Makeup is an expensive hobby to have. Generally speaking, you either end up with too much of what you don’t want, and not enough of what you do.
We’ve done a deep dive into the depths of the internet to bring you the most genius hacks to help you get more blush for your buck.
1. Hack and re-pack.
You’d be surprised how much product is left in the container you think is empty. With tubes of foundation, lip gloss, cheek tint, primer, or anything else with a nozzle; slice open the end and squeeze out the remainder of the products into a clean container. You’ll get plenty more use out of a product you otherwise would’ve thrown out.
You can buy cheap cosmetics containers and tubes from chemists and discount shops.
4. Use baby products.
The stuff that chews up money? Face wash. Makeup remover. Face wipes. You know what’s not expensive? Baby products! You can sub out face wash for baby bath lotion.
It’s very gentle and the ‘no-tears’ formula works just as well on adult eyeballs as it does infant ones. Likewise with using baby oil to remove stubborn eye makeup, and baby wipes in lieu of fancy makeup ones.
5. Go wholesale.
What if we told you that for just a small amount more, you could buy your favourite beauty products in larger quantities? Websites like eBay stock wholesale-sized makeup in no-frills containers for makeup artists. All you need to do is search ‘professional size makeup’ along with your normal product, and see what shows up.
Prepare for international shipping – but who cares, when you’re about to score 3L of waterproof foundation? Do your research to ensure that the seller and product is legitimate.
Image: eBay.
6. Go mini.
The biggest waste when it comes to makeup is not using something often enough and getting stuck with a dried up old product past its use-by date.
Check out what your favourite beauty brand offers in terms of freebies and you'll save. Mini products are a great option, because you'll use them up in their entirety, rather than only use half and toss the rest.
7. Monthly Beauty Boxes.
One of the biggest trends to sweep the online beauty world since StrawberryNet (on that note, you should keep away from them) would have to be monthly beauty boxes. Australia has several monthly beauty mailouts such as GlossyBox and Lust Have It who will send out a box of around five to 10 samples once a month for a small fee, usually between $10 to $20.
With mini tubes of mascara and handy handbag-sized perfumes, this is a super cheap way to stock up on a bunch of products you would otherwise be paying full price for.
Don't be afraid to be frugal and freebie-friendly when it comes to your makeup routine. There are plenty of ways to get around expensive beauty routines that cost you the earth (and end up in the bin).
The Glow's favourite highlighters.
The Balm Mary-Loum Maniser$29.95, Sephora
Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder$57, Mecca
nars The Multiple$58, Mecca
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne POp$68, Sephora
Nude by nature Highlight Palette$31.96, Priceline
Laura Mercier Face Illuminator$50, David Jones
Top Comments
Very few brands make large 'pro' sizes of products like foundation, and they certainly don't sell them cheap. What's out there is mostly fakes (don't buy any 'Estée Lauder' on Ebay, or 'MAC') and used self made concoctions from pro's, not the brands themselves. Also, foundation oxidises and degrades over time, you really don't want a super-sized bottle that lasts years anyway.
Don't use baby wash as face wash, get a proper low PH face wash or oil cleanser.
Australian stores aren't set up to give out samples like US stores (btw Sephora's policy in the US is 3 potted samples, not unlimited samples). You can ask and you should be able to get a skincare sachet if they have them in stock, or a tiny pot of foundation, but it's not going to last you more than a day or two.