Beauty on a budget: tips for looking great for less
It’s no secret that there are all sorts of pressures on us all to look glossy-mag-fabulous whenever we step out of our front door. And let’s be honest about it – a lot of this pressure comes in the form of advertising from big-name fashion and beauty brands, who offer us the promise of gorgeous looks – for a price.
Looking your best can be a costly business, and leads to all sorts of anxiety when you can’t afford that latest miracle product that is going to make you stand out from the crowd like an A-list celeb. But if you don’t have a Hollywood-sized budget to spend on luxury brands, there’s no need to fret. It’s perfectly possible to stay beautiful and thrifty, with plenty of fantastic hacks to steer well clear of the most eye-watering price tags and still look great.
Here are some of the best tips we know of for a brilliant beauty regime on a budget.
Household products – not just old wives’ tales!
Nowadays we are used to buying all of our beauty products over the counter, and we assume that the only things that really work must have been concocted by some genius in a lab somewhere who duly charges a fortune for their fantastical creations. But back in the day, most women used to make do with natural and everyday household products to maintain their good looks – and guess what, they knew what they were talking about!
Honey, for example, has been used for millennia in face masks. Its antibacterial and antioxidant properties are wonderful for dry, acne prone skin. It is also great for washing through dry, frizzy hair as it locks in moisture and leaves a wonderful shine.
And would you ever have thought of using baking soda as part of your beauty regime? This incredibly cheap and readily available substance is well known for its teeth whitening properties, but can also be used as a hair clarifier, as a fizzy exfoliant in the bath, and as a substitute for talc for keeping feet fresh and sweat-free.
Freebies and clearance prices
One of the things all big brands rely on is locking customers into a sense of loyalty to their products. They offer them something that really works, perhaps with a promotional offer or by giving away freebies, and then rely on people being prepared to pay top whack in the future for something they really like.
With a simple change in your thinking about how you choose one product from another, you can make this work to your financial advantage. Instead of looking for ‘the one’ from giveaways and offers, which you then end up spending a fortune on, just reset your thinking to ‘cheapest is best’.
Go around collecting all the free samples and discounted promos you can – or check out the great-value designer dupes from familiar high-street stores. You will soon build up a formidable armoury of beauty products for every occasion.
Another great tip is to look for end-of-line clearance sales. Some of the best bargains can be found by visiting online cosmetics wholesalers – wholesale clearance cosmetics sales give you access to top brands for a bargain, allowing you to stock up at a fraction of high-street prices.
Look after yourself
Finally, let’s not forget that the old saying ‘beauty is only skin deep’ is not strictly true. No matter what you spend on cosmetics, if you don’t look after your body properly, you are always fighting a losing battle to look your best. By far and away the best budget beauty tip is to eat, drink and live healthy, which will emphasise looking and feeling great with minimal need for cosmetic intervention. Drink plenty of water, get loads of fruit and veg in your diet, take regular exercise, and the impact will shine through on the outside.
Do you have any of your own budget beauty tips? Feel free to share them with us in a comment below!
Photo credit: M Jurcevic
