If you have unlimited cash, then maybe this article isn’t for you. But if you are like the rest of us, trying to make the most of a small budget, then these tips on how to save money on beauty products may be just the thing.
Spend Your Money Where It Counts
It’s too easy to spend a small fortune on beauty products without making any significant change in how you look.
If money is no object, go ahead and buy the best of everything. You’ll enjoy products with great packaging, the best ingredients and often make subtle changes to how you feel about yourself. (You know the slogan “I’m worth it!”)
If you need to watch your pennies, don’t splash your cash where you don’t need high end solutions. Buy quality products but not the most expensive. Save that for your problem areas where spending a bit can really make a difference.
For instance, if your unmanageable hair or problem skin is the bane of your life, then you can change your whole look by finding a solution. It’s worth spending on products and specialists to sort it out. The $50 shower gel is not going to have the same impact.
Don’t Buy What You Won’t Use
It seems obvious to say, “don’t buy what you won’t use”, but, it seems, I have an odd view about my busy lifestyle, when I’m in front of a beauty counter. I seem to have amassed a whole stash of unopened products that I have bought and not used.
It’s my guilty secret!
They are the kind of things that you need to be in the right frame of mind to open and have an evening to spare. (Spare evenings, what are they then?)
There are tubes of expensive face goo that need a half an hour to relax in the bath and a complete hair restyling afterwards – I suppose there I’m doubting that the improvement in my face will be worth it.
There are foot treatment creams that require wearing cotton socks in bed, sparking hilarity from the other half. Not going to happen.
I still keep them with the thought “I must use that sometime….” whenever I catch sight of them. But sometime never comes.
Look For the Most Effective Product
The most effective product is not always the most expensive, so don’t be fooled by the price tag. You will almost always get the best packaging and you often get effective ingredients in the luxury brands, but they are not always the best value. Often a cheaper version will do the job just as well for significantly less.
Read Reviews
Reading beauty product reviews can help you sort out which are the best value, most effective products. They are also fantastic for telling you not to bother with products you have been hankering over. You find out what is good and which products might not work as well as you expect from the glowing ads in the media. Try not to get caught up in the hype about new “revolutionary” products until they have proven their worth with buyers. See Buying New Beauty Products? Hang On, Not So Fast! for more about that.
Buy Online (Sometimes)
Buying online is great because you can often access products you can’t get in your local store. Online prices are often cheaper too. But be careful about buying some products online if you haven’t had a chance to test colors in person. Once you know a color suits you, then go ahead and find the best price online if you wish.
Use The Last Drop
Don’t throw away the last 10% of a product by not trying to empty the tube, jar or bottle. I have often been able to use a bottle of foundation for an extra month by dipping a cotton bud into the bottle that seemed empty. You can generally get more out of a tube that seems empty too by snipping it open. But, in that case, just use it for a couple of days after you do that as it will then be exposed to the air and as you know, products go off.
Go Natural?
I hesitate to add this point but it is a way you can definitely save money and treat your skin and hair to some great treatments. The reason I wavered is that part of what I like about beauty products is the luxury of using a product in wonderful packaging that I don’t have to whip up myself (or clean the kitchen afterwards). However, if you like natural products it an avenue worth exploring.
For more on my cheap and cheerful philosophy about beauty and more money saving tips see Why I Buy Cheap Beauty Products.
