Beauty and personal care product sales are big business. Billions of dollars are spent by people around the world each year in the quest to look, smell, and feel great. For the budget-conscious, navigating the sophisticated beauty product marketing scene requires some savvy. You will be well on your way to smart shopping if you pay attention to these 5 Common Myths About Saving Money on Cosmetics not to fall for. (Disclosure: Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you click one of the links and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission that will help support this blog. Thanks so much.)
1. Drug Store Cosmetics Are Inferior To Department Store And Salon Brands
Higher end, more costly beauty products are better right? Not necessarily so. Many brands that you find at the drugstore can do the job for you at a much smaller price tag. I find this to be especially true for products such as eye liners, mascara, and blush. Also, drug store buys are great for when you want to try out the “it” colors of the season in eye shadow or lipstick. Department store brands are often the way to go when it comes to foundation if you have hard to match skin coloring or any of a range of skin conditions. Also, department store brands can be a good fit for particularly sensitive skin or those in need of hypoallergenic cosmetics.
2. Coupons Are Not Available For Department Store Brands
Yes, we have all seen online and printed coupons for drugstore makeup, shampoo, and perfume brands. But, coupons and other discounts simply aren’t available for department store brands are they? Wrong! You just have to be a little creative with where you shop. For example, bricks and mortar & online stores Sephora and Ulta carry a variety of department store brands and regularly offer special ways to save such as the following
- Special offers via social media and stores’ websites.
- Rewards points programs
- Semi-annual and special sales
- Daily and weekly deals
- In store and online free samples
Also, Amazon offers a selection of higher end brands that are available for order through the site. Some of the products come along with first time order coupons. I recommend using an Amazon price tracker such as Camel Camel Camel to get info on individual product price ranges. Also, you can set up a price tracker to automatically notify you when your desired low price threshold on a product is reached.
3. DIY Cosmetics Are The Way To Go To Save Money
It really depends. Some DIY beauty products work really well. Others can be downright harmful if the wrong or too strong of ingredients are mixed in. For example, essential oils are ingredients that you have to be really careful with. Too much on the skin or other body parts can be severely irritating or damaging. Making DIY products such as homemade sunscreens really are not advised. Do you really want to be experimenting with your skin and potentially long term health effects by using a concoction your found with a quick Internet search? Caution and physician guidance should be used in ANY application and creation of DIY beauty products, especially for pregnant women and children.
4. Auto-Refill Plans Are Handy to Save Money On Cosmetics, Shampoo, And Other Beauty Products
Unless you have a track record of of truly using a product on a daily, consistent basis, I would say no. I have found that how quickly a beauty product is used up really varies from individual to individual and often does not match the auto-shipping timeline. Many times, excess product starts to stack up. And depending on where you get your shipments from, it may be a hassle to get the auto-refill stopped.
5. Buying Beauty Products At My Salon Or Doctor’s Office Will Be A Good Deal Because These Professionals Are Recommending The Products.
Ever heard of upselling? The classic you come for one thing and leave with more things than you ever intended to purchase. While a dermatologist, hair dresser or other specialist may truly believe in a product, you can just about bet that you will not get any great bargains purchasing it on site. What you might score a deal on though are some freebie samplers of the products to get you started. It never hurts to ask. By learning to separate the myths from the truth, you will find savings money on cosmetics to be that much easier. For more helpful money saving tips be sure to pick up your copy of 50 Sales Phrases That Get People To Buy