Beauty Products – Save vs. Splurge

Credit: Flickr / Prittii

Your beauty products don’t have to break the bank if you splurge wisely

Looking good doesn’t have to cost a lot – if you spend wisely on your beauty products, and know what to invest in, you can save your bucks for a night out or a weekend getaway instead

Haircare

Save: Unless you have coloured hair, the brand of your shampoo doesn’t really matter as most shampoos have the same ingredients and do a fine job of cleaning and moisturizing.

Splurge: You should, however, pay attention to the conditioner you use – this is the product that will actually protect and nourish your hair. Choose a good quality conditioner and make it last longer by applying it only to the ends of your hair, as that’s where you need the most protection.

Makeup

Save: Save on your loose powder or compacts, eyelash curlers, lipstick and mascara. While most of us can’t leave the house without a slick of eye-opening mascara, you can afford to save your pennies here because most drugstore brands have an excellent range of mascaras – and it all comes down to the brush anyway. Maybelline’s Great Lash continues to top best mascara lists year after year.

Splurge: Definitely splurge on a good foundation for your skin type. The same goes for your concealer, blush and eye pencils. These products form the basis of a girl’s makeup arsenal and if you skimp on these, you’ll be in for foundation marks, visible dark circles and eyeliner smudges.

Another reason to splurge? The more expensive eye pencils use a softer wax, which is better for application. Cheaper pencils can crumble or pull the skin around your eyes. Inexpensive blush brands sometimes use talc and other powder ingredients, which may lead to streaks instead of a flawless application.

We’d also recommend buying a good quality nail polish – it will last longer and chip less, which means you save money by having to redo your nails less often. 

Skincare

Save: Save on your day cream. There are a number of great BB creams on the market from high street brands that smooth, moisturize and cover blemishes – all for under $25. Also, save on your facial cleanser and toner but invest in a gentle makeup remover and eye makeup remover as well.

Splurge: If there’s one thing you should splurge on, it’s your treatment cream – whether a serum, night cream or anti-aging cream. These are the products that have a high concentration of active ingredients that tone, firm and exfoliate the skin. Use a well-respected brand and you’ll notice a visible change in your skin.

More Tips for Saving on Beauty Products

• Shop online: A lot of brands offer big discounts and one-day sales when you shop online. Take advantage of these and stock up on your favourite products.
• Be a loyal customer: Sign up for newsletters or ‘like’ the Facebook pages of beauty and skincare brands. Doing this will give you access to loyalty promotions and deals.
• Shop with a friend: To save on shipping costs when you shop online, ask friends if they need to stock up on beauty products and are willing to split the fee.
• Make your products last longer: Never store makeup or skincare products in the bathroom cabinet, as the heat from your shower will shorten the lifespan of the ingredients.