Building a great makeup collection on a budget isn’t a simple task. A complete beauty kit can take a lot of time, effort, and money to produce and the exorbitant price of makeup doesn’t always fit into everyone’s budget. Especially when you are starting from scratch, it can be difficult to know what to invest in.
However, you don’t have to spend big to get results. While makeup can be expensive, there are lots of ways to save big too.
So, whether you are kick-starting your beauty collection or want to add new additions to it, learning smart ways to shop with some budget-friendly picks can help you save big and get the most out of your products without having to compromise on quality.
We’ve created a simple guide to show you the best ways to shop, so you can build a complete makeup kit that has everything you need to look and feel great.
Smart Ways to Shop on a Budget
You can learn to get more for your money’s worth if you shop smarter. Knowing where to shop and how to make the most of discounts can help you save money on beauty products.
So, we’ve listed some easy tricks to help you make cleverer choices when it comes to your beauty purchases.
Switch to Drugstore
Many people assume that you need expensive products to achieve the perfect,
airbrushed look. Don’t be fooled. Often, it is the fancy packaging on high-end products that add to the hefty price point.
You can find many budget drugstore products in simpler packaging that is far more affordable and are just as good at delivering results as the high-end brands.
While drugstore beauty products may not come with packaging that’s as
pretty, they are great options for those who don’t want to spend too much.
Drugstores are where the best beauty gems are hidden, some of which are just
as good as high-end brands. Just because they are cheaper does not mean that the quality is any worse. So, head over to your local drugstore to discover some great beauty finds that are kinder to your bank account.
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Loyalty Cards
Customer loyalty programs are a great way to save some money while building
your makeup collection. Most department stores or drugstores will have loyalty programs to reward dedicated customers. The best part is that they are normally free to join and they allow you to collect points with purchases.
Once you accumulate a certain amount of points, you will be able to receive discounts, vouchers or store credit depending on the type of loyalty program each store offers.
Pick a loyalty program at the store of your choice and try to make most
of your purchases from that store. This will allow you to save up more points quicker, so you can gain more rewards to get cheaper or even free products to add to your make up kit. Sign up for a rewards program now and reel in the returns.
I mean, what could be better than being rewarded for purchasing makeup?
Pick Where to Invest
If you shop smart, you don’t have to compromise on quality when on a budget. If you really want to purchase costly, high-end products, you need to make sure
it’s really worth the spend. Therefore, make sure you choose a product that you will get a lot of use out of.
It’s not worth spending big on a product that you may only use a few times a year, so you should try opting for a product that you will use regularly. Of course, it’s important to ensure that the product is perfect for you before purchasing. You don’t want to splurge on a pricey product and to find out that it’s a total waste of money. If you can you should always attempt to try and sample the product first. Try out some samples to see if the product is right for you and if it’s worth investing a lot of money in. You can request samples of makeup at department store counters.
So, give it a try before you buy.
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How to Choose What Essential Products to Purchase Cover All Bases
When purchasing beauty products on a budget, stick to the fundamentals and try to have a kit that’s complete with all your makeup essentials for a full face of makeup.
We’ve created a little beauty basics guide so you will have everything you need to get you started on your beauty collection, without wasting your money on
unnecessary items.
We’ve also listed our favourite drugstore makeup picks to create your complete beauty collection.
Foundation – Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation (£6.99)
Foundation is one of the most important products for an essential makeup kit yet often the toughest to get right. But Maybelline’s Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation is lightweight with buildable coverage to give your skin a natural finish for long-lasting results for every occasion.
Concealer – Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19)
A good concealer is essential to cover up any redness on the skin, blemishes, or
under-eye fatigue to keep you looking radiant and refreshed. Collection’s Lasting Perfection Concealer is highly pigmented and will cover up pretty much everything to keep you looking effortlessly flawless every day.
Blusher – Bourjois Little Round Pot Blusher (£6.49)
A great blush is the easiest way to instantly add a healthy flush of colour and
warmth to your complexion. Bourjois’ Little Round Pot blusher is great for newbies as it is easy to apply and blends effortlessly for a natural-looking rosy glow.
Highlighter/Contour kit – Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit (£6.99)
Contouring and highlighting can instantly sculpt, shade and brighten the face
to add definition. Sleek’s Makeup Face Contour Kit comes with two shades, one for sculpting and one for highlighting. Not only is it super blendable, but it also has strong pigmentation, so a little goes a very long way.
Eyeliner – E.L.F Cream Eyeliner (£4.50)
Lining your eyes can easily add drama to your look. From cute, subtle flicks to dramatic cat eyes, eyeliner can easily help you to change up your look instantly. E.L.F’s Cream eyeliner will easily allow you to create precise lines to accentuate your eyes by creating the perfect, smooth wing that won’t budge all day long.
Mascara – Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (£8.99)
Mascaras are a beauty essential if you want long, luscious lashes. While it’s tempting to splurge on a fancy mascara, many drugstore mascaras can do the same job, if not a better one.
Maybelline’s Lash Sensation mascara is the favourite of many beauty vloggers, which is no surprise. A few coats can add volume and define your lashes for the perfect false-lash effect.
Eyebrow pencil – Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (£3.29)
The right eyebrow product can make the biggest difference to your makeup look.
Rimmel’s Professional Eyebrow Pencil is all you need to keep your brows nice and groomed. Thanks to its long-lasting formula, your brows will stay in place, so you can have defined and natural-looking brows all day long.
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Neutral eyeshadow palette – Barry M in the Buff Eyeshadow Palette (£6.49)
Eyeshadows allow you to create and change up your makeup look.
Barry M’s in the Buff Eyeshadow palette will allow you to create everything from soft daytime looks to intense evening looks. Ranging from matte to shimmery shades, this neutral palette is ultra-pigmented and blendable so you can easily create looks for every occasion.
Lipstick – NYX Professional Makeup Extra Creamy Round Lipstick (£4.00)
No makeup kit is complete without a trusty lipstick to finish off your look with
a pop of colour.
NYX’s Extra Creamy Round lipstick provides rich, lasting colour in a variety of classic and trendy shades for all occasions. Its smudge-proof formula will keep your pout staying put for longer throughout the day.
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Multifunctional Products
You don’t necessarily need a new product for each beauty need. Many makeup products can be used for more than one purpose. This can save you money, time, and also some extra space in your makeup bag.
We’ve listed our top drugstore multifunctional makeup products so that you can
kill two birds with one stone.
Foundation and Concealer – Milani Conceal and Perfect 2-IN-1 Foundation
(£13.00)
Now you can skip concealer as Milani’s Conceal and Perfect 2-IN-1 foundation
will do the job for you.
This full-coverage-liquid foundation will combat under-eye circles, redness and other imperfections without the need for a separate concealer. The formula is richly pigmented, meaning you only require one layer for a flawless makeup base.
Lipstick and Cheek Stain – CYO Shade to Last Lip and Cheek Stain (£5.00)
You might have used lipstick as a cheek stain before to add a pop of colour to your face.
But thanks to CYO’s Shade to Last Lip and Cheek Stain, you can now use a proper hyper-functional liquid stain that is made specifically for your cheeks and lips. This sheer stain is buildable and blendable, so you can create the amount of colour intensity that you prefer, for a pout (and flush) that will stay put.
Highlighter and Eyeshadow – L’Oréal Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow Little
Beige Dress (£5.99)
Did you know that a good pigmented, powdered eyeshadow can work wonderfully as a highlighter too? L’Oréal’s Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow not only works great as a shimmery eyeshadow but its creamy texture means that it also glides on the skin to reflect the light when applied to your cheekbones, brow bone and the bridge of your nose. This will add a nice luminous, healthy glow to your face to instantly brighten up your complexion. Check out this beauty bloggers review to find out more.
To learn more about purchasing makeup, why not give our article on how to Test every Kind Of Makeup Effectively before Buying It a try?