How to Budget for Beauty
In my recent Q&A video, one of you asked how to budget for beauty items (see my answer here). I thought I would share the specifics of how to spend and save on skincare, makeup, body, and hair products.
SKINCARE
DEPARTMENT STORE
- Enzyme Exfoliators -- a hi-tech blend that melts away dead skin.
- Serum -- designed to sink deeply into the skin to renew and repair.
- Night Cream -- hydrates the skin overnight and keeps it from inflammation.
- Eye cream -- firming, moisturizing, and not too heavy for the delicate skin around the eyes.
DRUGSTORE
- Clay -- for DIY face masks. Mix a teaspoon with raw honey or jojoba oil for a quick detox mask.
- Witch Hazel -- a gentle toner that removes dead skin and excess oils that is also safe for all skin types.
- Jojoba Oil -- nature's luxurious oil that soothes, plumps, and instantly hydrates (use it on the tips of hair too!).
- Gritty scrub -- a good old fashioned gritty scrub for those times when nothing else works.
- Epsom salts -- for a relaxing, detox bath.
- Remover wipes -- look for a brand with little to no fragrance or alcohol for quick, gentle makeup removal.
MAKEUP
DEPARTMENT STORE
- Base colors -- concealer and foundation are hard to find in skin-like finishes with wide color ranges just anywhere. Get pro help at places like Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks, or Bergdorf Goodman to personalize your look.
- Powders -- eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, and setting powders that are finely milled and made with incredible pigments make for easy application and long-lasting finishes.
- Brow products -- gels, shadows, and pencils have better staying power, true-to-life shades, and don't go flaky.
DRUGSTORE
- Brushes -- find high quality synthetic brushes from my favorite brand Real Techniques.
- Mascara -- since it needs frequent replacement and dries out quickly.
- Lip products -- because they are usually very similar formulas and finishes to most high-end lines.
- Gel eyeshadow pots -- to wear under eyeshadow as a base, or alone for a sheer wash of color, and they tend to dry out quickly so it's not worth paying too much.
BODY
DEPARTMENT STORE
- Self tanning -- trust the sunless tanners flying off shelves of the high-end stores for the most subtle, even tan.
- Fragrance -- for higher oil content and richer scents, which makes the smell linger longer.
DRUGSTORE
- Dry brush -- to slough off dead skin and increase circulation, which detoxifies the body and smoothes skin at the same time.
- Tools -- nail clippers, tweezers, cotton pads, etc.
HAIR
DEPARTMENT STORE
- Setting sprays -- for that supermodel hair, stick to the brands that actually do hair backstage at the runway shows.
- Hair treatments -- leave in conditioners, masks, scalp treatments, and serums are worth paying the extra buck.
- Dry shampoo -- for sheer, volumized, touseled hair that doesn't have white roots stick to the department store brands.
DRUGSTORE
- Shampoo and conditioner -- because our hair can "get used to" certain formulas, it's good to change it up on a dime.
- Gel -- for sleek looks, drugstore gel is where it's at.
- Accessories -- elastics, bobby pins, clips are so easy to lose and cheap to replace.