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How I Save on Beauty Products

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Reigning in my Beauty Spending

I’m acknowledging that I’m fortunate to be in a place where I can spend money on what many would deem a completely frivolous hobby.

Actually Use the Damn Samples

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a drawer or bin full of sample products that went neglected for ages! So many retailers do free samples with purchase, not to mention Gift With Purchase (GWP) promotions. I’d toss them in a centralized location with the intention of using them when the occasion arose (traveling, feeling adventurous, etc) – but even the products I already knew I liked went unused. Stupid! I had accumulated 10 sample tubes of mascara at one point, then found myself replenishing my (favorite) drugstore one. Why?! I had at least six months (realistically more) of product there, even assuming I disliked half of them!

Granted, not all samples are going to be appropriate for you. Foil packs of foundation, for instance – I have what feels like a thousand and none are right for me. But the ones you will use? Use them!

  • Pre-pack a travel beauty bag. One less thing to check off the travel to-do list.
  • If you have a desk or locker at work, stash some samples there. Future you (or a teammate!) will thank you.

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Reigning In my Beauty Spending

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Reigning in my Beauty Spending

I’ve talked before about my No Buy and my slips. It’s been a while since I last talked about beauty budgets and spending as a general topic, and it occurred to me last week that I haven’t been doing a good job tracking my spending in the last year. Shame on me.

Now that I’m pursuing orthodontic treatment, I really need to get and keep my shit together. Although I have done a poor job (read: zero effort made) at tracking this spending, there are some areas I can immediately identify as opportunities to save. Writing this post, frankly, was eye-opening and upsetting.

Salon Nail Services

I don’t get my nails done often (perhaps 3-4x/year) because I’m frequently disappointed. I get pedicures more often than manicures, but even then I’m often left with disappointment. I have the tools to execute a DIY pedicure quite nicely, and in fact did so last week. When I sat down and paid it some thought, the nicest thing about a salon pedicure (for me) is the massage. A five-minute foot-and-leg massage isn’t worth $25-50 plus tip to me.

Annual Savings: We’ll call it $120.

Haircuts

So far, I’ve gotten highlights twice. Each time, I got a haircut at the salon because it was convenient…to the tune of $40 for the cut on top of my color. My super-simple cut isn’t worth $40. I have had this cut successfully executed at inexpensive chain salons to the tune of $15.

Getting a haircut once every quarter for $15 ends up being cheaper than twice a year at $40. Better yet, they sometimes have coupons – so realistically two of the four cuts I get per year end up being $10.

Annual Savings: $30 – assuming I actually get it cut quarterly, more if I go longer.

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Two Cents: Instagram Makeup for Everyday Wear

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Instagram MakeupI was watching this video about using Tarte Shape tape from Stephanie Marie on YouTube and laughed at the, “if you’re NOT A YOUTUBER,” part of the title. (Btw: She’s spot-on with the recommendations on how to use Shape Tape, but more on that from me in another post).

Makeup needed to look, “good,” on camera or film is not the same as what one would wear in real life. Certainly there are occasional intersections, but think about it: such makeup is by necessity stronger, heavier, more dramatic.

Instagram Makeup & Influence

We’ve reached a point where Instagram makeup is so pervasive that people think that those looks are it. Everyone is going hard with concealer-driven under-eye highlights, two tablespoons of highlighting powder, matte liquid lips, and very serious eyebrows.

  • It’s one thing if a a full-face of Instagram or YouTube-ready makeup is what you like. There’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s definitely a ton of artistry to appreciate. I see incredible, mind-blowing makeup on Instagram and YouTube all.the.time.
  • …it’s another if you don’t care for heavily done makeup but feel compelled to wear it because that’s what’s trendy.

Multiple Routes

There’s more than one, “right,” way to wear makeup. In my opinion, artistry like Lisa Eldridge’s is woefully underrated. Alone, Lisa has taught me more than a dozen gurus with the same IKEA vanity setup (only a little shade because tbh I kind of want one too, Alex drawers and all) have combined. Recently, I read a comment on one of her videos that said something along the lines of:

I believe that in twenty years all those Kardashian-inspired looks trending on social media will be a butt of a joke as much as eighties New Romantic look is now.

Struck a chord with me, really. I enjoy a bit of everything for the most part, but have a realistic approach to, well, real life.

The Bottom Line

What do you think of Instagram makeup for everyday wear? Are you on-trend, or do you prefer more timeless looks?

Z Palette Scandal

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I own a Z Palette that I won in a contest a few years ago. Since then, I’ve made a few posts mentioning it, and some of their other products. No more. The recent Z Palette scandal resulting from their disgraceful PR-nightmare is too much for many former customers, myself included.  Z-Palettes will not be mentioned or featured on this blog henceforth.

I can empathize with the frustration that one would experience on the receiving end of criticism for a new product launch. After receiving some skeptical and critical responses on an Instagram post – not even on their OWN Instagram, mind you, but on TrendMood’s, ZPalette lashed out. The results were jaw-dropping.

The Unbelievable Z Palette Scandal

This is a screenshot of just SOME of the responses they sent to Instagram users on TrendMood’s post about their new Z Potter (overpriced induction) device. Instagram users had expressed a ton of thoughts ranging from excitement to uncertainty and skepticism to criticism. The job of a social media manager, however, is not to strike back with acidic replies:

Z Palette Scandal

These are fairly tame. The list of things they felt it appropriate to respond with included calling young ladies cheap dates, insulting people’s financials, or suggesting that they are somehow less evolved. Here’s some examples of the classy replies from the brilliant soul manning the Z Palette Social Media desk:

  • “You look like a cheap date, but we’re not messing with you?”
  • “Listen to some Jim Rohn — it’s not that it’s expensive, it’s that you can’t afford it.”
  • “If that’s a stove to you, I wonder how big your kitchen is.”
    but wait, there’s more:

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Instagram Makeup in the Workplace

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In December 2015, I wrote about my feelings on, “needing,” to don warpaint for the office. That opinion hasn’t changed.

In the last two or so years, I’ve seen a dramatic rise in what I’ll call Instagram makeup being worn in public. Okay, cool.

…but Instagram Makeup in the workplace?

Wear makeup to work if you want to, don’t if you don’t. But for the love of cats, get a sense of what is appropriate for work.

Instagram Makeup ... at Work?Skilled? Yes. Work appropriate? No. (pic found on Pinterest)

Last week, in my non-creative office I saw two different women with full-fledged smoky, glittery cut-creases, not unlike what is depicted above. What? The problem isn’t unique to my office, though. Many offices, judging by what I see while out for lunch during the work week, have this disconnect. That’s not to mention other work environments where a full-blown, beat, drag-inspired glam face of makeup is not appropriate (read: most of them). Just like shorts-suits or miniskirts, where did the idea that this is appropriate for work come from?

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TAG: My Husband Explains Makeup

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My Husband Explains Makeup

Every now and then I’ll come across a fun tag (read: NOT 100 Layers of… whatever) and want to join the fun. I first came across it on Minimalist Makeup and thought it could be a bit fun.

I’m grabbing a bit from here and there and adding my own questions.

My Husband Explains Makeup

“Can you name five makeup brands?”

  • Urban Decay – you like them and have a lot of their stuff.
  • Next, NARS – they have weird product names.
  • Maybelline
  • MAC
  • The independent one…you know, you watched a video about it. She was on YouTube then made her own company, uh… MakeupGeek!

“Give me a shady product name from NARS. Bonus points if you name more than one.”

“Orgasm. Orgasm…some more? (Super Orgasm) There’s another shady one but I can’t remember.”

“What is BB Cream?”

“Well it can’t be made with little projectile pellets…so I’m going to say a cleanser or exfoliant with those little scrubby beads?”

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