When I first decided that I wanted to pay off my loans early, I realized I needed to cut costs. Everywhere. That included my makeup and skincare products. Gone were the days of going to Sephora every time I wanted a new lip color, in came drugstore makeup.
Growing up I was always envious of girls with designer lip glosses and eyeshadows, so it felt amazing once I started buying the brands I once coveted.
But spending so much money on makeup seemed frivolous once I realized how much I owed on my student loans, and many people claimed that you could find the same quality for cheap. If that was true, then why was I spending so much money?
Unfortunately, I haven’t entirely converted to drugstore makeup, but that doesn’t mean I’m OK with buying full-price products. There are ways to save when you’re shopping at Sephora or Ulta.
Anytime I’m in the market for a new eyeliner or lipstick, I go to the number one place to read reviews: MakeUpAlley.com. You have to register there to see the reviews, but it’s so worth it.
For example, if I want to get a new tinted moisturizer, I’ll go there, click on Product Reviews, Tinted Moisturizer and search. I can instantly sort the options based on price, number of reviews and average rating. Usually, I do it by the number of reviews because if someone’s rated an item five starts once, it’ll be the highest rated.
Once I’ve found a few I want to learn more about, I click on the links and read the individual reviews. I like knowing if a foundation made someone with oily skin break out more or if the facial sunscreen left a white cast. Reading lots of reviews makes me prepared to actually go to the store and start shopping.
MakeUpAlley includes both drugstore and high-end brands in their reviews, so you can easily see if there’s a CoverGirl tinted moisturizer that works as well as the Nars or Laura Mercier. I love that! Who wants to spend more money for the same product?
Sometimes when I find a high-end product I really like, I still don’t want to splurge on it, especially if it’s something non-essential like setting powder or eyeshadow. I’d rather save my coins for foundation or eyeliner, something I use every time I put on makeup.
So if I have a product in mind, I’ll go to Temptalia, a blog that does makeup reviews and finds duplicates (or dupes). Most of the time, the dupes are cheaper versions of the same product. Temptalia writes about how the two are different, and she’ll rate how close the drugstore version is to its high-end twin.
Here’s an example. I looked up MAC Ruby Woo and found a bunch of dupes. Temptalia recommends the Maybelline Very Cherry – and even shows how it’s $9.51 cheaper than MAC and matches Ruby Woo 94% – what a win!
Seriously, if you’re not looking at drugstore duplicates, you’re really missing out.
If you haven’t found a drugstore version of the makeup you like, it’s ok to get it from Sephora or Ulta. Sometimes, quality is more expensive. But before you splurge on $50 foundation, try a sample of it. Nowadays, I always get samples before I buy makeup because I want to see how it works on my skin away from the bright lights of Sephora. I also like samples because you can make sure your skin doesn’t have a bad reaction to it.
Sephora’s employees are super nice about letting people take samples, but the people at Ulta can be a little hesitant about it. Still, it’s better to get a sample before you buy something you don’t like. Too many people end up not returning something, so that’s why I recommend getting a sample first.
Ulta and Sephora rarely have sales or coupons, so definitely stock up when they do. Sometimes I’ll even buy my favorite NARS foundation when it hasn’t yet run out because I don’t want to wait and miss the sale. Sephora’s sales are in April and November, while Ulta always has some around the holidays.
Join the email list so you’ll be notified when it happens. Ulta also has weekly coupons you can use on their cheaper products, which is also a great deal.
Both Ulta and Sephora have a rewards program that is free to join, so definitely sign up for that if you haven’t already. You can get free gifts on your birthday – I’ve gotten a mini free NARS lipstick from Sephora that was perfect for my skin tone and a travel-size Fresh cleanser. Plus, it makes it easier to return items if they’re linked to your card.
Sometimes Sephora has special deals where they’ll double how many points you earn with each purchase. Since Sephora’s rewards are actually super valuable, this is also a good time to buy anything you need.
I always wait to use my Sephora rewards until I’m 100% sure I want the product. Sometimes I’ll have enough to redeem for a special gift, but there’s nothing I actually like. But if I’m patient, eventually I’ll find something I like.
Also, if you shop online at Sephora.com, you can usually get extra samples and offers if you spend more than a certain amount. You can find this in the Beauty Offers section.
Both stores have an in-store and online sale section that can have great stuff if you poke around. I’ve gotten good deals from their clearance area before too. Plus, you can usually sample the goods at Sephora so you’ll know if you’re getting a good deal or a crappy product.
Nowadays, about half of my makeup comes from Sephora and half comes from Target or Amazon. I research carefully before deciding if I want to splurge or if I can save a few bucks. I rarely buy new makeup, so it’s always a big deal when I need to replace something. I’m really confident in my recommendation, so here’s a list of my favorite budget beauty items:
A good makeup brush is almost more important than the makeup itself, so I’ve always strived for quality when it comes to my brushes. The great news about Real Techniques is that their brushes are affordable AND highly rated.
I’ve slowly replaced most of my brushes with Real Techniques. If you wash them regularly with gentle soap and cold water, they’ll last forever.
I also save money because as you can see, I don’t own a ton of their brushes – just the blush and foundation brush. I still have an eyeshadow brush from EcoTools that I use, but when it starts to fade, I’ll replace it with a Real Techniques.
They work well, distribute color evenly and last forever. Just make sure to keep them away from your dogs, who might think your eyeshadow brush is a small chew stick.
Cost: Ranges from $3-$8 per brush on Amazon
This is my favorite eyeshadow palette. I can layer the colors to create a sophisticated look, and they hold up throughout the day.
I would recommend this to anyone who doesn’t want to splurge on the Naked palette but still wants a few good neutrals to wear. Did I mention it was less than $3?
Plus, since I travel a lot, I can fit this easily in my makeup bag. It holds up throughout the day (even better when I layer eyeshadow primer underneath it). Even though I have a bigger palette now, I still reach for this one when I’m in a hurry.
Cost: $2.99 at Walgreens
For a while, I was buying my mascara at Sephora, but I went on MakeUpAlley (duh) and this mascara had great reviews. It’s held up really well and doesn’t run like other drugstore mascaras I’ve tried. I get the waterproof since my eyes get teary, but I think the regular version also does well.
Cost: $7.99 at Ulta
Hey there everyone! I wanted to do something a little different for today’s post. I’ve been posting more about high-end makeup in the last few months, and so I wanted to talk about how to save money and get a better value on your high-end purchases. High-end makeup can be very expensive, and often times it is just not worth the money when a drugstore alternative can be found. This blog is built on the philosophy that a woman does not need to shell out tons of money to still be able to enjoy makeup. However, let’s face it, sometimes there are high-end products that are just too hard to resist. My goal with this post is to give you some ideas or tips on how to indulge, without totally breaking the bank.
Never order à la carte. Most high-end products are going to cost somewhere between $20 and $50 each. You can find items outside that range, but in general, that’s what we’re looking at for high-end. Let’s pause for a moment. Even on the lower end, $20 for a single eye liner or lipgloss is completely outrageous. $30 for cheek stain (Benefit), $42 for foundation (NARS)… Who decided that was okay? Talk about price gouging! Even if you can afford to pay these prices, why should you want to? Even with the best ingredients, $47 for a single lipstick (Guerlain) is straight up crazy sauce. Luckily, most brands offer value kits and palettes, which is where you will find your savings. When I reviewed Urban Decay’s Naked2 palette, I showed you the price break down on how much it would have cost if I bought each full-sized shadow individually. Buying them in the palette saved me over $150. You can often find sets of 3 or 4 products that cost the equivalent of two, so it’s like getting the rest for free. You will feel much better about paying $50 for four (or more) products rather than just one. Value sets are available all year round, not just at the holidays, but they are especially prevalent in the fall as companies gear up for Christmas. Most of the sets contain full-sized products, and often times limited edition shades as well. Another option that you may be able to find are sets of “minis” that will allow you to try several products out before paying for the full-sized version. Right now Tarte is offering a Clean Slate Primer trio for $9 that lets you sample mini versions of the Clean Slate line of eye primer and two face primers. The minis are a quarter of the size of the full products, but are priced at only an eighth of the cost. Kits like this are the perfect way to try before you buy, so you can see if you like the product before you shell out the cash. Which brings me to my second point.
Do your research. Have you ever bought a new foundation or mascara from the drugstore and simply hated it? Did you feel like you has wasted your money? Imagine how much worse you would feel is that items cost $30 instead of $7. If you are going to buy high-end, know what you are buying. The internet is an invaluable resource. The information is out there, you just have to look for it. Now, I’m not saying that you should spend hours poring over blogs and youtube before every purchase, but a five minute Google search won’t kill you. Check out makup alley, look at the rating the product has on Sephora’s website, read some reviews. Basic things like “This product is great for dry skin, but may feel too greasy for oily” or “The texture is great, but it tastes weird” can save you time and money in the long run. Also, ask for samples. I am really bad at this, but I need to work on it. High-end retailers offer samples, you just need to ask. If there is a mini version, buy that first to see if you like the product. You can always go back for the full-size later. Also, be familiar with your retailers return policy. If the product doesn’t work out, can you return it for a refund or store credit? A little knowledge can go a long way to getting you full value for your money.
The internet is your friend. In addition to all the information the web has to offer, you can also find online retailers that offer high-end makeup for less. One example of this is hautelook.com where you can find brands like Stila, Tarte, The Balm, and more for significant discounts. Another really good option is QVC, though I personally haven’t gotten anything from them yet. I have heard that the beauty “Today’s Special Values” are fantastic. I do know for a fact that they often feature new items online well before they are released in stores. I know some of you are resistant to buying makeup online, and there are some drawbacks. It can be hard to get an accurate idea of the specific size or shades of what you are getting. Shipping costs can sometimes be pretty high. But there are ways to work around that. Going back to doing your research, check out swatches online so you don’t have to only rely on the color representations the website offers. A lot of sites offer free shipping with an order of a certain amount. Wait until your can make a larger order to take advantage of reduced or free shipping. If you are willing to work for it, you can find amazing deals online.
Sign up for mailing lists. I know it’s annoying. I know. But there are a lot of sales going on all the time that range from 10%-30% off. Many companies have friends and family sales or anniversary sales. You can’t take advantage of these offers if you aren’t aware of them, and you can’t only rely on beauty bloggers to tell you about a sale. Sign up for email offers. Like your favorite brands on facebook. If you are worried about clogging up your inbox, sign up for a separate “public” email address that you use solely for this kind of stuff. You don’t have to check it every day, but try to check two or three times a week, so you don’t miss out on any special offers. This is especially true around holidays because you can find the best deals on the products you are interested in if you know what discount each retailer is offering.
It is possible to save money on high-end items. I hope that this post helped give you some ideas, not only on how to save, but also on how to get the most value for your money. I still stand by drugstore, but with these tips maybe you can splurge for less on high-end.
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