Those of us who are lucky enough to have a vanity table, love nothing more than to arrange our wide selection of beauty products and perfumes to form beautiful, colorful displays. We feel a great sense of satisfaction as we glide our fingertips over an array of bottles and boxes housing our favorite products: from our seductively scented perfumes in creatively crafted bottles to attractively designed containers storing the concealers, eyeshadows or lipsticks we swear by.
The one thing we don’t consider – or insist on ignoring – as we admire our treasured collection of beauty products, is the amount of money we’ve spent on them. Over the years, many of us have invested in so many different makeup and body products; their overall worth probably adds up to a week-long holiday in an exclusive hotel. This might sound like an exaggeration to some, but if you’re prone to buy only the best brands of beauty products, it could just as well be an understatement.
If you don’t want to give up on the brands and products that form part of your daily beauty ritual but are determined to save a few bucks here and there, perhaps it’s time to rethink your purchasing habits. Here are five tricks that will keep you looking like a million dollars on a budget!
Become a Beauty School Guinea Pig
Want the look for that stylish event that’s coming up, but can’t afford a pampering session at your local beauty salon? Don’t worry your pretty little head over it and sign up as a guinea pig for your local beauty school instead. Training beauticians are always looking for people to practice their skills on, and they’ll charge you an absolute minimum for their efforts while they’re still working on their qualifications.
Go Natural
Instead of washing your hair and body with your favorite products every time you shower, consider alternating between “luxury” days and “all-natural” days. For example, if you usually shower and do your hair four times a week, reserve two of those days for mayonnaise or oatmeal hair-treatments, homemade face masks, and coffee-grind-scrubs.
This will make your preferred products last longer while contributing to a healthier body, head of hair, and, most importantly, a natural environment. The best part: many beauty, body and hair products can be made with typical ingredients you already have in your kitchen, so you won’t have to pay a single penny for a lush pampering session at home.
Maintain Your Tools
When it comes to makeup, the brushes used to apply mascara, eyeshadow, and powder are usually the most expensive part of our beauty repertoire. As such, you’ll want to make sure to care for and maintain your brushes and other makeup tools for as long as possible. Luckily, this can be done using the simplest and most unusual ingredients.
Don’t let yourself be talked into an expensive makeup brush cleaner when you could be mixing up your own effective concoction at home. All you’ll need is a few drops of baby shampoo and a bit of water; mix it up, swirl your brushes in the solution, and voila – your brushes come out clean and good to go for another season.
Load Up on Free Samples
One of the best parts about buying fashion and style magazines or visiting your local beauty shop, are the free shampoo, makeup, perfume and many other samples that come with it. If you like surprises, fill your tote bag with all the samples you can get without looking greedy and save all the ones that come free with magazines. Whenever you’re in the mood to try something new, fish one out from your own sample drawer.
If you’re more specific about the products you use and the perfumes you wear, always make a point of asking for new samples from your favorite brands whenever you visit a beauty shop.
Reap the Rewards of Recycling
Even the beauty industry has caught on to an eco-conscious approach to packaging and producing, and it’s up to you to start supporting it. Certain brands offer to recycle schemes that will reward you with excellent freebies such as free makeup which, let’s be honest here, is a fantastic incentive for changing our ways for the love of our planet.
Lush, a world-renowned brand that brings us fresh handmade cosmetics that are easily recognizable in their little black pots, offers a free face mask for every container you bring back to your local shop. Mac, on the other hand, has launched its “Back to Mac” scheme, through which you will be rewarded a free Mac lipstick for every six packaging containers you return.
Research your preferred brands and check whether they offer similar recycling schemes. If they don’t, take it upon yourself to write to them and ask them whether they are planning to launch a similar initiative in the future – who knows? They might even reward you with freebies for bringing a new idea to them!
