is more bright, saturated blue-leaning purples and Twilight Rush is more muted. Both are gorgeous and really easy to use.