Beauty on a budget: 4 hacks to save money on make-up and skincare products

Whether you’re a man or a woman, we all dread that Dis-Chem trip at the end of the month when it’s time to stock up on our monthly toiletries and skincare products. Often you walk out of there with one little bag, and R2 000 less in your bank account.

Taking care of your skin and hair, and making an effort with your make-up are all things that boost self-confidence, so skimping or skipping these products is a hard no for most shoppers.

But, there are ways to cut costs on your products so you can still afford groceries for the month and put petrol in your car.

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Beauty budget tips to help save you money

Multi-purpose products

The team at perfume brand Gold Series suggests buying beauty products that serve multiple purposes. They recommend looking for items like tinted moisturisers with SPF, which combine hydration, sun protection and light coverage.

This way, you can cut down on the number of products you need to buy.

Use every last drop

We often throw away tubes of cream when they’re all squeezed out. But, says the Gold Series team, by cutting open tubes and bottles to scoop out the remaining product, and using make-up spatulas to scrape out the last bits from containers can help you extend the life of your products and help you save money in the long run.

Save by buying make-up ‘dupes’

Yes, you usually buy Rihanna’s Fenty make-up range, or Estee Lauder’s lipstick and blush, but the truth is there are many cheaper make-up brands that will have exactly the same look and effect without leaving you eating two-minute noodles all month.

While we know that not all brands are great, there are some products from more affordable brands that can easily replace your more expensive items.

Dis-Chem and Clicks usually have make-up testers available, so before you just grab your usual brand, play around with the cheaper products to see how they work on your skin.

Stick to the essentials

While you might think every item in your basket is essential, take a moment and think about the products you really need and how often you will be using them.

Is it really necessary to spend almost R500 on that miracle cellulite cream? Chances are it won’t even make a difference – especially if you are not exercising or following a healthy eating plan.

Is that neck cream really necessary – can’t your night and day creams be used for the area?

It might be difficult at first to get into the above habits because we all know that you don’t go to Dis-Chem with a list – Dis-Chem tells you what to buy.

But, try your best to stick to your plan, concentrate on creating tunnel vision when you do your monthly toiletry and beauty product shopping, and you’ll see that when you leave the till, you and your budget will be a lot happier.

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