6 Ways to stretch your beauty dollar

Apr 25, 2012 11:00 AM by Jessica Padykula

Posted in Beauty & Style / Beauty News & Deals / Beauty & Fashion Bargains

Use multitasking products

Why spend money on three or four different products when one can do the job just as well? We love buying beauty products more than the average makeup-lover, but we also know there’s saving potential in using multitasking products. Whether you buy a cheek stain that can also be used on lips and lids, a cleanser that’s also an exfoliator or a lip gloss that does triple-duty as brow tamer and dry skin saver, give your makeup bag (and wallet) a break by getting more – for less.

Prioritize professional treatments

We get it – you don’t think you can live without your weekly mani, monthly facial, bi-weekly body scrub and near-daily blowout. We would do these things all the time if we could, too, but the trouble is they start to put serious strain on your bank account. Rather than omit your favorite treatments, be more strategic about them. Which ones do you really need? Put them into three categories: regular, sometimes and special occasion and decide what should go in each.

For instance, getting a trim every six weeks is a good use of your money and can/should be regular. A weekly mani? This is more of a “sometimes” treatment you don’t really “need” every seven days. Something like a body scrub would go under “special occasion” due to the high cost. The idea is to get a better sense of where your beauty money is going and make better use of it.

Do your research

There’s nothing worse than shelling out big bucks on a product you think you’ll love only to find out it’s not what you expected. We’ve all been sucked into buying a pricey foundation only to find out the coverage is too heavy or an expensive “long-wearing” lipstick that barely lasts through your first breakfast meeting. Avoid wasting money and research before you buy. Ask friends, read reviews and scour forums to find out whether your potential purchase is worth the money.

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Make your beauty treatments last

There’s no point getting a beauty treatment if the results go to waste within days (or hours). After getting a mani or pedi, be careful. Do what you can to get home sans smudges and take care of your color. Wear gloves when you do the dishes, touch up your topcoat, use cuticle oil to ensure your newly manicured hands stay that way. Get two (or even three) days out of a blowout depending on your hair type by using dry shampoo to revive your style. Don’t wear makeup after a facial. Let the masks, moisturizers and serums work their magic before you start applying product. If you’re going to spend the money, help your treatment last.

Make your own products

Not everything has to be purchased. The beauty buffs at SheKnows talk a lot about DIY beauty products, from body scrubs to facial masks – for a reason. Using what you have at home to get gorgeous is a sure fire way to save. Our new favorite? Cool as a Cucumber Skin Refresher:

Peel and grate one English cucumber. Take what you’ve just shredded and put it into a glass bowl lined with cheese cloth. Now squeeze as much liquid from the grated cucumber as you can. Strain and then add the contents of your bowl to a spray bottle (easy dollar store purchase) and fill the remainder of the bottle with mineral or bottled water. Store in the fridge for an instant pick-me-up.

You can also brew your tea of choice – we like green or mint – let cool and add that to your bottle for a simple but cooling DIY skin refresher.

Cut back

It’s so easy to use more than we need, whether it’s shampoo, cleanser, body wash or moisturizer. Take note of how much comes out of the bottle or jar with every use and then try to use less. You’ll be surprised by how much longer products last when you’re aware of how much you’re using. The less you use, the less you need to buy!