Beauty on a Budget

By Deb on May 21st, 2008

The lovely ladies at Beaut.ie were discussing whether or not they were cutting back on beauty treats during these tighter times. It made for some interesting discussion and prompted this post. Personally I am cutting back on unnecessary things like highlights every six weeks and spa treatments. However there are some things I will not cut out, like my Clarins skincare routine or Benefit addiction, however there is nothing stopping me from getting the best deal going! Below are a few tips that might help save you a few Euro on the beauty side of things!

Use up what you already own! I think most women (and some men!) are guilty of having lots of products. Before buying anything new, raid your presses and use up all your old stuff first. This will keep a tighter reign on the wallet and prevent waste.
When you have to stock up, remember that Ebay is your friend! Not only can you find some great beauty deals on ebay, but you can sell off beauty products you no longer like or use, giving you a little spending money to stock up. There are often lot deals on items like lipstick and eyeliners. You can get many colours for a very low price and then sell or swap on colours you won’t use.
Can’t buy or sell something? Why not swap it? The Beauty Swap Shop is a free forum that allows you to post items you would be willing to swap and see what you can get in exchange. It is UK based. You can get some great deals on here!
Try different brands! It was big news back in February when Aldi’s face cream won the title of Best Anti-Aging Cream by Woman’s Own. At only €2.99 it’s definitely worth a try considering most deisgner brands are upwards of €45! I also happen to love Aldi’s Professional Range of Shampoos and Conditioners. Both Lidl and Aldi sell a range of SPF sun creams at a steal as well.
Cut out designer soaps and shower gels. Soap is soap right? Unless you have a skin condition that requires a special blend, this can be a huge way to save money. Again Aldi and Lidl offer some good choices as does Avon. You can get some lovely blends from Avon and they often have 2 for 1 promotions getting you 2L of shower gel for a fiver!
Never buy eye cream! You don’t have to. Those free gifts you get at cosmetic counters nearly always have an eyecream in them? Hang on to those or swap a friend. Eye cream lasts forever and I have it on good authority from a Bobbi Brown make-up artist that you should only use it under your eyes, as your lids are ripe with natural oils and moisturise themselves. I did not know this, but it certainly makes the eye cream last longer!
Try your hand at making your own cosmetics or spa treatments. Check out some fabulous sounding recipes here from plain old soap to Brown Sugar Body Scrub and Avocado face masks.
Cut out toner. The point of toner is to close your pores after cleansing. Cold water will do exactly the same without stripping your skin of natural oils!
Ask for samples! Head into your chemist or Brown Thomas and hit up the counters for samples. This is also a must before you try a new product. Why would you drop money on something you haven’t tried?
Vaseline is also your friend! In makes a lovely and gentle make-up remover. It can be mixed with the last bit of lipstick in a tube to make a lovely moisturising lip gloss and it can tame unruly eye brows! Read more about all it’s versatile uses here and here.
If you have to shop on the High Street consider signing up for the counters mailing lists or even taking out a store card. I do this at Debenhams so I can get rewards for spending money I was going to anyway and to be sent special sale offers such as 10-25% off coupons. At least this way, I get my products at a significant discount. Just make sure to pay the card off each month!
Strawberrynet offers great discounts as well. You can often get up to 50% off your skincare, make-up and perfumes.
If you travel, there are some great bargains to be found at Duty-free both in the terminals and on the planes. It’s definitely worth taking a look.
Shop with your brand directly. I have a bit of a Benefit fetish and shop with their website in the US. They frequently send coupons with free shipping and with the exchange rate and overall lower prices I save a lot. Lancome have a similar system and are always offering free gifts!
Look at getting your hair done by students. You can often get a full cut, colour and blow-dry for €15! If you’re comfortable about this, look out for it!
Skip on hair treatments when you’re at the salon. With a few exceptions, these are usually pointless, as after a few washes you’d never know you had it done and at upwards of €20 a pop, you really have to ask yourself if it’s worth it.
Have a beauty party! Get all your mates around with their favourite products and treat each other to manicures, pedicures and make-overs! A fun and affordable way to get some spa treatments at home! Open a few bottles of wine and pop in a chick-flick and you’ve a great night lined up!

That’s all I can think of for now. Not all will work for everyone, but maybe you’ve picked up an idea or two! How do you save??? Feel free to leave a comment below.