Beauty on a Budget

[AlmostFrugal]

Having just spent what seems to me to be an absolute fortune on shampoo, conditioner etc at the grocery store (at least €25), I'm looking for ways to be beautiful, without spending tons of money!

All ideas welcome...

Kelly

[SouthShoreGirl]

Well for one, I try not to purchase any of those kinds of products at grocery stores. It seems they tend to mark up the cost several more $$$$. I also have stopped using a lot of "brand name" products. Suave shampoo and conditioner does the job just as well as the pricier brands for me. You can even buy these at the 99Cents store. I also try to purchase items when they are on sale and with extra coupons to save even more $$$$. I get a lot of my more expensive products like bath gels and lotions at Bath & Body Works when they are on sale for pretty cheap. I don't know if the sale is still going on, but I was there a week or two ago and most of the store was on sale for $4.00 each because they are trying to get rid of the "old" packaging.

[hazystargazer]

I second the Suave suggestion. Noticeably cheaper than most other health/beauty, but great quality. I use Suave shampoo/conditioner, hairspray, deodorant, lotions, and there are probably a couple of products I'm forgetting. I love Suave! Sometimes there are coupons in the Sunday paper for Suave too, so you can save even more.

Wet 'N Wild, NYC, ELF, Rimmel, and LoveMyFace are good brands for eyeliner, mascara, lipstick/gloss, nailpolish, and blush. I wouldn't use the foundation, but that's just me - when I do wear makeup, I use $13 Physician's Formula powder foundation (one of my only beauty splurges!). Or try a dollar or 99-cent store...sometimes they even have Cover Girl or Maybelline products for only a buck.

Look into natural/homemade recipes for face wash, astringent, bath products, that type of thing. If you're interested, I can direct you to some sites that could help you with that.

You also might want to try requesting free samples of products. Just google "free samples" and you'll have a million sites to choose from!

[Shawanda]

Using store specials combined with coupons and reward programs, you may be able to get shampoos and conditioners for almost nothing.

For my skin, Noxzema (facial cleanser) and raw, unscented shea butter works wonders. Both are very inexpensive. When it comes to beauty, I find that the cost of the product doesn't necessarily have a strong correlation to its quality.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've used dish detergent as bubble bath. It may seem strange to some, but I've never had an allergic reaction to it. I find that dish detergent is significantly cheaper, produces more bubbles, and prevents soap scum from building up in the tub.

I've learned that it's not wise to purchase larger sizes of products you've never used before. It may seem frugal to buy the larger size because the price per unit is cheaper, but many times you end up with a bunch of product you never use because it doesn't work for you. Try the smallest size first. Especially if you're a product junkie.

[walletwise]

Ever since I started couponing, I haven't spent much on hair products and makeup. What I do is collect all the inserts from the Sunday paper and save them. Then, I research the sales going on at particular stores and see if I can match up any of the coupons I received. I always try to shop at stores such as CVS because of their rewards program, where you can actually earn money from shopping there.

Because of this, I no longer need to budget 30 or so dollars each month for hair care and makeup. I now spend no more than 2 dollars per bottle of shampoo and conditioner, and often end up getting them free or next to free.

Don't be afraid to try different brands either. Sometimes they will work better for you, or just as good.

You could also try making your own soaps, shampoos and lotions. I know several people who have taken this route.

[DSAMO]

Don't spend a lot of money on things that will go down the drain. Literally! The last time I bought shampoo was 4 months ago (and I wash my hair every day). I bought the family size shampoo with a pump for 4 dollars at Target. I use Ivory body wash which I buy for 2 dollars at Walmart. I buy body lotion in bulk from Sam's club ( I use Curel). I love Wet n wild eye brow pencil. 99 cents and good quality. I have tried many mascaras but I just think that physicians formula makes the best mascara. It's in a little gray tube. One time I bought Dior mascara and the quality is not even close to Physician's formula. For face wash, I use Cetaphil. Don't pay tons of money on make up brushes. Target sells good quality of brushes. If I'm not mistaken, I think it's NYC brand. Seriously, 2 -3 dollars for big face round brush. The bristles are very strong, they don't fall out ever and they are gentle to use on your face. I think finding the perfect color of lipstick is very hard. If you shop at CVS, Walgreens or any other drugstores I would go straight to the Loreal section their lipsticks are wonderful. If you prefer to try on your lipstick before you buy, then go to MAC. I have been using MAC Cosmo lipstick ($14) for years. I do buy Sunday paper for the coupons. I have a coupon organizer that I bring with me everywhere I go.

Oh another thing ladies. Don't forget to condition your hair every once in a while. Just use your regular hair conditioner and saran wrap your hair for 30 minutes. It prevents my hair from getting too dry from coloring it so much.

[hermione]

I used to buy all my beauty products at Walmart so I could get the name brands at a good price, but living 40 miles away from the closest Walmart now, I have to buy them at a local Rite-Aid.

The Jergens and Aveeno lotions are so expensive here that I started trying the more frugal brands like Suave and St. Ives which have pleasantly surprised me.

I used to avoid Suave and Vo5 shampoos and conditioners because they dried out my hair, but I picked up a Vo5 conditioner the other day (Tea Therapy which also smells really nice) to see if they've improved on it and it would seem them have. This new conditioner does a good job of keeping my hair from getting dry and it only cost $1.29.

[amyschiff]

I go the 2-in-1 shampoo + conditioner route--I get a large bottle of Head & Shoulders 2-in-1 and it lasts me a while. I use it pretty much every day but once a week I will use separate shampoo and conditioner to help keep my hair from being bone dry.

I use a Pantene Detangling/Conditioning mist after my shower on days when I use the 2-in-1. It works on wet or dry hair so you can use it for spot treatment if you notice your hair seems to be a bit dry. You can also water it down a little to save some $$.

I like use Bath & Body Works shower gels when I have them. They have a really nice dispenser cap so that you don't use too much. It takes me many months to go through a regular sized bottle, so I don't have to buy it for myself too often. I am hard to shop for around Christmas so I usually pick a scent I like from B&BW and ask for some shower gel. Right now I have 3-4 different shower gels of all different brands "on-deck" --all of which were gifts.

I am not much of a lotion person and will not let myself buy any more until I legitimately need it. I have accumulated a lot over the past few years and really need to deplete my supply. I do use store brand Cetaphil lotion sometimes for my face before I put on my makeup--I bought a big pump of it and put some into a travel size lotion tube.

Store brand vaseline works wonders, especially in the winter. It makes a great lip protectant while adding glossy shine. I have a couple small plastic travel jars that I fill with the vaseline so I can just toss one in my purse when I need it.

[hermione]

My sister doesn't like the 2-in-1 shampoos for some reason. I used to love them when I was in high school because it saved time (we took karate - very seriously - so sometimes I had to shower more than once a day) and I'm all about fast showers. In college, I had it down to one-song-long-showers on my Backstreet Boys CD so I could sleep in a little in the morning.

Anyways, we have to use tons of lotion here in the desert. I'm beginning to wonder if I can buy it by the gallon. Winters and summers we get super dry itchy skin. I put lotion on before bed, and after I wake up my shoulders are itchy again. I don't much like vaseline because it gets kinda sticky.

[SouthShoreGirl]

If any of you love the Coconut Lime Verbena scent from Bath & Body Works like I do..........I just came back from Target and they now sell the exact same thing in a brand called "Delights" for $3.49. The same thing at BBW here is $12.00. I sprayed it on before purchasing and you cannot tell the difference.