by Emina Dedic
We have all heard the popular saying regarding diamonds being a girl’s best friend, but maybe people were misinformed. Makeup is a girl’s true best friend, and for good reason. No diamond can hide flaws, zits and lines and accentuate facial features, but cosmetics can! Just like diamonds, however, make up can be expensive. It doesn’t have to be, though, so makeup addicts, rejoice! Check out the money-saving tips below, so that you can enhance those already beautiful features you have, without breaking the bank!
1. Trust Google
If you want to shop online for makeup, always go to Google and type in the name of the place you are shopping at, plus the word ‘coupon’. You should never have to pay full price shopping online.
2. eBay is your best friend
Have a nice perfume that costs an arm and a leg to purchase? Go to eBay. You can even get unused testers for your favorite perfumes at discount prices, saving you some serious cash! eBay is also great for makeup because you can get bundles and kits for significant price discounts.
3. Remember that the average mascara has a shelf life of three months
Once your mascara has expired, you don’t have to throw it away. Wash the tube and wand and use the wand as a eyebrow sculptor or fly away tamer.
4. Lipstick can be recycled
A lot of lipstick often remains unused because it is stuck in the tube. You can recycle unused lipstick by remove the remaining contents and repackaging them. That way, you can choose to mix and match different colors of lipstick for a new shade, or make the most of what you have left. You can even turn them into lipgloss, by mixing the colors with petroleum jelly. Details here!
5. Use lemon juice for cheap highlights
If your highlights are looking dull, combine 1/2 of a spray bottle with lemon juice and the other half with water. Spray liberally before you go out in the sun. The lemon juice helps enhance the appearance of highlights, so no professional salon appointment necessary.
6. Baby oil is also a makeup remover
Baby oil helps remove leftover eye makeup. It works just as well as any make-up remover. Click here for more suggestions.
7. Get your free samples
Go to Google and type in ‘free makeup samples’, or ‘free makeup’. Many companies and Web sites often advertise free samples. This is a great way to try a product before buying it in order to test the quality.
8. Always compare and contrast the prices of your favorite products
Sometimes the full size product is a better value than the travel size item, so always pay close attention to the sizes and prices.
9. Don’t be afraid to dig through the bargain bin at your favorite pharmacies and grocery stores
They tend to carry some great brand name and lesser known make up brands. Just because something is cheaper, doesn’t mean it’s lower in quality.
10. Make your own lip scrub
Instead of buying your own sugar scrub for your lips at a much higher cost, make your own! Just do a general search engine request for sugar lip exfoliating scrub recipe. You’ll find several!
11. Check out the discount stores too
Discount stores carry all sorts of perfumes, lotions, cosmetics, and hair products from name brand to unknowns at very low cost. Don’t be afraid to stop by your local TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Big Lots and Ross stores to see what they have to offer.
12. Get a loyalty card
Plenty of beauty stores now offer free shopping cards, where you can get points for your purchases. Those points you earn can be used toward buying more products at no additional costs. Definitely take advantage of them.Take a look at Sephora’s Beauty Insider Program!
13. Baby powder can double as dry shampoo
Had a lot of fun last night but don’t have time to wash your hair? Grab some dry shampoo, spray it your hair, comb through, and go. It’s a great secret weapon for when you’re in an emergency! Time is money! Don’t have dry shampoo? Baby powder will do the trick!
14. Clean up your nails without needing to go to a professional
Combine a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide with a few tablespoons on baking soda, and soak your fingers in the solution for a few minutes! Those nails will be looking pretty! Here are even more ideas!
15. Say ‘yes’ to local cosmetology schools
Need a haircut? Cosmetology students are always looking for new models to practice their skills on, and that can mean a free makeover for you too!
16. Eyeshadow palettes are fantastic to experiment with new looks
They are also great for some double duty work! Palettes can double as brow filler, eyeliner, and even a highlighter.
17. Invest in quality brushes
Make the investment once. Quality brushes should last you close to a lifetime.
18. Purchase products that can multitask
Buy eyeshadow that can double as a liner or a brow filler. Buy lipstick that can double as a nice blush. Always keep in mind all of the various uses one product can give you.
19. A great make-up remover at the end of the day is Vaseline
It works on the whole face and also moisturizes. Not to mention the ease it will have on your purse strings.
20. Avoid impulse makeup purchases
Have the mindset of ‘what do I really need’ and ‘what do I regularly use to help factor in what to purchase’. This will help you avoid impulse purchases. You can also bring along a friend with you when you go shopping to have them help keep you in check with your purchases.
21. Have a make up budget, and stick to it
As stated before, impulse makeup purchases can add up.
22. Figure out if less can be more
See if potentially using less of a product will still give you the same results. If so, try to continuously use less in order to save more.
23. Look into making more of your own products
Facial masks, hair treatments, and much more can all be treated with at-home DIY substitutions. The great thing is many of these things can be created with routine things found around the house. Here are some ideas!
24. There is more than one use for your conditioner
Your hair conditioner can double as a shaving cream. It will leave your legs feeling silky and smooth.
25. Use the most of any product you buy
Be sure to squeeze all you can out of the bottles you do purchase, so that you’re not throwing out product you could have used.
26. Color your hair at home
Save yourself a lot of money by dyeing your hair at home. Boxed hair color kits are great, especially for root touch-ups.
27. DIY your exfoliator
Mix brown sugar and honey to create a nice face or body exfoliator. Check out how here!
28. Recycle your old lipstick and eye shadow containers
Companies like MAC will mail you a new lipstick, just for recycling. Pucker up!
29. Buy in bulk, if you can
Try to buy a full year’s worth of shampoo, mascara, lipstick, etc. when possible, so that you won’t have to waste money on gas, time, or more money buying as you go.
30. Attempt to combine coupons with sales wherever you go
It will save you a lot of money and time to look for the sales to go along with your coupons. If you try a product but don’t like it, take it back for a refund.
Emina Dedic is a career student, political activist, and writer. She enjoys writing about politics, relationships, fashion, business, higher education, and travel. In addition to writing for LifeHack, Emina also writes for Life After Study Abroad and HackCollege. She holds a BS in Psychology and is a NESTA certified Personal Trainer. She is currently writing a book about completing college for a fraction of the regular cost. She tweets from @thelibertybeast. This article is culled from Life Hack.
