No joke- I threw away hundreds of dollars worth of makeup product a few weeks ago. Make-up that I had kept for years because, you know, I might actually use it some day.
How many of you have hoarder tendencies when it comes to your beauty routine?
I know I’m not the only one.
I used to have a full drawer full of nail polish, even though I never painted my nails because I always went to the salon to get a mani-pedi. The nail polish would just sit in the drawer and eventually get all gloppy, making it useless.
I then switched to lipsticks, collecting dozens and dozens of lipsticks. Repeat the process with eyeshadows, face cream, under-eye cream, lotion, repeat, repeat. It’s a sickness, really.
To watch that much make-up go to waste was a big eye-opener on how much I actually spend on my beauty routine and I vowed to be more frugal. Yes, it’s true that a
$5 nail polish or a $10 lipstick isn’t going to break or make the budget, but a whole basket full of them? It’s ridiculous.
Here are five ways I decided to start doing to save money on my beauty routine.
Be More Low Maintenance
I used to always have my nails painted some color of the season. But I found that the nail polish would chip and I just wouldn’t have time to spend an hour (applying and waiting for my nails to dry) to touch up my nails. SO I switched to clear nail polish or pretty nudes that aren’t as noticeable as bright or deep colors. I still look polished but without the hassle.
I’ve applied this rule of thumb to other beauty routines as well, such as going with a darker hair style that hides my roots and stretches the amount of time I can go in between hair appointments.
Use Up Samples
How many times have we gotten free samples or a free gift with purchase and end up dumping those samples in a bag and storing them for years because we may use them at some point? Except we always forget about them!
I actually went through all my samples and I had 8 different samples of face wash. I forced myself to stop buying face wash until I go through every single sample.
Try the Beauty School
Beauty schools have to have trained professionals to supervise the students, so it’s not like you’re going to get a horrible job done. If you’re wary, try them out with something not as obvious as your hair, for example. Maybe do a test run with a mani-pedi, eyebrow wax, or facial. Then move on to a trim before you feel comfortable enough to get your hair done as well.
Beauty schools can seriously save you hundreds on your beauty routine.
