Beauty on a Budget

On a tight budget? Follow these top tips and tricks from LifeStyle YOU's Beauty Expert, Emma Charlotte Bangay, to ensure you feel a million bucks - without breaking the bank.

As a professional bowerbird of beauty, it is my job to buy and try almost every cosmetic bell and whistle known to woman.
But this comes at a cost. Not to my skin so much – as a 20 year career as ones own personal product guinea pig will build complexion resilience like you’ve never known – but to my bank account.
Yes, I do need 18 lip-glosses in varying shades of peach and of course my YSL spring bronzer won’t extend to summer. And that scent? Yes, it’s still nearly 90% full but don’t you know that Stella McCartney has just launched a successor?
The cosmetic industry’s whiplash speed launches are hard keep up with if you are watching your bottom dollar, so here’s some tips to keeping on trend at a fraction of the cost.
1. Mix it up:
Invest in a small rose hip oil and a big, budget-friendly pharmacy brand body cream. Mixed together, these two make magic for half the price of a high-end body balm – that smells and feels sublime.
2. Chemists are cool:
Don’t thumb your nose at pharmacy. Today, the local chemist is the destination de jour for cost-effective international brands. Do stop here before you even think about the department store.
3. Test the waters (and creams):
Testers are there for testing. So go for it! Spritz a scent, try a lip-gloss and give the bronzer brush a whirl. This will not only allow you to see what really suits before you buy, but it will also add some glamour to an otherwise glum day.
4, Go online for a time:
Looking for beauty tips and trends? Save your money and cancel your beauty magazine subscription. Instead, go online to big international brand and magazine sites and you are bound to find the latest celebrity and expert tips and tricks for cosmetics, hair, scent and skincare.
5. Buy in bulk:
When it comes to shampoos, soaps, body creams, SPF and conditioners, buy in bulk. Purchase them when on sale and store in a cool, dry place to be used within six month – or definitely before the use-by-date. Save money and never scramble for shampoo again!
6. Think twice (and sometimes thrice):
Whether shopping for food or fragrance, hardware or hair brushes, writing a list is the #1 guideline to only coming home with the haul you need. If you see, try, sample, smell something you truly adore, write it down and set a reminder on your iPad or phone a week later. An entire seven days later, if that cheek cream is still dominating your dreams, go and get it. But if you’re struggling to recall what ‘taupe eye thingy from the pretty shop on Smith Street’ means, than it may not be meant to be.