Beauty on a Budget

Let’s face it ladies, being a woman is hard work! The amount of time, effort and money that goes into making ourselves look and feel good really adds up! I wish I could go out the front door, bare faced, hair up and bung any old clobber on, but quite frankly that isn’t going to happen.

Pay day comes and the majority of my earnings go on health and beauty bits and bobs. But that’s fine, because after watching a multitude of beauty haul videos and tutorials, how can you not buy something?

However, I’m sure we’re all guilty of overspending, and so hopefully this ‘Beauty on a Budg£t’ piece will help you save where you can.

The girls in the Voucher Codes Pro’s office have contributed their money saving tips, and our favourite beauty bloggers have told us what their best dupes are. Plus you’ll find out how to make your makeup last longer, and how to create your own.

Enjoy!

Voucher Codes Pro's 20 Money Saving Tips

Voucher Codes Pro love helping you save money, it’s our duty. Along with finding yourself an awesome dupe of your favourite brand, and making your own makeup; check out these tips which will help you save pennies on your health and beauty buys.

1- Discount codes

Online shopping is addictive and especially when it comes to health and beauty. A discount code could really help you feel guilt-free about your basket load of purchases.

Here at Voucher Codes Pro we have all the best health and beauty retailers on site, to help you save money. Choose from Boots, Superdrug, Allbeauty, The Body Shop, LookFantastic, Fragrance Direct and many more. Also have a nose at the bottom of beauty bloggers tutorials, as they sometimes have money off codes too.

2- Goodbye roots, goodbye salon prices

Keeping on top of your roots and just trying to look good in general takes a lot of time and maintenance, especially when you have a big mane. You can really rack up a huge bill in your salon, so swap the salon life for a couple of L’Oréal boxes of hair dye. They usually have some great deals on, such as 2 for £8.00.

3- Try before you buy

It’s very easy to get ahead of yourself, but try and contain your excitement and your bank balance, and opt for a free sample or a travel size, before purchasing the real deal. It may have awesome reviews online, but it may not be for you.

4- Shop around

It’s so easy to accept the nearest place to buy your toiletries and makeup, but shop around and compare prices. Doing a little bit more googling to discover a new online beauty site is worth it, if it saves you money. Make the most of 3 for 2 and BOGOF deals.

5- Freebies

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a freebie? One of the best lipsticks I own was from a magazine and so I really make the most of magazine freebies, and ask behind the beauty counters. After all, what have you got to lose, they say no? It’s a good way of saving and for bulking up your beauty collection.

6- Recycle, recycle, recycle

Did you know that you can recycle old containers from MAC and Lush and receive something in return? For example, if you collect your black pots from LUSH and return 5 clean ones, you get a facemask worth £6.00 for free! Woot!

7- DIY

It’s always nice to have your nails done but it’s not cost effective, let’s face it. Do it yourself and learn how to do a French manicure and gel tips by getting yourself a kit. It’ll cost you money to buy it, but once you know how to do it from YouTube tutorials, you’ll save yourself so much money. Not forgetting it’s a lot of fun.

8- Cut your face wipes in half

I go through face wipes so much and sometimes I find myself just touching up my eye makeup with one and then chucking it. Its unhygienic leaving it on the side until you next need one, so I thought I’d cut some in half. This way I have small ones for touch ups, and full sized ones for taking my makeup off at night. Genius.

9- Drink Water

By drinking water, you’ll be saving money and improving your general health. As a result of this, your skin will be lovely and radiant. Therefore, you’ll need less coverage on your face when applying makeup.

10- Poundland's perks

Every so often, Poundland stock up on brands you can get in Boots for a couple of quid less. I have added so many colours to my Sinful Colours nail polish collection because at the price of 99p, you can’t go wrong! Make sure you have a sneak peek!

11- Make the most of the makeup counters

Looking to invest in some makeup from the counters, but you’re unsure? Why not ask them to test them out on you. If you ask for a few products then it’s basically a free makeover. To see if it’s got a great longevity and to save you money before you buy it, spend the day in town and see if the makeup stays on, and then purchase it if you’re happy.

12- Bigger the better

Sometimes a price is too good to be true, don’t get blinded by how cheap it is. Have a look at the back of the bottle and check the quantity of it. You may be better off buying the more expensive one and getting better value for your money.

13- Points = prizes

If you haven’t got a beauty rewards card then why not? Boots and Superdrug have advantage cards where if you spend £1 you get 10 points. With the amount of toiletries and beauty bits and bobs you buy a week, it soon adds up. Collect the points and spend them when you’re looking to treat yourself or someone over the Christmas period.

14- Save your slap for special occasions

I know how hard it is, you get a brand new product and you’re such a keen bean to use it. A good way of saving and making your makeup last longer, is not using all the products you have for everyday use. Perhaps use that MAC primer and Chanel perfume for special occasions.

15- Supermarket bargains

You wouldn’t normally put makeup and supermarkets together, but you could be ignoring some great bargains. Add cotton wool, ear buds, face wipes, baby lotion and more to your list as they tend to be cheaper at supermarkets than other places.

16- 3 in 1

A brilliant way of saving money is getting products which have 3 in 1 compartments. This way you can get eyes, lips and cheeks in one, or brows, contour and powder in another. It’s also a great way of transporting around when travelling as it’s so compact.

17- Keep things funky fresh

I know for me when I’m frantically rushing in the morning, I forget to put lids on my things. However you need to keep things fresh by screwing the tops on. Try to limit their exposure to air as this will cause them to dry out. By doing this, it will save you money from not having to repurchase.

Another tip is to keep your makeup products in your bedroom and not in the bathroom, because the steam from the shower will add moisture to it and shorten the longevity of the product.

18- Entitled to student discount?

You get so many perks when you’re a student, and so it’s important to make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to. Make sure you get an NUS card these are only £12 and you’ll be exposed to some real juicy deals, which can help you fund your beauty addiction.

19- Don’t spray it, mitt it!

It’s always nice having a healthy bronzed glow throughout the summer months, but getting professional spray tans every couple of weeks can cost you a fortune! Invest in a gradual tan, this way it will go further and your colour will get darker over time.

20- Cut back on pesky delivery charges

If the delivery charge is nearly as much as the product or you’re trying to cut back on the charges, then wait for free delivery codes, or when next day delivery is cheaper. If it’s not essential then why pay the extra costs?

Beauty Dupes

For any newbies out there...

Beauty Dupes = a duplicate version of a high end product, just at a cheaper price.

I don’t know how we do it but we always fall in love with things that are expensive. So finding an exact copy, if not better, of something you love which is quite pricy feels like the best discovery ever! It soon becomes your Holy Grail product. Oh and when it runs out, you don’t have to wait months to repurchase it.

If you’re on the hunt for more awesome dupes of your favourite high end brands, then check out @dupethat Instagram page. It’s now bookmarked on my iPad, and it’s amazing!

Lipsticks...

I own a mahoosive collection of lippies, I just love them. It’s totally acceptable to have a colour chart for every mood and occasion. Of course this can get very costly, so finding any dupes of my favourite brands of lipsticks, I’m all for.

I thought I’d share my MAC dupes with you all, as I know everyone is partial to a lipstick or two from that brand.

MAC Pink Nouveau vs NYX Summer Breeze

The NYX Summer Breeze is the perfect match for the £15.50 Pink Nouveau. They both are a gorgeous bright pink colour which are identical in shades, perfect for a summer or a night out look. Similar to the Pink Nouveau, it’s very pigmented and lasts throughout your day. For £3.89, it has the same creamy texture that glides on the lip, but has a matte finish.

Total $aving = £11.61

MAC Velvet Teddy vs Wet n Wild ‘Bare it All’

Velvet Teddy is currently the most popular nude lipstick with us beauty bloggers. It’s great for an everyday natural look or to be paired with a smoky eyed evening look. As it’s such a lovely colour, chances are you’ll be getting through it quite quickly. With it costing £15.50 you’ll be wanting to know about this great dupe.

So you’ll want to try out the Wet n Wild ‘Bare it All’ lippie. Like Velvet Teddy it has a pink undertone, with a slight tinge of brown to make it an overall nude lipstick. It has a lovely matte formulation, but doesn’t dry out your lips. It has awesome longevity too.

Total $aving = £14.02

Eyeshadow...

I love wearing eyeshadows I feel that it really makes your eyes pop. When it comes to buying them, I always opt for a palette so that I have a big choice of colours which you know will blend beautifully together. The top of my “must-have” list is that they must be pigmented so that they last all day and night.

Check out my favourite and affordable eyeshadow palette which I can’t live without.

Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette vs MUA 12 Undressed Palette

I’m sure an Urban Decay eyeshadow palette is at the top of everyone’s wish list. They contain gorgeous colours which are a mix of matte and metallic shades. However, with a price tag of £38.00 they are pretty costly...

If you didn’t already know, MUA palettes offer very similar shades of metallics and mattes; almost the perfect match. These 10 colours are just as pigmented if not better, and they glide on the eyelid effortlessly. The only small difference is that the matte colours are a little more powdery, however you can work around that by just applying another layer.

With MUA only costing you a mere £4.00, it’s the perfect dupe, and at this price you can get all of their palette ranges.

Total $aving = £34.00

aBeautyRomance.Blogspot.co.uk

Millie Robinson says...

I'm always so happy when I come across an inexpensive product which rivals one of my favourites, and sometimes it can be even better. There are so many great makeup dupes out there now that I find myself constantly on the hunt for new ones. Being a student myself I know that saving your pennies where you can is crucial, so I thought I would tell you about some of my favourite drugstore dupes.

It can be difficult to pick out a wow foundation from the drugstore as you can't be colour matched, and secondly, for the most part, the quality isn't as good.

L’Oreal True Match vs Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

I'm sure you'll all be aware that the L'Oreal True Match is a much loved product in the blogging world, and is infact a great dupe for the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation which costs a whopping £36.50. For £9.99 this is a great foundation which I always turn to on a night out. Similar to the Luminous Silk foundation it has minimal SPF, so you don't get any flashback, and it leaves the skin dewy and flawless - definitely pick this up if you haven't already.

Total $aving = £26.54

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushers vs Max Factor Crème Puff Blushers

Keeping on the face theme, a new blush which has launched this year has had everyone talking, and if you don't want to splash out on £28.00 for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushers, these are a great alternative. MAX Factor Creme Puff Blushers offer the same amount of luminosity as well as looking super fab in the packaging - I love the baked look! These retail for £8.99 so definitely worth a swatch.

Total $aving = £19.01

MAC Painterly Paint Pot vs Maybelline Colour Tattoo

Onto the eyes, I love a good cream shadow and so I always use my MAC Painterly Paint Pot as a base as I love the nude shade and its staying power. Maybelline have introduced a new matte line into their Colour Tattoo range and the shade 'Creamy Beige' is one to check out if you love Painterly.

It has the same matte finish, evens out the eyelids beautifully, and I even think it's a little creamier. No need to splurge on the £16.00 MAC one, I find this one for £4.99 does a better job!

Total $aving = £11.01

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat vs Rimmel Lip Liner

For the lips I thought I would discuss a classic, the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk. This is another popular one with beauty bloggers, but the Rimmel Lip Liner in East End Snob is a close dupe which only costs £3.99. The colours aren't exactly the same, as Pillow Talk is a lighter pink, but there's really not much in it.

They're both really creamy and make the lips look amazing once applied. The Charlotte Tilbury liner is £16.00, which seems quite pricy for something which is so similar, so Rimmel wins for me.

Total $aving = £12.01

EmmysBeautyCave.com

Emma Wanless says...

High end makeup is something everyone dreams of but not always something everyone can afford. You can find some amazing high end dupes on the high street and save a lot of money.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer vs Seventeen Stay Time Concealer

Urban Decay is a much loved high end brand but comes with a high cost. Seventeen's Stay Time Concealer at the price of £4.49 is a pretty exact dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer, which costs £17.50. Both concealers have an extra creamy consistency and a high coverage without being heavy.

The only difference between the two is the applicator shape. The Urban Decay wand is a flat two sided surface whereas the Seventeen Concealer has the usual concealer applicator. In the swatches shown, you can see the consistency and texture is very similar.

Total $aving = £13.01

Benefit POREfessional Primer vs L'Oreal Skin Perfection Magic Touch Insta Blur

Benefit POREfessional Primer is a much loved product but on the expensive side at £24.50. The L'Oreal Skin Perfection Magic Touch Insta Blur is an extremely good dupe and only costs £12.99. Both products have a thick gel like consistency to smooth over pores leaving a flawless base to work with.

The only difference is the colour, both have a peach undertone which corrects redness. Both products work well as a primer worn alone or under makeup, correct redness and improve the appearance of pores.

Total $aving = £11.51

FashionBeautyAcne.Wordpress.com

Julie Luu Full says...

When it comes to makeup, we all like to hoard and have lots and lots of makeup. I open my drawers and think, do I really need 15 red lipsticks? The answer is yes, because not all of them are the same red.

But buying lots of makeup products can be costly and every now and again, we all like to save a few pennies and purchase a cheaper dupe that is an exact match of a higher end product.

Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer vs Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I recently purchased new makeup from Make Up Forever which consisted of foundation and concealer. My usual concealer is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and only when I started using the Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer, did I realise how similar they are to each other.

Both concealers have a cream texture and is easy to apply either with a brush or fingers onto the skin. The two products claim a waterproof and long lasting formula. However I found that the Make Up Forever concealer is more long lasting compared to the Collection concealer, because after a long day, I could see the red patches on my skin reappearing.

There are a total of 12 colours to choose from with Make Up Forever, where as there are only four colours to choose from with Collection, as a result I believe the Make Up Forever Concealer can cater for more people with different skin tones/colours. I was able to get an exact match to my skin tone with Make Up Forever, but with Collection concealer it wasn’t an exact match.

The price of the Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer is £21.00, and the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is £4.19, which is a big difference. So I think if you are looking for a concealer but don't want to pay a hefty price tag, then the Collection concealer is definitely something worth buying!

Total $aving = £16.81

Do It Yourself

I’m sure I’m not the only one who used to make “potions” when they were little. I’ve always been creative and consider myself quite the DIY enthusiast. Well, I just bung everything in which I can find, and hope for the best.

So when I watch YouTube videos on how to make an at-home facemask or cream, I jump straight on the bandwagon. It’s cheap and cheerful, and not forgetting brill for a girl’s night! Have a look at these beauty bloggers getting creative, and let us know if you’ve tried anything. Just DON’T get carried away and start smearing fish fingers and beans over your face!

DIY Lip Plumpers

Everyone has always desired plumped lips like Angelina Jolie, but since Kylie Jenner has jumped on the bandwagon and made it more of a thing, we want them more than ever! Put aside the needles and make your own lip plumpers from the natural ingredients of cinnamon oil. That’s right!

This method is short term and more natural looking. The essential cinnamon oil stimulates your lips and enhances blood flow, as a result of this it makes your lips bigger and fuller. Why not add a couple of drops to your favourite lip gloss? Then you can have kissable lips wherever you go.

You’ll feel a tingling sensation but don’t panic girls, that’s normal! Who knew that cinnamon could be such a gem of a product!

DIY Honey Face Mask

This face mask is brilliant if you’ve got dry skin and wanting to rehydrate your skin. Simply add a tablespoon of honey, and half a tablespoon of baking soda into a bowl, and mix it all together. Mix it into a paste and dampen your face with water. Then apply it and leave it for around 5 minutes.

It’s so simple to make, and uses your staple item ingredients from your cupboard. Honey is an antibacterial agent which helps scrub away any bad bacteria and soothes dry skin; whilst the Baking Soda acts as an exfoliator. For ingredients which are so cheap, you certainly get the best results.

AnImpatientScottishGirl.co.uk

Lauren O'Dowd says...

Most of us are either on a spending ban at the moment due to holidays etc or just can’t afford to head out and buy the latest product. So I thought I would put together a little purse friendly DIY lip scrub for you.

This is so simple and calls for whatever you have lying in your fridge/cupboard. You will notice I have added coconut yoghurt, it was the only one I had in my fridge, so I used a teaspoon of this and it worked wonders, it tasted pretty damn good too.

Ingredients:

10 Mint Leaves
Lemon Zest (Just a little)
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Yoghurt
Sugar

Method:

I haven’t advised on how much sugar to use for a reason, we all like different textures so I am not going to tell you how much to add in, add in until you have the consistency you want. I tend to go for a medium texture, one that isn’t too runny nor too thick.

1Add mint to pestle and mortar and muddle until the natural oils start to release.
2Add lemon zest, yoghurt and honey. Give it a little stir to combine the ingredients before adding sugar. I normally add a tablespoon at a time until I have the right consistency. Once you have the right texture, you are able to use.
3Apply to lips, give them a good scrub and then rinse off.

I feel the yoghurt keeps the lips nice and moisturised and the mint and lemon give a gorgeous taste. To keep it fresh, decant into a small tub, pop a lid on, and leave in the fridge. That’s it, I told you it was simple, now you have a gorgeous DIY lip scrub that really didn’t cost that much.

You can add any flavour combos you want; it doesn’t have to be mint and lemon. You can add whatever you want, spices, fruit etc.

Most lip scrubs call for oil, I don’t tend to use oil as I like it to taste nice too incase I get any in my mouth, but if you want to add it in, then just substitute the yogurt for olive/coconut oil, it’s totally up to you.

Make Your Beauty Items Last Longer

It’s always devastating when you can no longer use your favourite product because it’s dried up or your bronzer has cracked, especially if it’s not a dupe! Sometimes you can do the small things to make it last that little bit longer, and therefore saving you money in the long run.

Have you got anymore to add to this list?

Razors

Let’s face it ladies, we tend to go through more razors in the summer months than we do in the autumn/winter. I’ve got a way that can really make the most of your razors after each shave, so you don’t find yourself having to repurchase them as often.

Shake off your razor after each use and get a small bowl of baby oil and soak it in it. The oil helps remove the hair and keeps the metal from rusting so the blade is sharper for longer.

Body Lotions

If you’re like me, you’ll have lots of body lotions because they come paired with fragrances. It’s hard to use them all up when you open one here and one there. But if the lotion becomes too thin or has a dry crusty spout then you can add Vaseline to the lotion and to the applicator. This will help soften and thicken the texture so it’s as good as new.

Eyeliner

If you use pencil eyeliner and you’ve got to that stage where you keep sharpening it and it’s not giving you that defined line, then don’t throw it away. Hold the eyeliner pencil over a candle or a hairdryer for around 15 seconds and you can then use it for gel eyeliner. Genius! Just let it stand for a bit before applying, and use a soft hand as it will be rather soft.

Use Brushes

This past year there’s been a big craze for makeup sponges, but do we ditch the brushes for the new applicator? The answer is no. Using makeup brushes will make your foundation and any other makeup you apply with a brush, last longer.

Sponges may be inexpensive to use, but rumour has it that they soak up over 50% of your product. So although they may be cheap to repurchase, you will be spending more on your foundation. Also, if you invest in some high-quality brushes such as Real Technique or MAC brushes then they will last you years (if you look after them) and you won’t need to replace them.

Fragrances

On average fragrances last between 6 - 18 months, however this time frame can be decreased if you don’t protect your fragrances. It’s best to keep them in cool and dry conditions like a drawer, rather than exposing them to direct sunlight.

I didn’t realise that heat could react with the perfume’s ingredients and therefore affect the scent, shortening its expiry date instantly.

AriannaChatz.Blogspot.co.uk

Arianna Chatzidakis says...

Now who wouldn’t want their beauty products to last longer? I love it when a product lasts ages, as it means that I can save money and can splurge out on something else.

I’ve got some great tips to make your mascara & nail varnish last ages and save you over £40 a year!

Mascara

I don’t spend much on my mascara, I always buy the Avon SuperShock mascara from Amazon and it’s amazing. Even though it is quite big and lasts me around 2 months, I always try to make it last an extra month by doing a super easy and simple trick.

Nobody likes it when their mascara runs low, dries out or becomes clumpy. So when I find that my mascara is at one of those stages, I simply add a few drops of water from the tap and give it a good shake.

VOILÀ! Good as new, and will last for an extra month. Be careful not to add too much water, or the mascara will become too runny to use. A couple of drops are perfect. Overall, I would say that this easy trick saves me about £15-£20 a year, so definitely well worth a try.

Nail Varnish

I paint my nails all the time and go through so many nail varnishes a year. It’s a sad moment when your favourite nail varnish becomes too thick to use. I’ve got another top tip for you to make your nail varnish useable again!

Carefully open the nail varnish and place the brush to one side. Next, you need some nail varnish remover. You can use any nail varnish remover, and I usually just use a Boots own brand one. Over a sink, you want to pour a tiny amount of nail varnish remover into your nail varnish - by tiny amount, I’m talking one or two drops.

Then seal the nail varnish back up and give it a good shake. Once done, the nail varnish should be thinned out enough, so that you can use it again without it being gloppy. If it’s still too thick, simply add another drop of nail varnish remover & repeat the above steps. This trick is really cost effective, and saves me about £30 a year.

AngelFlicks.co.uk

Mary Ann says...

You fall in love with a foundation, only for the brand to release their updated product... which you also fall in love with. You then leave the old product to collect dust in your draw. So that’s technically £10 finding its way into your bin.

There are a few key tips to ensure that your products last longer and don’t cost you so much money!

Liquid Products

These tend to be the most wasteful; trying to get the perfect measure of what you need is a task in itself. Try to keep foundations, lip-glosses and eyeliners out of direct sunlight. Place them in a cool place so that they don’t dry up. When it comes to summer time, perhaps pop your concealer and foundation in the fridge just so it doesn’t melt.

Wash your equipment

Take care of your brushes, eyelash curlers and anything else you use daily, otherwise they won’t last as long as you anticipated.

Washing regularly with a cosmetic brush cleaner or baby shampoo if you can’t get hold of an affordable brush cleaner (I recommend Makeup Revolution Anti-Bacterial Brush Shampoo) can prolong the life dramatically and improve makeup application. By doing this the bristles can move easier, and therefore are less likely to fall out, meaning you won’t need to replace your brushes as often.

Broken powder pots

If you’ve got any powder products which have broken into pieces and are too expensive to repurchase then I have a little trick for you. Just simply rub alcohol on it, that’s right it will soon be your best friend!

Crush your product back into a powder, mix together ½ a tsp of rubbing alcohol until it becomes a thick paste, and put it back into its compact. Then leave it to dry, the alcohol should evaporate and your powder will look as good as new.

By using my top tips it will help you save money, and will allow you to get more out of your products!