BEAUTY BUYS

Often times, we don't consider that savings can be had on beauty and hair care products too. Why spend hundreds of dollars a year when you can pare down this expense considerably. So, maybe you aren't interested in a haircut at Cost Cutters, but you still want an affordable haircut or color. Why not try a beauty school. They are located across the country and offer bargain basement prices for such things as haircuts, colors, manicures, and massages. Look them up in your phone book or try searching for schools near you on the internet. You will have to work within their designated, and sometimes limited, hours; but, the substantial savings to be had makes it worthwhile.

Now let's talk about products. Did you know that L'Oreal and Lancôme are made by the same company? You can spend several dollars more on the high-end Lancôme line, or pay half the price on the same products offered in the L'Oreal line. You might be thinking why on earth would companies do this? Simple, the answer is marketing. This allows the company to market their products to a wider range of consumers. One line is marketed to department store consumers. Typically they won’t step foot in a drugstore to buy makeup. The other, is marketed to drugstore consumers; those who might feel department store prices are too expensive.

Here's another savings trick. You don't have to buy every product a manufacturer offers. Consider spending more on the important stuff like foundation, mascara, lipstick, and hairspray. Then, you can save money by buying cheaper off brand products like lip liner, blush, and eye shadow.

Another great way to save money is by signing up for free samples, or by becoming a product evaluator. Magazines like Allure offer free products in exchange for your opinion. You can snag free samples at department store makeup counters, stores like Ulta and Sephora, and through many online stores. Don’t forget your local drugstores and grocery stores. A local health food grocery store I shop at holds all kinds of seminars every month. One month they had a beauty product demonstration where each participant got a bag full of eco friendly beauty products. It was quite the score!

Don't forget to take advantage of coupons whenever you can. You can find them online, as magazine inserts, and in your local weekly mailer or Sunday newspaper.

Finally, check out various discount stores for your favorite makeup or hair care products. Big Lots, for example, offers Revlon products at half the cost of drugstores. Other stores like T.J. Maxx and Nordstrom Rack offer name brand haircare, body, and facial products at significantly reduced prices.