If you’re looking to save more $$$, cutting on makeup purchases might be the first step.
Makeup is such a wallet drain because while it seems innocent enough ($20 doesn’t sound like much but it really adds up) and it’s pretty much impossible to feel like you ever have enough fun beauty products.
While it’s almost impossible to not waste a bit of money on makeup, there are certain steps you can take to minimize the damage.
1. Save foundation.
If you’re a foundation addict, you know that this can sometimes by the priciest type of makeup – especially if you like to splurge on the good stuff. With that being said, you probably don’t need full coverage every single day. When you’re heading to class, a casual brunch, or running a few errands, skip a full coat of base and simply add a small amount of your foundation to your moisturizer. It’ll give you a little bit of coverage while dramatically extending the life of one bottle of makeup.
2. Never buy full-sized mascara.
Mascara almost always dries out or goes bad before you can get all the way through the tube. The solution? Never buy a full tube of it, opting instead for travel-size tubes of mascara. Better yet, score deluxe samples for free whenever they’re available, stash them, and don’t open them until you’ve run out of everything else. I honestly don’t remember the last time I bought mascara because samples of it are just so easy to come by.
3. Let your products do double duty.
You might think you need another neutral eyeshadow but chances are, your powder highlighter or bronzer will work just as well on your eyelids. Same goes for blush – you can use a bit of lipstick on your cheeks for the same pop of color. And who needs brow gel when you could just use a bit of mascara?
4. Think outside the Sephora.
Sephora is an amazing one-stop shop for high-end beauty products. They have an amazing return policy, a fabulous selection, and basically everything your face could ever need. With that being said, Sephora doesn’t price match their items so they may be available for less at another retailer. Try looking at the beauty brand’s web sites – they often offer friends and family sales, discounts when you supply your email address and free samples with your purchase.
5. Mix and match.
Want a bright fuchsia lipstick? Of course you do. But instead of going out in search of a brand new one, try mixing your favorite red with your go-to neutral pink: you just might get the shade you were looking for, no additional purchase required. This mix and match technique works really well with lipstick especially – you have so many colors at your fingertips if you let yourself play around with your existing collection.
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