Tips from a Frugal Beauty Junkie

I wasn’t always into makeup. I remember “trying” to put makeup on back in college and ended up with a pair of glossy lips and electric blue eyeshadow color. Yikes! But I eventually started falling in love with makeup and skin care products just around 5 or 6 years ago when a friend of mine started giving me online makeup tutorials and encouraged me to blog about my progress (Thanks a mil, Celine!).

My journey wasn’t easy. I went from trying out the cheapest products to moving on the more expensive ones and realizing I will be broke if I keep it up. Haha! Now I have managed to find the perfect staple products which will work on my skin and would still be within my supposed budget. How did I manage to do that? Here are some tips you might find useful.

Have a Good Mix of Drugstore and Department Store Brands in Your Makeup Pouch

via GIPHY

There was a time that I went on a full cheap-ass mode and then a time when I bought the more expensive products; but now I’ve learned. For example, don’t go cheap on your foundation since it’s kind of like the “base” when you’re applying your makeup. You wouldn’t want your foundation melting on your face in a few hours because you chose to keep it super cheap, right? For products like mascaras, you might want to try the cheaper ones (I swear by Maybelline mascaras). Remember that the shelf life of mascaras is three months so do the math. Imagine buying a PHP1,000.00+ mascara and disposing it after three months. Ohnoes!  As for lipsticks/lip colors, you can have a balanced combination of the cheaper and more expensive ones. I use a Snoe Magic BesoBalm for everyday use and my Chanel one, usually, for those special occasions. I promise you that you’d love the Snoe Magic Beso Balm. It’s cheaper plus it lasts the whole day. It’s a lip balm with color that doesn’t transfer.

No Need to Go to Derm Clinics

via GIPHY

 The last time I had a facial was LIGHT YEARS AGO and it surprises a lot of people. I used to regularly go to my facialist a few years back but I still never had the best skin then. What I realized is that the solution is learn how to take care of your own skin. Do your research as to which products will work best for you. I have been using Olay as my moisturizer for about a year now and have been getting compliments with regard to my youthful glowing skin. Cleanse, tone, moisturize, using the right product for your face is definitely a must and you’ll never feel the need to visit a derm clinic.

About Self-Grooming your Eyebrows

via GIPHY

One of the things that people often notice on me is my well-groomed brows. But to tell you honestly, I cannot remember when I last had them professionally groomed. I just had them groomed once and used the tweezers to clean them up every month (since I really do prefer them a bit thicker and fuller). Plus, fuller brows will give you a softer and younger look… Just don’t overfill them when doing your brows, K?

Learn How to Do your Own Mani and Pedi

via GIPHY

You don’t need a license to be able to do your own mani and pedi. When I was less busy, I do my own. Although, to tell you quite frankly, I haven’t had a mani and pedi in months and I find it okay. I just clip them regularly to keep them clean. Now if I need to attend a special event or occasion, I can just do my nails on my own. Even with nail polishes you do not need to go expensive! No matter how expensive my nail polish is, they will eventually chip because of how busy and active my lifestyle is. So if you travel and work crazy like me, nail polishes wouldn’t be your friend for long. I prefer to keep them neat, clean, and short.

You Don’t Need to Give In to your Stylist’s Sales Talk

via GIPHY

  It doesn’t affect me anymore because I have finally learned how to properly take care of my hair that I wouldn’t need to be told by my stylist to get this and that hair treatment. And since my hair has been colored and bleached a lot of times, trust me… There is always a better solution. Invest on a good shampoo and conditioner. I use a Marc Anthony Sulfate Free Shampoo which costs PHP400.00+ a bottle but you only need to shampoo your hair once a week so you’re good. As for my conditioner, I use a St. Ives Conditioner which costs around PHP180.00 and since it’s a really big bottle, it lasts for like 2-3 months. Also, you can check out your local HBC store for DIY hair treatments. They’re basically almost just the same as the salon treatments. Just buy a shower cap and you’re good to go. Imagine you can have a hair spa treatment while wearing just your pambahay, with a beer on your right hand and your favorite show on the TV because you never had to leave the house. Awesome, right?

Read Personal Beauty Blogs to Help You with Finding the Right Products

via GIPHY

Read before your purchase. Don’t go to the overly-commercialized sites that promote products. Go to the local personal beauty blogs like TheBeautyJunkee.blogspot.com, Scatterbraintures.com, and Gen-Zel.com (or mine :P) just to name a few. They give more honest reviews about products and through that you might have an idea if the product will work on you or not. Don’t just dive in because it’s the new fad because there might also be local cheaper alternative to some of them. All you need to do is just Google them and read. How hard could it be?

I need to be a bit more disciplined when it comes to handling my finances now. I have planned travels with my fiancé plus the marriage… But at the same time, we should still take care of ourselves right? I hope you’ve learned from, at least, one of these tips. Anything to add? :)