Despite being in the beauty business, I love to buy cheap beauty products and you won’t find me giving a face cream or makeup item a great review just because it’s a luxury brand.
If you read the beauty editorials in newspapers and magazines a lot, you start to think you’re abnormal if you don’t spend the cost of a week’s groceries on an eye shadow but that’s ridiculous. You CAN look great on a budget if you are picky about what you choose from the cheaper ranges.
In most cases, there is very little difference between the ingredients in the best cheap beauty products and their pricier equivalents – it’s mostly advertising and packaging you’re paying for with the more expensive brands.
There are exceptions, of course – aren’t there always? You need to recognize where it’s worth splashing out a little bit and paying a bit more. A great example is Yves St Laurent Touche Eclat concealer pen where I’ve tried quite a few cheaper products that were supposed to be as good but I’ve always gone back to the original. It’s just a superior product in every way and not just in the packaging.
At least with cosmetics when you are talking about paying a bit more for a luxury brand you don’t have to take out a mortgage. You can have the designer concealer or lipstick even if you can’t afford the Yves Saint Laurent dress.
That’s another reason I sometimes like to buy expensive makeup – to treat myself to a bit of luxury and the packaging is always a pleasure to behold. I like pretty things as much as the next girl, budget or no budget.
But once you have the makeup on your face, no one can tell if you bought the lipstick at the drugstore for 3.99 or if you paid 39.99 at the swanky department store so, if you have limited funds, buy the right colors and apply them well and you can look a million dollars better than the girl who buys luxury makeup brands and doesn’t know what to buy or how to put makeup on properly.
What About Cheap Skin Care Products?
You may think that you get the latest, best researched ingredients in the most expensive skin care ranges, and, it’s true, you have to pay a little more for these, but generally not an arm and a leg. I was amazed that Creme de la Mer had any buyers when I found out what the product cost – the same price as my summer vacation to Cyprus.
 Best Cheap Beauty Product of all TimeMy vote goes to Vaseline. It costs next to nothing and has so many uses to keep you looking good from replacing expensive cuticle creams to conditioning your eyelashes not to forget its role as the ultimate no nonsense lip balm. 
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If the most expensive creams were so effective then we would soon hear about the wonderful effects they had from real people who swear by them and plastic surgeons would be out of business (at least as far as face lifts are concerned). But it’s just not happening.
I like to look for skin care products in budget ranges which have benefited from the research done for the top end products. Eventually it all filters down and you can get the products for a lot less and get the same benefits.
If you need really cheap skin care products you could easily use generic drugstore brands and stay beautiful. The main thing is to actually wear a moisturizer and to keep your face protected from the sun and you will go a long way towards fighting off wrinkles.
And if you have just a little bit of cash to splash, don’t worry too much about cleansers – you wash them off after all – and spend it on a good moisturizer with some of the latest ingredients instead or another treatment (such as an acne treatment) to suit your skin type.
Cheap Hair Care Products
Again, when it comes to hair care, spend where it counts. Cheaper shampoos and conditioners are fine to wash your hair. I like to ring the changes so that there is no build up of any one product making my hair dull. So my policy there is to pick out the quality shampoos and conditioners for my hair type that are on special whenever I see them and then I always have something good to use.
If you have a particular problem like frizzy hair then spend your money on special hair care treatments to help such as John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum. Just be sure to use shampoos and conditioners that are designed for your hair type when going for cheaper brands.
How Do You Know Which Products Are OK?
Keep an eye out for reviews – you can often spot reviews of cheap beauty products online and see that a low cost product will do the exact job you need it to. You’ll also be able to tell from reviews where it is worth paying a bit more for an extra special product.
Of course, you won’t find reviews of every budget brand makeup or beauty item. In these cases, when I need something like a new eyeliner or lipstick, I usually make sure to check out the testers in store and if the item seems promising I’ll buy it. Then I only go up in price if I’m not happy with the budget buy. Most things you’ll find you never need to pay more to get a good product.
Here is a video about cheap beauty products with some great beauty products for under $5, including great eye shadows for just $1 that click together to make a palette of your favorite colors.
How to Find Cheap Brand Name Beauty Products
If you have decided on a more expensive product you definitely want to try, there are a few ways to shop around and get a good deal even if it is a big brand name
If you have a membership to one of the big warehouse clubs you can often get great beauty products cheap. I recently saw Bio Oil for half the price of a regular store in Costco, for example.
Take a look in big box stores like Walmart. You can even check out their prices in their online store before you visit which might save you a trip.
Look for two for one offers advertised in the media. This is best if you are a regular user of the brand, so you can buy in multiples without worrying that the product doesn’t suit you. Also look for free gifts when you buy like the Clinique beauty bonus offers (other brands do them too). It’s a great way of trying new products too.
Shop online. While the big box stores rarely change their prices between online and the store you might find smaller stores sell at a discount and you can also find some products on eBay (though watch out for fakes and check seller’s reputations). When buying, check that shipping does not wipe out any savings. Look for free shipping deals or buy a few things in one go to reduce the cost of shipping per item.
If you are a frequent flyer, check out airport deals. The UK is particularly good for this and I regularly stocked up in the days when I was flying on business. (One of the things I actually miss about my old job LOL)
Use loyalty schemes online or off and if you can’t find a good deal on price, collect points and get free products in future.
