Where To Save Money In Your Beauty Routine

The only thing I love more than a great beauty product is a great deal! With all the lotions and potions, lipsticks and lashes, one’s bank account could potentially start to drain quickly! There is certainly a place for a $50 foundation in your foundation wardrobe and serums are a place to splurge, but I also firmly believe in saving money wherever we can in our routines. After all, we only have one face and our bills aren’t going to pay themselves!

Here are my thoughts on how to save money in your beauty routine but still use top notch products (notepad and pen ready?!)

1. Cleanser

If you buy a super expensive cleanser, you are flushing your money down the drain (literally.) A cleanser is on your face for a maximum of 1 minute, particularly a first cleanser (more on that in a second.) I’m not saying you should just buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store and is loaded with sulfates and alcohol, but there are SO many decent, affordable cleansers on the market today that I always have a hard time spending top dollar on one. The double cleanse method has become so popular (for good reason) and means just as it sounds.

You cleanse twice!

The first cleanse is to remove makeup and grime from the day. For this, I prefer an oil or a micellar water. My pick? Bioderma. It is usually around $17 for a 500ml bottle and is unbeatable at removing makeup. Want to save even more? Go for Garnier’s micellar water or Simple Micellar Water. Both get the job done just as well for about half the price. For your second cleanse (and morning cleanse) you want to use what works for your skin type. A few of my all around favorites that work for many skin types are the Cerave cleansers. They make a hydrating and a foaming formula. I always have a bottle of the foaming in my bathroom. Other favorites include Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Cleanser and Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser.

2. Mascara

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good tube of Diorshow or a Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye, but I am also a huge fan of drugstore mascaras. My mom and I always share with each other which drugstore formulas we’re loving! Luxe formulas can be lovely but I find that many drugstore mascaras are a bit tackier and ultra black (which is always a good thing.) I also cannot handle a mascara that takes an army to remove, so I stick with formulas that wash off easily and I never use waterproof.

My favorites are Maybelline Colossal Big Shot and Loreal Voluminous in Carbon Black. If a more natural look is your jam, then you can do a lot worse than Maybelline Full N Soft. It gives you lovely, natural looking fluttery lashes. All of these usually retail for less than $8USD. Extra money for vacation! (or champagne…you choose.)

3. Toner

I know that toner isn’t a necessity for everyone but it is one of my favorite parts of my skincare routine! If you have problematic or oily skin, toner is your best friend. But that doesn’t mean it needs to break the bank!

In the 90’s, toners were basically alcohol with a side of alcohol. They stripped the skin and left it thirsty and dehydrated. Today’s toners are geared more towards hydration and soothing and are mostly alcohol free (but not always so make sure to check the label.) My favorite is the classic Thayer’s Witch Hazel. They make several formulas of this but I enjoy the cucumber as well as the rose formulas as they smell divine and are extra soothing. Another toner that I literally buy in bulk is Sukin’s Hydrating Mist Toner. This can be used as a toner, a setting spray and a touch up spray throughout the day. I feel that Pixi Glow Tonic needs a mention here as it is an acid toner (and is cruelty free!) Setting you back around $15, if you want to incorporate one product into your routine that will give you results within a few weeks, this is it. Pixi Glow Tonic (and Trilogy Rosehip Oil) were the only 2 products I used to get my wedding glow. Amazing!

4. Lip Gloss

Lip gloss isn’t quite as popular as it once was but it still deserves a special little spot in our beauty collections. The thing with gloss is that you don’t want to overdo it. Think more chic sheen rather than 90’s bubblegum (unless you’re going for the 90s look in which case, bust out your Limited Too scrunchie and live your life!) These days, just a touch of gloss will do the trick so you don’t really need to spend major bucks in this department. I like to go to my “in between” brands for products like lip gloss. They aren’t quite drugstore but they aren’t quite high end. Three of my favorites in this category are Pixi Beauty, Makeup Revolution and NYX. They offer high quality products with beautiful pigment and a small price tag. A few of my favorite glosses include the Pixi Lip Lift Max, Makeup Revolution’s Lip Kits and NYX Butter Gloss.

5. Body Lotion

One of my FAVORITE body lotions of all time is the Josie Maran’s Body Butter. But let’s be real, money doesn’t grow on trees and I go through body lotion like it’s my job. The only time I splurge on her butter is when QVC is having a special. For all other occasions, I do enjoy a good drugstore body lotion. I have tried many over the years and my favorites include Nivea CoQ10 lotion and Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion. The Aveeno lotion is particularly good if you have dry or sensitive skin as it contains oatmeal and is extra soothing. Travel tip! Check on your hotel’s website to see what toiletries they carry. Almost any 3+star hotel will have complimentary body lotion. More room for shoes in your suitcase!

6. Moisturizer

I can hear the La Mer addicts gasping as I type this. Believe me, I was one of them! Of course, I adore ultra luxurious moisturizers like La Mer and Tatcha. But did you know that moisturizers don’t actually moisturize?

Crazy, right? Hydrators like hyaluronic acid and Sodium Hyaluronate serums hydrate but a moisturizer does not. It doesn’t even penetrate the skin. Moisturizers are like weddings…they seal the deal (worst joke ever. It’s 7am on a Monday, give me grace.) Therefore, why spend copious amounts of money on a product that will sit on top of the rest of your products?

There are many beautiful, pricey moisturizers out there that I do enjoy but I also have quite a few affordable favs that I use on the regular. One that has been particularly beneficial lately is the Cerave PM moisturizer. It contains Niacinamide (great for acne/brightening,) ceramides and is oil free. Another one that I adore is the Honest Beauty Even Brighter moisturizer. Overall, if you are looking to save money but use the most beautiful products that are also clean and cruelty free…I can’t recommend Honest Beauty enough. Their makeup and skincare line are absolutely stunning. The brand is owned by Jessica Alba and she is involved in every single product that the brand produces. Perhaps I’ll do a blog post featuring her brand in a few months as I’m going to pick up a few more things when I go home to America.

The Neutrogena Hydro Boost is another collection that is absolutely lovely for the price. My pick is the Hydro Boost Gel Cream as it is fragrance free. Glossier’s priming moisturizer lays beautifully under makeup and if you are willing to splurge a bit, you can’t go wrong with Josie Maran’s Argan Face Butter. Yes, it’s a butter, but it is the lightest whipped texture and works beautifully day and night.

I hope these tips help you save a bit of money in your routine! We are all overloaded with so many options and opinions when it comes to choosing our beauty products. These days, I find myself researching the heck out of products so that I can make conscious and educated choices.

At the end of the day, we only have one face and though some products are certainly worth the extra bucks, there is something so satisfying about finding affordable products that actually work.

“Where To Splurge In Your Beauty Routine” coming soon…!

“I was raised to have value for money, to have respect for money, even though you have a lot of it.” -Jennifer Lawrence

Love and light, Carrie xo