The Makeup Industry Conspiracy

Am I the only one who has noticed the bad packaging for some types of makeup? My favorite brand of concealer, Cover Girl, is one example. It has a clear tube, so I can see how much concealer is left. I am at that frustrating point again when I have only used a third of the concealer, but I can hardly get any more out of the tube. This is because the manufacturers thought it was a good idea to make the wand too short. Even when the lid is screwed all the way back on, the wand does not touch the bottom. The small opening at the top also causes an angling issue, which means that I can't reach the top third of the concealer either.

I hate to buy more makeup if I still have a good amount left, but I don't have much of a choice. I think the makeup companies know this and think that consumers will buy more frequently if they can't reach all the makeup in the tube. I try my best to reach the coveted concealer by using a cotton swab. It does get to the makeup at the bottom somewhat, but it also soaks it up more than the wand, making me waste more than usual. I've thought about cutting the tube open somehow, but haven't actually tried it. I'm also not sure what I would do with it to keep it from drying out.

If I could find a similar concealer that had better packaging, I would switch, but how am I supposed to know it has a longer wand without buying it first? It is also hard for me to try new products when I already have one that I know works. I've used powdered mineral concealer and it covered well, but it always seemed to wear off faster than liquid concealer. I could get all of it out of the container, though.

Do other products do this? Well, from experience, I know lip-gloss can have this problem. I have also had nail polish with a brush that doesn't reach to the bottom. I assume that mascaras would also do this, but I can't tell for sure since I can't see through the packaging. Just think of how much wasted product we throw away because we can't get to it. There has to be a better way to package these products. They mainly just need to have a wand that reaches the bottom and is flexible enough to bend and reach the sides. For the concealer and lip-gloss, a simple squeeze tube would be fine, but my favorite brands do not come this way.

Again, I think makeup companies know exactly what they're doing. After all, if I could reach all of the concealer, I would only buy one tube versus the two or three that I buy instead. I would estimate that this costs me an extra $20 a year. If a company only had a million loyal customers (and I assume Cover Girl has way more than that), then they would make an extra $20 million dollars a year because of poor packaging. If they realize this, then I see no reason why they would want to change things. Maybe if enough customers complained and stopped buying the products, it would make a difference, but I like the product too much to stop buying it.

So, I'm asking for your advice. Do you have a favorite brand of concealer that isn't like this? Are there other ways to get around it? Please share in the comments below. Thanks.

To read more by this writer, click here . If you want to be notified when she publishes, hit "Follow" at the top (if you are a member of Y!CN) or hit "Subscribe" and enter your e-mail (if you are not a member).