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Temptalia Asks You - Do you give yourself a beauty budget?

Do you give yourself a beauty budget? Or do you just eyeball it? Or do you not set a budget?

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It’s a combination of eyeballing and not having a budget, I’d say. I’m good about living within my means, IMO, so I have a good idea of what I can and can’t afford!

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28 Comments

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Q Avatar

It’s a combo of eyeballing and budget. There’s a certain amount that I allot as “fun money.” What I do with it is solely up to me. But there’s some wiggle room. Just have to be practical and balance wants.

Emm Avatar

I don’t have a budget perse but usually when I buy makeup I know what I want already so I have an idea what I am going to spend. Going into Sephora/Mac counter with no idea is dangerous.

jojoba (My Makeup Reviews) Avatar

yes, $400USD a month and I have never broken my record! YAY! I always set aside saving first then divide the rest into all parts (food, clothes, books, mu and etc.)

However, I am moving to Australia for a year and the makeup budge will drop drastically till probably only $100 or $50 a month 🙁

Anitacska Avatar

I don’t, but I really should, lol. 🙂 Although I don’t get into any sort of debt and we can pay for everything else we need, I have been spending more and more on beauty (mainly make up), so really need to reduce it. However, I don’t think it’s gonna happen anytime soon with all the new holiday collections coming out, lol! Oh well, maybe i can make it my new year resolution.

Nicci Avatar

Well, I just spent $91 this weekend but I felt like I got a good deal. I don’t really think I give myself a budget, like you, I know what I can afford and what is out of my means. Even if I had a strict budget it would have to budge a little this month, since I will be spending some more on the Sephora sale..haha 🙂

happybadfish Avatar

No, but I don’t buy expensive things on a whim. I want my makeup to be an investment. Everything I have bought I use. Except, haha, except my new Mac lip erase, I totally bought that cause I just wanted it. It is still in the box, because I know it probably won’t be as good as I want it to be.

My budget is small I guess. I don’t “haul”. I just buy things here and there as I need it.

Christy Avatar

I try to keep a list of everything I get and tally it up at the end of the month. If I know I over did it one month I hold back the next month. I splurge when I know I’ve gotten some extra money.

alicia Avatar

I also do the eyeball method. I can’t stand lots of stuff and too many similar colors. I make sure that all I own can be seen on top of my dresser. I also use 1 glass jar to house my glosses. If it gets too full for my liking, I stop buying. Or stop buying until I purge!

Akia Avatar

Nope, no budget… I just eyeball I guess. But I don’t buy that much. This weekend, I probably spent amount $200 but that was my first time buying makeup in about 6 months. I try not to get too much of the same stuff. I went a little crazy at the CCO this weekend! They have all of the BBR and Hello Kitty stuff in there!!! I always get my LE stuff from the CCO, no need to have it right then in there when I can wait a couple months and get it for cheap!

Patti Avatar

I have a certain amount a month I can spend over anything I want but it usually gets divided between clothes/shoes and makeup. I should probably start budgeting more though!

amanda Avatar

I really probably should. It’s not the money aspect for me, luckily. But…I have run out of room. I probably spend around $800 or $1000. a month on stuff and it’s truly pretty stupid. I

Anitacska Avatar

That is exactly the same as me, I spend somewhere in that region, plus have no room left at all. My husband is always complaining about the amount of stuff I get, rather than the cost, although he doesn’t know the full extent of my expenditure, I don’t think. 😉

amy Avatar

I try to stay on a budget but I don’t really have a formal one set up. I make a list of what I want mentally and then try to eliminate products when I see it in person. Sometimes I am under budget and sometimes I am over.

Alexis Avatar

If I think about it I usually spend around $200 – $300 dlls per month in clothes in make-up. I’m really trying to bring it down ’cause it’s getting ridiculous. =S

BeckBeck Avatar

I don’t set a numerical budget, either – I try to make decisions based on how unique an item is and the quality/cost ratio. I do buy d/s mascaras pretty much willy-nilly these days because I’m on an informal quest to try them all 🙂 but I’ll shop around and try to get the lowest price on them, which is usually at Target if they’re not on sale someplace. With higher-end products, I’ve recently tried to pay closer attention to whether I have similar colors in my stash already before I make big buys. Just a few months ago, when Sephora launched the VIB program and gave out the 10% coupons, I made two $200+ hauls of mostly high-end eyeshadows. This time around I actually talked myself OUT of two palettes because they were in the same color family as the stuff I already have.

Scarlett Avatar

I don’t really have a budget either; I really think I should start budgeting though, because I am beginning to feel extremely wasteful. I have a hall closet that basically serves as a “store” when I run out of a mascara or something and I have the tendency to hoard products during free gifts, sales, or outlet trips. I definitely buy things I do not need…especially since I have friends who work at cosmetic counters. For instance, I know I’ll buy the Estee Lauder AND the Lancome Beauty Boxes this year as I have friends at both counters and want to help them out.

Bridgette Avatar

I put myself on a beauty budget. $50 bucks a month. Before I didnt but now that I am on a budget it has helped me manage my money well and look for drug store alternatives.

Lorna Avatar

i eyeball it but i put it all on the credit card so i see how much i spend per month. if i feel like it’s too much, i feel guilty and i cut back until i feel like i have recuperated what spent. this method has made me far more picky than i used to be which is a good thing. i also note that part of me is a collector and so i try not to get involved in too many brands because i always want a “complete” collection.

also for many items, i will only go for good deals. i used to always buy bath and body works lotions but i cut that out in favor of a cheaper unscented body cream and then a luxurious fragrance over top. this way i keep a good cheap staple product but i can mix it up with something nice.

just do whatever works for you and keep an eye on the bottom line.

Miss_M Avatar

I try to keep an eye on what I spend each month and try not to spend over E50,- euros. Unfortunately, with all the LE collections MAC releases each month I don’t always manage to keep my purchases within budget. In that case I try to hold back the next few months to balance it out.

Luda Avatar

Yes – it is 200 a month and I stick to it by giving myself a little wiggle room. Let’s say this month I spent more then 200 I know next month I will make up the difference by getting less then 200. It goes the other way around as well. So far in the month of October I only spent about 65 on make up, so I know in November I can go as nuts as I want.

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