#TheBeautyCollective: Expert advice on how to save on your beauty regime
Johannesburg – Modern beauty has become a culmination of mental, physical and emotional wellbeing which all work concurrently for you to be your best self.
And with the continuous demands of daily life, some self-care goes a long way to improve to look and feel your best.
Social media is also flooded with the latest beauty tips, some untried which could be dangerous and downright obscure.
The Beauty Collective seeks to provide tried and tested beauty and lifestyle tips and advice.
From skincare, haircare, make-up as well as nutrition, fitness and mental health, this is your guide to elevate your inner as well as outer beauty.
Tips for saving money on your beauty regime from a discount expert
We all like to look and feel beautiful but often, given the challenging financial climate, our pockets simply don’t allow it.
This is as the price of an extensive beauty and skincare routine can soon begin to add up, particularly if you’re using multiple different products from top brands.
And given the continuing increases in the cost of living, and inflation at a high, many consumers are looking to make cost savings.
If you are looking to maintain your glam look without having to splash huge amounts of cash, there are plenty of ways to cut costs, acclaimed discount expert at WeThrift Nick Drewe believes.
He has outlined useful tips on how to save money on beauty products, without having to make too many compromises to your daily beauty routine.
Shop for dupe products
Drewe believes that it can be tempting to splash the cash on the most expensive beauty products, especially if they’ve been endorsed by social media influencers.
“However, going for the less expensive products doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality will suffer immensely,” he said.
Drewe added that many budget high-street retailers offer great ‘dupe’ products of some of the most expensive beauty brands.
“Purchasing similar products of your favourite beauty and skincare products is a great way to look and feel good without breaking the bank.”
Streamline your beauty routine
Drewe suggested minimising the steps within your beauty and skincare regime to cut back on costs. “It can be tempting to follow trends which entail multi-step regimes and feature a range of different products but the cost of these in an extensive routine can soon begin to add up.”
The discount expert believes that when it comes to skincare, sometimes less is more.
“Mixing products that contain overlapping active ingredients may actually be damaging your protective skin layer, doing more harm than good.”
He suggested cutting back on the number of products in your routine will not only benefit your skin, but it will also benefit your bank balance too.
Purchase multi-use products
Drewe said that another way to cut back on the number of beauty products you’re purchasing is to opt for multi-use products.
This includes 2-in-1 beauty products that are growing in popularity with the #2in1make-up hashtag on TikTok has received over 10.3 million views.
“From moisturisers containing SPF, to 2-in-1 foundations and concealers, these multi-use products are ideal for cutting back on the number of beauty purchases you’re making.”
Buy refillable products
Drewe believes in being kind to the planet while also being kind to your bank balance, by opting for refillable products.
“These are great from a sustainability perspective, and you might also find that products that come in refillable packaging are often cheaper than single-use beauty buys,” he said.
“Many of your favourite beauty, skincare, shampoo brands and beyond now offer refills at in-store collection points.”
Purchase individual eye shadows
Purchasing large make-up palettes that feature multiple different shades is great but only if you are making use of the varying different colours, Drewe explained.
“However, if you only tend to stick to the same colours, and are leaving the rest untouched, this can be a large sum of money on a product that isn’t being used.”
Instead, Drewe suggested opting for purchasing individual products in the colours that you are actually using, which is more cost-effective and also reduces waste.
Utilise beauty training schools
Everybody loves a little TLC, particularly when it comes to feeling glam around special occasions but the costs of visiting the local salon can soon begin to pile up.
“That being said, a cost-effective way to still look and feel glam on a budget is to visit beauty training schools,” Drewe suggested.
“The practitioners who are studying the trade can offer you beauty treatments for a very discounted price, or in some cases, you may even be offered the treatment for free.”
Use loyalty points and gift cards
Drewe also warned that the overall cost of multiple different beauty and skincare products can soon begin to add up.
“A way to shop smarter and save yourself some cash on your beauty regime is to utilise loyalty points.”
He explained that if you shop at these stores regularly, a loyalty account is an ideal way to bank points and save yourself plenty of money in the long run.
“Also, check to see if you have any old gift cards or vouchers that are unused that you could use to get money off, or even get your beauty products for free,” Drewe said.
“Be sure to always check the expiration dates before you buy.”
Get samples
Samples are another ideal way to shop smarter and to minimise any waste products as part of your beauty regime, Drewe suggested.
“Plenty of brands and retailers offer free samples of products for you to try before you buy.”
This will save you from making expensive purchases of products that you later realise you don’t want, are poor quality, or are not suitable for you.
Follow online make-up tutorials
Sometimes, you may find that your make-up products are not lasting as long as you’d expect, and are often having to buy more. This could be down to application methods. ‘Less is more’ can often be the best approach to some make-up techniques.
Online tutorials on TikTok and YouTube are often an ideal way to learn how to get the maximum effect of your products. In fact, the #MakeupHacks hashtag on TikTok has received a staggering 31.3 billion views, highlighting how it’s the go-to place for learning new methods.
Subscription boxes
Drewe suggested signing up for beauty subscription boxes as he considers it one of the most ideal ways of cutting the cost of your products.
“Typically, these products work out cheaper as they avoid the shelf mark-up prices that are applied when they hit the shelves in retail stores,” he explained.
The discount expert added that subscription boxes will also allow you to access the latest sample-size products, usually before they’re stocked in stores.
Shop for deals and discounts on your favourite products
“Again, be smart when purchasing the products as part of your hair and beauty regime,” Drewe said.
He recommended researching different retailers and keeping a keen eye out for products that are on sale.
“Take advantage of them being on sale, and bulk purchase a large quantity for a discount price.”