Beauty
Bits and Tips: a few more beauty hints from us
Your
Beauty budget - How to Save, Where to Splurge, and figuring it all out
Where and how can you save on
your beauty budget and which beauty items are worth the splurge?
As more visitors come to us with questions in this area I've begun thinking
about this in some detail. As with everything in beauty, there are no hard
and fast rules -- and always a few caveats. As an example,
everyone's skin is different and in some cases (i.e., acne, rosacea,
sensitivity, etc.) you may need to buy specific products without price
considerations. But, in general, I think there are areas where products
from less expensive brands (i.e., those you find at the drugstore) are the way
to go. You can use the savings from paying less for these products towards
products and services where paying up really makes a difference. So, let's
take a look at some ideas.
The
Savings
Cleansers - There are
products out there for every skin type and you are likely to find one from
one of the less expensive brands that suit your needs perfectly. Just
remember to choose one that contains no soap.
Mascara - There are
constantly new mascaras coming onto the market including many made by the
less expensive brands. However, the one that has been a favorite of
makeup artists for years is Maybelline's Great Lash ($4.49 at drugstore.com).
This has been one of my favorite of mine as well.
Body Care
Products - Unless you have specific skin conditions that require specific
products, I think that some of the less expensive brands (such as Aveeno
which is available at drugstore.com)
are as good or better than any that I've used. An excellent way to
save.
Sun Care -
There are a great number of less expensive brands out there which make
products for sun protection. This is another area where you can save
your pennies. Just remember, get products with broad spectrum
protection (both UVA and UVB) and an SPF appropriate for your particular use
-- at least 15 or more depending upon how long you're going to be in the
sun. I happen to use Neutrogena products for sun care -- not because
they are well priced (which they are) but because I love the products.
(Available at drugstore.com)
Lip Balm -
There are so many out there that are modestly priced and some even have SPF
15 for protection against the sun. Pick one that is petroleum based
such as Vaseline Lip Therapy Petroleum Jelly, Advanced Formula ($1.79 at drugstore.com)
Eye makeup
Remover - I've found that the eye makeup removers that I buy in
drugstores work just as well as those I've gotten from expensive
brands. However, I think that the "biggest bang for the
buck" is Sephora's Express Eye Makeup Remover. It takes off both
waterproof and non-waterproof makeup easily, doesn't leave an oily residue,
and at $8.50 for 5oz. is a great bargain. (Available at Sephora.com)
The
Splurges
Foundation -
Foundation gives you the "canvas" to use for the rest of your
makeup so the right foundation is extremely important. First and
foremost, find one that matches you skin color exactly. It should
"fade" into your skin and you should never see a line between the
foundation on your jaw line and your bare neck. Second, you need to
find the formulation that is best for you (i.e., liquid, cream, oil free,
luminizing, etc.). If you are lucky enough to find the right
foundation from a less expensive brand, that's great. However, with
the multitude of brands out there, it's worth finding the product whose
shade and formulation works best for you. And, this might mean splurging on
the price.
Powder - The
finish to the "canvas," is the right shade and constancy of
powder. Powder should never look dry or cakey on your skin. Finding
the right one may involve paying up, but I believe it's worth it.
Makeup Brushes
- I've said it before and I'll say it again, good makeup brushes are worth
the investment. Good tools make makeup application easier and more
precise. You don't need to buy every brush at once, but begin to build
your wardrobe of basics including blush, powder, lip, and certain brushes
for applying your eye makeup. (The exact eye brushes will depend upon the
look you want to achieve.) One way to build your brush wardrobe is to
think about asking for brushes when someone wants to give you a gift.
Tweezers - Yes,
you can buy tweezers for a couple of dollars, but splurge on this
one. You need good tweezers to pull out those pesky unwanted
hairs precisely. Our choice is Tweezerman tweezers. There
are a few different ones to choose from, but most pros recommend the slant
tweezer. Although they range in price depending upon which you buy,
they run in the $18-20 range. (Available at Beauty.com)
Professional
Eye Brow Shaping - It's amazing the difference good, professionally shaped
eyebrows can make in your appearance. Find someone skilled who is able
to give you a shape that is flattering to your face. This may be a
splurge, but one worth making. If you don't want to make this
commitment either in time or money, at least think about having it done from
time to time and cleaning your eyebrows up yourself between visits.
Great haircut
and color - Your haircut and color are one of those things that can make or
break your appearance. To get a fabulous cut and great color you need
a pro and that sometimes can be expensive (and in some cases very
expensive). But I think it's worth the splurge and there are ways to
cut down on the price. You may want to think about finding a senior
stylist and colorist at a top flight salon to create a look for you and have
others follow their lead at less expensive prices. (Check
out our tips on finding the right stylist and colorist.) A junior
stylist at the same salon may be affordable on an ongoing basis and
many of the top salons around the country have training programs where the
services performed by staff-in-training are deeply discounted. We have
some of these programs listed at our Discount
Services at Top Salons page. The salons listed represent only a
small portion of great salons who offer training programs to their staff, so
check around your area.
Some
Other Alternatives
There are skin care and makeup
lines that, price wise, fall in between the products that you purchase at the
drugstore and those you buy at a department store. Let me give you few
examples.
On the skincare side, there
is the Exuviance brand. They have moisturizers in the $19-$26 range,
an eye cream for $19 and a six piece sampler for $25. This line,
available at The
SkinStore.com,
may or may not be the right one for you. However, it is an excellent
example of a great brand at a relatively modest prices.
Another skin
care brand that fall into this middle range is AHAVA. Although a
bit pricier than the Exuviance line, it has moisturizers in $28-$48 range,
an eye cream at $35 and masques in the $28-$35 range. AHAVA is also
available at The
SkinStore.com.
On the color
cosmetic side, I'd put MAC into this category. As compared to other
makeup artist lines, their prices are typically less expensive and their
variety of colors enormous. Their single shadows are $13.50, eye
pencils range from $12-$13.50, lipsticks are $14, lip liners are $12-$13.50,
and their well known Lip Glass glosses are $14. Their blushes at $17.50 are
larger than many from other makeup artist brands. (Available at macys.com)
Other
Ways To Save
Sometimes you
really need to go into a store and look at a product before you buy. This
is especially true with many color cosmetics. For example, there is no way
that I would buy foundation without first trying it on and I much prefer to try
on items such as eye shadows, lipsticks, and blushes before I purchase
them. However, once you've located the item you want, check the
net. You may find it at considerable savings. (Don't forget to add in
shipping costs and taxes, if any, when you compare prices.) And when you want to
replenish something you already use, this can be a great way to save. Some
of the ways to save include going to sites like FragranceNet.com
where they discount many brands and products (not only perfume). Also check out
Beautydeals.netThe
SkinStore.com has an an amazing variety of
brands and offers a 115% price
guarantee where they will refund 115% of the difference between the lower
price and their price. (Check the exact details are on their site.)
Many sites also offer to send you coupon and other savings offers when you make
an initial purchase on their site. Often these offers can save you a lot
of money on products you buy all the time. Of course, check out
our Goodies page where we have discounts and other
offers for savings. This is how I shop and, believe me, the savings can
mount up.
So, start to
prepare your beauty budget, save where you can and splurge where it matters.
Good
luck in the hunt!
Carol
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Everyone's skin and skin needs
are different. The data is for informational purposes only. If you
have any questions in regard to which products are appropriate for your skin, we
recommend that you contact your dermatologist or other health care professional.
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