With the limited funds that come with being a teenager, I am always accepting of tips and tricks to help me save money. Who doesn't want to save some pennies? Besides, those saved pennies can then be used to fund the expansion of your makeup collection? New MAC lipstick anyone?
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Who else watched the douchebag jar episode of New Girl (Image Credit)
Make your own tinted moisturiser
Simply take your favourite moisturiser and squeeze a small amount onto the back of your hand, then squeeze a pea-sized amount of foundation on top of the moisturiser, (depending on how thick you want your coverage depends on the amount of foundation you include, more foundation for a thicker coverage and less if you simply want a tint) then take a cotton bud and mix the two together on the back of your hand. Then apply to your face with your fingers, sponge or makeup brush. You can also add a tiny amount of liquid highlight to the 'mixture' to give your skin more glow.
Use hairspray instead of brow gel
Brow gel isn't something that is easy to come across and when you do find some, it isn't always cheap. Instead, take a brow brush (which can be bought VERY cheaply if you do not already own one, see here) and a can of hairspray. Hold the brow brush at a distance and spray it lightly with hairspray and then brush through your brows. Do not heavily spray the brush with hairspray as nobody wants crispy brows!
Get the most out of 'empty' tubes of products
A tube of toothpaste, moisturiser, foundation, primer.etc, may look empty but the chances are that there is tonnes of product left in the bottom. So just before you throw it away, a simple tip is the cut the end off the tube (as close as you can to the edge, as to not cut through any product, and waste it!), you'll be surprised at how much is left in the tube. Then empty the left over product into an empty pot that is airtight, as you don't want the product to then dry out. (Be careful when applying this tip to eye products, as the plastic from the packaging may splinter into the product, which isn't ideal around the eye area for obvious reasons!)
Treat yourself to an expensive product with MULTI-USE
Sometimes 'cheap' products aren't always better for money. You can buy ten products from Boots and come away feeling fairly satisfied that you've got value for money, however when you look into it, its is actually sometimes better to head to a department store and buy something from one of the counters. A prime example of this is Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream, which can be used not only on irritated skin, but also dry skin, lips, blemishes and injuries (such as burns, cuts, grazes.etc) So, therefore the £20+ price-tag doesn't seem so steep when you take all that into consideration! Other examples of handy multi-use products are: Talcum Powder which can also be used on the body and also as an alternative to dry shampoo, which is usually quite expensive. Bio-oil, which can be used on dry, irritated and damaged skin. |
Make your own lip scrub
Lip scrubs are always a relatively expensive (with Lush charging around £5 for a small pot), so the answer is simple, make your own! You can read a previous post that I dedicated to making your own Strawberry flavoured lipscrub
here. The chances are that you already own many of the 'ingredients' and therefore it works out cheaper, however if you don't, the simplest lipscrub to make is to mix some castor sugar into a nearly empty tin of vasaline. Giving some life to an old product that you would no doubt throw away.
Look out for free products when you return empty packagings
With companies jumping onto the environmental bandwagon, you'd be silly to miss out on any promotional offers. MAC and Lush are just two companies that run schemes where you take back empty packaging in return for something sparkly and new. If you take back five empty packaging to MAC you can get a free lipstick in return, and if you take back six empty black pots back to Lush you get a free fresh face mask in return. So if you buy a lot of products from one brand, make sure you look into their return schemes, as you may be able to get a freebie in return, and who doesnt love a freebie?
Look out for special offers
Its an obvious one when it comes to saving money, however not all offers are what they appear. Some offers are not top value for money as they claim, so don't be fooled. Buying in bulk when offers are running can also be a valuable purchase, especially if it is your favourite product that you use a lot of. It may be an expensive one off buy but in the long run you will benefit. This is especially significant with shampoo's and conditioners, which are frequently used, your favourite hairspray, toothpaste, deodorant and other daily essentials.
Cheap alternatives for natural, healthy nails
I dont know about you, but wearing nail polish really does effect my nails. Brands like OPI, Sally Hansen and Seche Vite offer solutions, at a high price, so a cheap alternative is simply to use olive oil. Olive oil rubbed into the cuticles and nails really helps to strengthen nails. Taking vitamins also helps to strengthen your nails. Vitamins can be bought cheaply from all major supermarkets, and can easily be taken once on a daily basis, it may take a few weeks for you to see a difference but you will notice visible effects and you will forever swear by vitamins!
Use shower gel to clean your makeup brushes
There is no need to splash out on expensive brush cleaners, when the chances are you already have something in your bathroom that you could use. Shower gel makes an ideal brush cleaner, you can read an in-depth post, here, about cleaning your make-up brushes using shower gel.
Use conditioner instead of shaving foam on your legs
This is a well known trick, conditioner works as a top substitute for shaving foam. You already will have conditioner in your bathroom and therefore why not use it? Conditioner is much cheaper alternative and offers the same benefits, of conditioning your legs..;)
Do you have any tips or tricks?
and, what do you think of these tips?
