The way 2020 has been for most people, there’s a good chance you’re entering 2021 watching what you spend. With that in mind, here are some tips on budget-friendly beauty for 2021 and beyond.
Lead a beauty-friendly lifestyle
A lot of beauty simply boils down to what you do and eat. Just making healthy lifestyle choices can do a lot for your physical appearance. If you have specific issues you’d like to address, then adjusting your lifestyle is often a good place to start. In fact, it may be all you need to do.
You may, however, only realize this once you start keeping accurate records of how you’re spending your days. In particular, you need to keep accurate records of what you’re eating and drinking. You may find that what’s actually going into your body is very different from what you thought was going into your body.
If that isn’t quite enough to get you to where you want to be, then you could try giving your body an extra push with help from nature. For example, you could make the most of the benefits of ginseng for the skin. This can be much more cost-effective than over-the-counter beauty treatments.
Purge and organize your products
Remove the temptation to use out-of-date products. This isn’t “saving money”. This is, at best, using products which have stopped being as effective as they should be. At worst, it’s using products which are filled with germs.
Once you’ve purged your expired products, take a good, hard look at what’s left. Set aside anything you’re using now and anything you intend to use to replace products which are running out. Then decide what you’re going to do with what’s left.
If you don’t really need it or really want it, just move it on. Likewise, if you’re not going to be able to use it before it expires, pass it on to someone who will. Then, take everything that’s left and store it where you can see what you need now and access what you will need later. Finally, commit to “shopping what you have” before you make any more purchases.
Work out where you need to splurge
If you’re on a tight beauty budget then you need to think carefully about how to get the best value from it. In a lot of cases, that’s going to mean using budget products for most of your beauty routine and premium products where your body could really use the extra benefits they can offer.
For example, if your skin is very dry, you might get the best value out of buying budget cleanser and toner but the most premium moisturizer you can afford. Conversely, if you have oily skin, then you might get more benefit from a thorough cleanser but be able to save on toner and moisturizer.
Before you invest in premium products, check the label to ensure that you’re paying for the ingredients and skill rather than just the brand. Then make sure that you use the product according to the instructions. In particular, if the label says to leave the product on for a certain length of time, make sure that you do.
Pro tip – research “dupes”
Dupes are basically products which are inspired by a more expensive product. Some dupes are premium items themselves, just not as expensive as the product which inspired them. Dupes are unlikely to deliver the same level of performance as the original. They can, however, deliver an acceptable level of performance at a much lower cost.
Basically, if there’s a premium product you like, try doing an internet search on it with “dupes” added to the end. This should highlight any products inspired by them. Then check the reviews of those products to see if they’re worth the money. Remember, not all dupes are created to the same standard. Some are genuinely excellent. Others are not worth even the lower price.
Learn to “upcycle” basic products
If your budget won’t stretch to premium products, at least not all the time, learn to upcycle budget-friendly ones. The easiest way to do this is to add essential oils to basic products. Done properly, you can benefit from their scent and their beneficial qualities. The key word in that sentence, however, is “properly”.
Essential oils are very powerful. You need to be careful to use the right oils in the right concentrations for each purpose. You also need to store the oils appropriately out of use. There is plenty of information about this available online (and in traditional books). There are also plenty of forums where you can have your questions answered by experts.
Buy your own applicators and mirrors
If you buy cosmetics in a package which includes an applicator, then this is included in the overall cost. Mirrors add even more. The irony of this is that the applicators included in cosmetic palettes are not even necessarily very good quality. They’re just convenient and help to make the pack look complete.
Buy your own set of applicators, look after them properly and then buy products which are sold without applicators. This can not only save you money. It can also get you a better result. At the end of the day, any cosmetic product is only as good as its application. Using better applicators will often help you to get a better application.
This is particularly true with mascara. The “spoolie” or wand often does at least as much work as the actual formula. This means that if you find one which works for you, it’s advisable to hold onto it. You can now buy liquid mascara without a spoolie or “cake” mascara, which you mix with water and apply with your own spoolie.
Pro-tip, swap mascara for lash curlers
For your everyday look, try swapping out mascara for lash curlers. These can be used and reused again and again, which makes them much more economical than mascara. Keep mascara for when you’re creating a more intense eye look.
Ditch the cotton pads
Ditching the cotton pads is good for your wallet and good for the environment. Even though cotton itself is a natural material, industrial cotton farming is often very unsustainable. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, cotton is a very thirsty crop and hence places huge demands on water resources. Secondly, non-organic cotton farming often uses a lot of chemicals.
That’s two good reasons to switch out cotton pads for regular washcloths and/or microfiber cloths. Rinse them out under the tap when you’re done and pop them in the washing machine from time to time. If you use washing bags for smaller items put them in there. If not, put them in a pillowcase.
Give up the electric hair tools
Maybe you can’t give them up completely, but at least minimize your use of them to when you’re really in a hurry or when you really need the functions they offer. A lot of the functions of electric hair tools can be done in other ways. For example, you can dry your hair with a towel rather than with a hairdryer. You can also use foam curlers rather than electric ones.
Going down the traditional route may be slower but it also causes less damage to your hair. This means that you can not only save on electricity but also save on hair-protecting products. Most of the time, the results you’ll get will be every bit as good. You just need to plan in advance a bit more.
Invest in silk pillowcases
You spend about a third of your life asleep. This means your hair and facial skin spend a lot of time in contact with your pillowcase. The gentleness and antibacterial properties of silk help to prevent your hair and facial skin from being damaged as you sleep.
Silk pillowcases are certainly investment pieces. They can, however, pay for themselves over time through a reduced need for products and fewer trips to the hairdresser to have split ends removed. If silk is beyond your budget, then satin could be a more affordable alternative. It’s still very gentle but it doesn’t have silk’s antibacterial properties or its breathability.
Be a model
If you’re really on a tight beauty budget then try to get your treatments from students whenever possible. This does generally take a bit of flexibility and some luck. The big difference between going to a student-training session and booking an appointment with a professional is that students need to fill their portfolios.
This means that they’ll need to offer a certain number of treatments of a certain type and they’ll advertise for people who need those treatments. There may be a bit of scope to customize those treatments according to your wishes. For example, if you have a colouring treatment, you can usually choose the colour. In general, however, you have to take what’s on offer.
You also have to work around class schedules. These may not be the ideal times for you. If, however, you can fit in with what’s available when it’s available, this can be an excellent way of getting high-standard beauty treatments at a budget-friendly price.
