How To Make the Most of your Beauty Budget
I love beauty products – hair products, make-up, lotions, etc. I love all of it. But any beauty product-loving girl can tell you that beauty does not come C-H-E-A-P.
Or does it?
As I showering this morning, I realized that in the last couple of years, I've switched up my beauty routine to more wallet-friendly choices. Here's how:
HAIR PRODUCTS
Herbal Essences 2 in 1 Shampoo/Conditioner - $5 for a big bottle (Target)
Fructis Smoothing Milk - $2.49 (Wal-Mart)
I use a little bit of this every day instead of the more expensive Frizz-Ease. Works great AND smells great.
Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder – less than $2.00 (Wal-Mart)
If I'm crunched for time I'll sprinkle a little bit of baby powder onto my roots at night or in the morning. This gives me volume and soaks up any excess oil – it also means I only have to wash my hair every other day so I buy shampoo less often.
MAKEUP
Cover Girl Foundation & Powder – about $10 for both
I always buy these items at Wal-Mart because they have the best prices on Cover Girl usually. But I can usually find coupons for $1 off any Cover Girl product in magazines or the Sunday paper as well.
AVON eye shadow, blush, brow pencils, eyeliner and mascara – about $15-$20 for all
I don't buy these products as often. My sister used to be an AVON rep so I was able to score tons of practically free cosmetics, but she's not doing that anymore. I have found that you can order from AVON.com and there are coupon codes all over the internet for Free Shipping. I suppose the other option is to actually become an AVON rep for the discount and free stuff. :)
Vaseline - $1.25 a tube (Wal-Mart)
I keep one at work and home all the time and use it on my lips constantly. It makes the best lip gloss and if you want a little bit of color, you just mix in a bit of blush. Plus the tube lasts about 4 to 5 times longer than a smaller .99 tube of lip balm would.
DEODORANT
AVON – $0.99 per roll-on
I love AVON deodorant because it works and comes in lots of different fragrances. AVON runs a lot of .99 deodorant sales so I stock up then.
LOTION
Johnson & Johnson's Baby Lotion – $5 (Wal-Mart)
It smells unbelievably great and comes in a huge lotion dispenser, so it lasts an incredibly long time. It's gentle enough to use on your body and face too.
FACE WASH
Neutrogena Scrub, Cleanser, Wipes or Foam – from $4 -$7 (Wal-Mart)
Neutrogena is awesome. They have products for all face types – dry, oily, acne-prone, etc. so you can always find something. Plus I'll often run across a $2 off any Neutrogena product coupon which makes the deal even sweeter. I vary which product I buy from time to time, but for the most part, I have a jar of the scrub on hand all the time and one other product. I use the scrub at night and just a small amount of the other product in the morning, so it lasts a pretty long time.
SHAVING
Gillette Shaving Cream - $2 - $3 (Wal-Mart)
I once tried to save a buck and bought the generic brand shaving cream. I had to throw it out the next day because my underarms were so irritated. Now I stick to Gillette and buy the Extra Dry or Extra Sensitive kind every time.
Razors – Free to $10 (Wal-Mart)
I don't know why it is but I've gotten a lot of free shaving razors in the mail. It seems there's always some company giving their new razors away. If I can't find these deal on the net though, I usually opt for a package of the disposal over replaceable cartridges. I've tried both kinds, but buying the replacements can be spendy… and the disposable ones work just as good. Still, I suppose it's a matter of preference.
So you can see that it's easy to get good deals if you know where to look. Of course, if you have a favorite expensive beauty product that you couldn't dream of giving up – no one says you have to. But find products that you'd be wiling to replace with an inexpensive option and go from there. Everyone should be able to trim some of their beauty budget.
