Frugal Beauty Tips - How to Save Money and Still Look Amazing

Every woman wants to look great. However, in this economy, most women can’t afford to spend a fortune on beauty products. Luckily, women definitely don’t have to break their budget to look amazing. They simply need to know the three important rules of looking beautiful on a budget.

Rule #1: Learn When to Spend
Expensive is not always better. Even when it is, it’s not always necessary. When shopping for beauty products on a budget, women must know when to save and what products to spend a little extra on. For example, expensive conditioners really will leave your hair healthier, shinier, and silkier, especially if you color your hair. However, you can skip the expensive shampoos. As long as you use a good conditioner, you probably won’t even notice the difference when switching to a more affordable shampoo.

Another example of this is with nail polish. The fact is, all polishes chip. It’s an annoying fact of life. To make your polish last longer, you need a great top coat. If you spend a little extra on your top coat, you can save on the polish.

Rule #2: Don’t Be a Beauty Snob
Many women believe that they need to purchase expensive cosmetics to get quality. This is simply untrue. Supermarket brands are surprisingly high quality. If you have a hard time believing this, compare the ingredients in luxury cosmetics and supermarket brands. Many times, you’ll find that the ingredients are very similar.

There are also certain cosmetics that should always be purchased cheaply. Never spend more than a few dollars on blush, eye liner, lip gloss, and eye shadow. It’s okay to spend a little more on foundation, mascara, and lipstick, since these products tend to be the staples of many beauty routines.

Self tanners and lotions are also products that should be purchased at your local supermarket. Many women actually prefer supermarket self tanners to those sold in department stores. The only type of lotion that women may want to splurge on is their facial moisturizer. Preserving the health of your skin will actually end up saving you money. Healthy skin doesn’t need expensive makeup to look great.

Rule #3: Multi-Use Products Are the Frugal Beauty’s Best Friend

So many women completely overlook multi-use cosmetics. Many different cosmetic manufacturers make all over color sticks that can be used on the cheeks, eye lids, and lips. Bronzer is another product that can be used in a few different ways. Brush some bronzer on the cheeks and eye lids for a simple, fresh-faced glow. Not only do these products save money, but they help women simplify their beauty routines.

If you find yourself in a pinch, many lipsticks can double as blush, lotion can double as hair smoothing serum, and eye shadow can be moistened and used as eye liner. To be a frugal beauty, women need to be creative, savvy, and willing to stop believing that affordable always means low quality.

This guest article was contributed by Kelly Austin from Higher Salary. Visit her site for information about the average medical billing and coding salary and pay information for other popular careers.