7 Ways to Cut Unnecessary Beauty Costs ...

Cut unnecessary beauty costs by researching your items first! It’s as simple as that, doesn’t require a great deal of research and will help you determine whether the product in question really is what you’re looking for. This handy little trick saved me a lot of cash, too, providing me with valuable information about finish (for nail polishes), staying power and coverage (for foundations) and many more, making my decisions much wiser literally overnight.

Some pricey beauty items are definitely worth every penny, others not really. But how are you supposed to know which ones are good and which are nothing but a waste of good cash? Ask for samples! Inexpensive or high-end, a product that won’t be used is basically a waste. Add all of those examples of wasted money up and you’ll realize that I’m talking about a really pretty sum that could be spent on something you really need, want and would use.

You don’t have to give up stuff in order to cut beauty costs – just avoid buying things you already own. If your makeup palettes contain all variations of shades you need, there is no need for another one and the same can be said for other cosmetic products. Do you really need five mascaras? Three moisturizing creams? Not really. Go through your supplies every time you get the urge to buy something you’ve seen in the magazine, determine whether you already have it or not and postpone the purchase if you do.

BB creams, high shine finish nail polishes that need no top coat, tinted moisturizers – there are tons of double duty makeup, hair care and skin care products. Not all of them are great, of course, but hey, that still leaves plenty of those that will rise up to your expectations!

Next on my list of budget friendly beauty tips requires a bit more sacrifice, true, but can be custom fit to help you save cash without sacrificing a great deal of time. Be your own beautician whenever you can and see how much that will save you! Start simple – paint your nails, do your own hair, wax your legs… all of these are fairly simple to do at home and could really help you save on so many levels.

Beauty products, unlike clothes, have an expiration date, meaning that you can’t rediscover them while sorting out your cabinets and decide to finally put them to good use. Furthermore, the more products you have, the greater are the chances that you won’t be able to use them up in good time. Reduce your wastes (and losses) by starting a Pan Project of your own or, if you hate the idea of having to stick to the rules, do the next best thing. Pay attention to expiration dates, making a mental note to use certain products more often.

Do you really need a full-sized package of a product you’ll use once in a blue moon? Trust me, you don’t! They’ll go bad and you’ll have to toss them despite the fact that they have been barely touched. Opt for a sample or a travel-sized bottle instead. Or, even better, why not make something yourself? Like a clarifying shampoo, a super-potent moisturizing treatment, peel off mask? These bad boys are only meant to be used once every month or so, so surely you can spend a bit of your free time making a fresh (not to mention natural) dose each time?

What strategies do you use to cut beauty costs? I, for example, never deny myself the pleasure of buying two of my favorite magazines each month which isn’t really budget-friendly. But they come with tons of samples and even full and travel-sized packages of products, allowing me to test all cool new stuff first and buy only the things I really love.