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What are your best budgeting tips for beauty?
What are your best budgeting tips for beauty? Share your tips!
Planning is really key! Figure out what your budget requires, how much do you spend on necessities, savings, and what’s left? How much can you spend on extras like beauty? Consider saving up for really big sales – e.g. around the winter holidays, as many brands have exceptional sales/deals. Think about how often you’d really wear that particular product/color and whether you could get pretty close by mixing two or three products you already own.
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I definitely agree about planning out how much money you need to spend on other things and using the extra on beauty. beyond that, I love making lists. I have a small list of things that I want/need, and I don’t allow myself to buy anything not on the list. if I feel the urge to try something new that I know I don’t really need, I try to get a sample of it. it can scratch the itch for newness without having to dig into yor wallet.
Me too!
I plan my monthly expanses and make lists of what I want to have beautywise. Sometimes I have a difficult time only buying things that are on my list but it really helps not overspending.
And I love to wait for sales to come by, that really helps as well.
Making a wishlist on textedit and editing it constantly (you’re going to do this if you subscribe to beauty blogs like this one). Then, I mark which ones I really want/need and then sort them into wants vs. needs. I proceed to purchase the ones that are limited edition first, then purchase the others when I run out of what I have currently. I cannot purchase an item unless it has been on the list for awhile.
Basically, only purchase what you need and replacements for current items that you love.
excactly the same for me
edit: furthermore, I always wait for sales.
I love the idea of only purchasing things that have been on the list for a while 🙂 then you know its something you really want. I’ll have to try that!
That’s the reason I’m here on Temptalia! I’m a huge believer in being selective, and refining the products you want down to a short list. I also think that you’re better off looking everywhere and researching until you find, say, a single perfect-match foundation in an excellent formula and a single super-flattering lipstick – as opposed to three lipsticks and a bunch of other things that may not be as good as they could be, if that makes sense. I would rather have a few things that I want to wear every day (Or, in the case of a red lipstick for example, most special occasions!) and are enjoyable to wear than a whole host of fun colours and stuff I only use once or twice! I hate anything that sits in the bottom of my drawer without being used, it strikes me as such a waste!
I keep a small notebook in my purse where I keep lists of brands/shades that I am interested in. I google swatches/images of these items, then I look through my stash periodically, at least once every other week, and update my list(s). It’s a bit OCD, but I actually enjoy it. I also get reminded of what I haven’t used for a while, so it feels like I’m getting something new. Lately I’ve been experimenting with mixing shades and finding dupes within my already massive stash.
I have major cosmetics OCD, and I actually enjoy it – I’m constantly looking through Temptalia’s swatch gallery.
Outside of foundation, I don’t view makeup/beauty products as a necessity. Therefore, I only purchase cosmetics that are on sale, have coupons, or come in a packaged deal. That basically sums up my makeup budgeting process.
I have a beauty wishlist that I keep updated and try not to buy things that aren’t on that list. I know that way that I’m buying things I really want/need. I’ve usually researched those things online so I know I’m not spending money on a bad quality product. I also think about how much I need a product…like you, I ask myself could I make a similar effect by mixing products I already own.
I make lists and read reviews/research what I want first!
Ditto that!
Ditto that too!
Yay!
a (wish) list is a NEED! plan ahead and keep off impulsive shopping. also, don’t buy stashes, esp if the product you bought is new for you and you don’t know if it’ll fit you.
Yea, planning for sure helps, and then browsing sites, like yours, to look at good swatches. Although sometimes that creates more lemmings than helping to cross things off a list!
If you know a product works for you, but is a little pricey, sometimes it’s better to just buy the product than to waste money trying to find a cheaper alternative.
I guess my best budgeting tip is to wait for sales and gift-with-purchase promotions. When there is an item I want or know I will want to repurchase, I’ll try to catch at GWP promotion, as I did recently with Clarins. I also look forward to the Sephora promos – anywhere from 10 to 20 percent off. If there’s an item I want and can wait for, I’ll try to hold off until then. Of course, they know what they’re doing – I do often end up purchasing a bit more stuff, figuring “but it’s 20% off”. As my husband points out, it’s still 80% MORE than if I hadn’t purchased… In Canada, a chain called Shopper’s Drug Mart has a points system and sometimes (often), you can amass 20X the regular points so I’ll try to purchase stuff then and then redeem my points on cosmetics (which is how I got my Guerlain foundation – free!). Of course, the “best” technique is to stay away from beauty blogs and youtube videos – THOSE are the things that get me fired up to buy more makeup, and truth be told, I really have a lot more makeup than I need or will ever use up!
Mariela, you’re right!
Every time that I watch those videos I end up running to a store and buying something!
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I really need a wish list like you guys!!!!
Your words are so true.
I also try to use promotions or discounts, especially when I buy high end products. Sadly, in the US sales and discounts are more common compaired to German stores.
There is something I experienced about wish lists. It happened to me, that after a time of 2 or 3 weeks, I am not that interested in a product anymore. Meaning, I try to wait before buying a hyped product.
I do not completely agree with staying away from youtube and beauty blog. You can still watch and read, but you have to limit yourself. And that is in my opinion the hardest part.
I used to try and save up or just splurge when sales were too good to pass up but now I usually use gift cards. Not sure if anyone has heard of the website mypoints.com but I’ve been a member for a few years now and it’s awesome. You earn points for stuff you buy online and then use the points for gift cards. I’ve earned a lot since I spend a ton of money on school books and have been able to buy a ton of makeup I wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. Hope this helps!
I think its neat that you’ve put money towards school books and ended up earning some cosmetics! I’ve never seen the My points thing before, but it sounds like rewarding yourself for studying hard. XD
Ha I’m so glad so many of you guys said you have lists that you update constantly. I have this exhaustively researched list too and I was afraid it was totally obsessive. Yay there are others out there!
I know! I’m completely OCD – Its taken me AGES to decide upon the tiniest most refined list EVER XD Its amazing!
1) Wait for sales, GWP and the like
2) Visit CCO or other sale stores when you can to see what they have
3) Visit beauty blogs to know which prodducts are good and which to pass on
4) Don’t be a brand snob there are good items and bad items both at the drugstore and at high end.
5) Remember what you have so that you don’t buy dupes
Think it over; seriously consider how often you’d use it. Usually the urge passes and you don’t really want it any more. If you do walk away, decide you DO want it and it’s no longer there, then it simply wasn’t meant to be. Something better will come along 🙂
I read as many reviews as possible about a product that I think I need before actually buying it. If I see something I like, I’ll look at the ratings and reviews on Temptalia (of course), Beautypedia, Makeupalley, and any other credible sites that mention the product I like. That way, I spend money on what I know will very likely work on my particular skin type and coloring, and don’t waste money on fad products that will not benefit me.
I never buy something just because it is on sale because I’ve learned that I throw most of those products away. I have such sensitive skin that I very rarely hit on a product that works for me by accident. Maybe people who have great skin and don’t need to be so choosy have better luck buying products or cosmetics based on price alone.
I recently bought a Guerlain Rouge G lipstick, for example–it was expensive, but worth it for me–it doesn’t dry out my poor lips, which get badly chapped with other lipsticks I’ve tried.
Also, going to Sephora in person and getting free samples of products that I think might work (based on reviews that I’ve read) really helps me narrow down which products or shades I should buy. It saves me a lot of money in the long run, once I’ve found what works for me.
i agree! checking reviews and getting samples at sephora has totally helped me!
I wish Sephora shipped internationally!
All of my major bills come out of my first paycheck. It means spending the first two weeks of the month fairly tight, but it means the second paycheck is completely free for whatever I want to do with it – and frees it up in case unexpected expenses arrive. I also tend to keep a running list of things I’m interested in getting, sorted by permanent and LE items, as well as priority. I will splurge buy occasionally, but it’s usually on something that really grabs me or something lower end that won’t wear out my paycheck.
I think you covered budgeting very well. A tip I have is to keep a list of all the items you want and read plenty of reviews and find swathes. I find that if an item has been on my list for a couple of months, then it’s something I truely want, it’s not an impuluse buy, and I’ll buy it. I guess the only issue I’d run into is when brands of limited edition items….
Keeping a list wouldn’t help me at all. Quite the contrary! It’d remind me that I wanted certain items I would’ve otherwise forgot about. I pretty much never buy things on impulse, I always wait a couple of days to see if I’m still lusting after the item after I’ve had some time to get distracted. If I still want it I’ll likely get it, regardless of price or necessity.
I’m pretty good with spending though – I rarely want something I know I won’t use and I rarely feel a sense of urgency unless it’s some amazing sale or it’s something I need a replacement of. I rarely buy more than maybe 2 items a month.
In Mexico we seldom (if ever!)have sales or big discounts on makeup so you have to be willing to shell out big bucks if you want to get high end products. Therefore planning is key. (If only I could follow my own advice…LOL)
I always maintain a “cushion” (the amount is not necessarily static, it depends on the circumstances) so if I come across a special like “Buy 2, get 1 free” of a basic staple, then I can take advantage of that and stock up on the essentials. Some stores often do this within a range, not just a single product so you don’t have to get 3 moisturizers at once, you can get a cleanser and an eye cream instead.
If you’re not sure for whatever reason, stop and have a serious think about it. Go and have a coffee of something and ask yourself if it really is true love, lust or the thought of missing out rather than an actual real desire for that particular item. Then decide if you need to go back to the store and get it or not.
VALUE in not the same as PRICE. Paying $20 for a 2 gram concealer stick instead of spending $40 on a 15mL tube is false economy. Sure it costs less at the point of sale but if you need to buy a new $20 concealer every six weeks and the $40 one lasts for a year, then you end up paying way more in the long run.
Limited Edition is a double edged sword. It doesn’t actually mean the product will be any good or even suit you but the “Buy it now or miss out!” mentality is designed to trap you into panic purchasing.
Even if it is PERFECT for you, what happens when you run out and can’t get it any more?
There is always a chance it will be re-promoted, particularly if it was very popular, or another brand could do something very similar a while later…
If you tend to overspend, make a budget and stick to it. If you cannot resist the lure of credit, set the card at a low limit and ask your bank NOT to increase it.
If you’re going shopping without any particular need to purchase, leave your credit card at home to prevent impulse buying and take a limited amount of cash instead.
If you have to carry your credit card for emergencies, put a post it note over the strip or chip that says “Buying a new lipstick does not constitute an emergency” or whatever.
I do two things:
1) I keep a wishlist of the products I want on my laptop and update it regularly by adding new products and deleting things that no longer interest me. I only shop from the list, and I only buy things that have been on the list for an extended period of time which allows me to think about whether I really want the product and discourages impulse buys.
2) I give myself a monthly makeup allowance. I only allow myself to spend the max and then I cut myself off until the next month. If I feel tempted to buy after I’ve reached my limit, I avoid looking at my favorite makeup blogs and stores. Also if I don’t spend my entire allowance for the month (which does happen from time to time), I “roll over” that money to the next month and enjoy spending with a bigger budget!
May sound complicated, but it works well for me. And my husband definitely appreciates my system! =)
Research. When I see something that I think might be nice, I look for reviews. If it’s on the pricey side, I look for dupes. If I find a dupe, I look for reviews of said dupe. Because I just use makeup for fun, I don’t see the point in having the absolute best quality. Good quality will work for me and you can get good quality for pretty cheap if you do your research.
TOTALLY agree!
I’m the opposite. I’d rather have the absolute BEST formula you can buy. If it doesn’t break the bank, great, but if its expensive, I’ll still invest in it (But I’ll save up for it over time and set a certain amount of time to leave between my purchases) – I only use a very selective range of makeup (That is, I’m not the kind to experiment and buy every new shade or this or that and keep my makeup wardrobe/shade selection to an elegant minimum) and if I have something, I want it to perform well, be something I’ll wear all the time, flatter my skin tone, and LAST. So I generally go for the high-high end concealer (Cle de peau for example) over a whole haul of fun makeup. I’ve found that investing in quality items that I will use saves money (and space) in my case.
I allot a monthly budget to my beauty shopping and try not to use anything else like credit cards or other forms of cash to buy anything. and, I do prioritize what to spend my money on and always try to curb an impulse-buy as it always gets me the most useless product!!!
First, I never order anything online unless I get free shipping, which usually means my order is at least $50.00. Because it’s a larger $$$ amount, I’ll give a lot of consideration to what I really want. Second, I always put items I really like on a site’s wishlist or on an Excel spreadsheet. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been blinded by a gorgeous blue eyeshadow swatch, then gone back and said to myself, “What did I want that for?”
Nebraska isn’t exactly known for being a fashion mecca, so I do most of my beauty purchases online.
I keep a Sephora shopping list of items I use regularly, e.g. moisturizer, foundation, lipsticks, etc. as well as splurges. When the VIB 20% sale starts, all I have to do is click “Add to Cart” and check out. I add to this list throughout the year and filter through it before purchasing. I also make sure I go through ebates to get an additional 4-8% off.
I have a load of polishes in my Zoya shopping cart awaiting their next promo.
If I’m in need (or want) of something that is time-sensitive due to limited edition release, I scan for coupon codes before checking out.
Don’t forget about Mr Rebates,too;one or the other always has a h
igher cash back percentage.
I am such a makeup addict, that I have a section in my budget just for beauty products. This may sound a little OCD but I have a list of every shade I have for each brand of makeup and a separate list with the shades I want to get. I’m pretty good at sticking to my budget, I plan a month ahead as to what I’m buying. That’s why I love Temptalia because she always give us plenty of notice before a new collection is released 🙂
Research things before you buy them. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the latest collection, just make sure what ever you’re going to buy, you research first and get a sample of. Saves money and time!
I agree with definitely doing your research. It’s easy with all the beauty blogs now. And make sure you don’t already have something that you could substitute for it. Sometimes something will catch my eye but I get home and I have something the same or really similar.
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Una coleccion nueva NO significa que los colores sean diferentes a los que Ya tienes. Muchas personas compran mas de lo mismo y gastan el doble. En mi caso…. Me encantan los tonos y acavados diferentes no importa si no compro de algunas colecciones en especifico! Es muy raro que repita colores todo el tiempo. Me encanta el cambio! Por eso escribo muy claro que hay que hacer un buen >>
^_*
I try before I buy, gives me time to see how the product works on me and if I have something similar! I’m also using up all my products before buying anything new, except for HG items.
Try before you buy, buy on sale, and ask about stores return policy so if you buy something in the wrong color or that’s dried out you can get your money back or return it for the right thing.
Not buy. That’s very hard for me. I’m trying. I’m really wanting to use what I have. Like, I got my 1st butter London polish ever. Trout pout. I cringed @ paying $14. for it but, what the hay. Well I hate it. It went on thick & streaky. So back it goes. I’m sticking to cheaper ones. Lesson learned.
Try and swatch before you purchase. Sticking to what works for you and not just about trends keeps you from over buying. Also learn about excellent drugstore products. For instance I only purchase drugstore mascara.