save vs spend

[madmomma]

I've just made a mental calculation of how much I spend on cosmetics per year and it has been sobering, to say the least. I feel quite ashamed if I'm honest. I love them soooo much but some of the frippery has to be streamlined.

So I was musing on what I would miss if I didn't repurchase, and what I could buy a cheaper version of without feeling too deprived. Anyone else trying to do the same?

Atm I'm using Eve lom cleanser, dermatalogica cream exfoliant, Estee Lauder night repair & eye repair, clarins facial oils, Jo Malone bath oil, cheapo night cream, lots of chanel make up... not to mention hair stuff.

What do you buy cheaply and what do you splurge on?

Splurge on skincare scrimp on makeup is the message from Caroline Hirons. I still use cheapish makeup (bourgeois eyeshadow, clinique foundation - although this goes up by a couple of quid every time I buy it and so is about to get switched, max factor mascara, body shop lip liner). There is no way that anyone can tell that you are using expensive make up once its actually on your face.

Ditch the bath oil. That's a waste of money right from the start. Burn a candle for the scent and use a basic bath oil.

With hair stuff I have found that the frizz ease range is just as good for my hair (very long and very thick, not at all frizzy but seems to benefit from the formulation) as the expensive brands. It is extremely shiny and swishy atm.

With the skincare I'd keep the eve lom (but I'm personally addicted and so that says more about me than the effectiveness of other brands). You could try liz earle for a cheaper version of the same type of cleanser. Ditch the cream exfoliant and use a clarisonic twice a week, keep the facial oils. I don't know about the night repair and face repair, are they serums?

Thanks. Yeah the repair stuff is serum, and I do look less addled in the morning when I use them. I have the whizzy clinique brush so you're probably right about ditching the dermatologica and it is £38 for a tube. I need a cheaper mascara and smudgy brown eyeliner pencil that doesn't budge.Cheap eyeshadows are easy, as are cheap lippys. I love my Jo Malone baths so much

Depending on your age Caroline Hirons also says that serum is the most important product (if you're 40+)

Maybe try and see if you can find Bourjois equivalents for you Chanel makeup

No7 mascara can't be beat, IMO. You could add your remaining Jo Malone bath oil to a bottle of sweet almond oil?! Seriously though - it's a fantastic body moisturiser.

I would keep the Chanel make-up and Clarins facial oils. Love the Chanel blushers (especially the now discontinued Rose Ecrin) and Clarins Lotus oil which I hope will never ever be scrapped. Agree with switching to the Clarisonic although Dermalogica exfoliators are pretty good (my favourite is the Microfoliant).

Switch the facial oils for rosehip oil from amazon or the health food shop. Trilogy sell it for £££ but buy a no name brand as it's exactly the same stuff,

You could swap your eve Lome cleanser for body shop camomile in a tin, I really like it.... I splurge on an exfoliating toner, and recently a decleor night balm (only because they have me a sample first and it totally cured a red scaly patch I'd had for ages). Borjois make up is good and there are loads of cheap body lotions/oils...

What was the decleor balm please Hettie. I have red scaly issues too!

With make up I've tried to economise and ended up regretting it - in order to find something decent I've had to try quite a few things out, thus not saved any money! I now try to buy only what I really need. I have foundation, one mascara, one blusher, one eyeliner and three lip colours. I still buy the brands I like, but I don't go make up shopping and just buy for the sake of it!

I'm a spender. You cant take it with you. No pockets in shroud. No cash machines or banks "up there" but I still buy cheap and look for bargains eg I have every color of nail polish but I wouldn't pay more than £3 for it.
If I see a dress and I want it. I buy it. Simple as that but only high street. I totally refuse designer wear. Why should I pay to advert a name for someone!

Look out for lower cost niche replacements - Korres are great for body stuff and shampoo, Weleda do some very well regarded moisturisers?

Have just been reading a Mary Greenwell interview: she says spend on creams and liquids and save on powders. She and Lisa Eldridge both recommend French pharmacy brands (Avene, Caudelie, RoC, Vichy, Bioderma etc etc).

Like Twain I've tried out cheaper makes, but always come back to Clarins serums and moisturisers and Bobbi Brown makeup. Yes, it is more expensive, but I use them up completely.

So I decided to just buy what I need, when I need it. I rarely have baths, (showers only) and I used unperfumed body wash and Nivea body creams only.

Can anyone recommend a good eye make remover which takes off mascara thoroughly?

chottie - Clinique Take The Day Off. Even removes my superglue-like Maybelline waterproof mascara.

Wow, thanks Belinda

Sali Hughes has a book out recently (Pretty Honest) which covers in depth exactly what's worth splurging on and vice versa. Also a lovely buy for a make up addict? Not exactly saving you money buying the book but she does have some really good advice on brands etc.

I went through this a few years ago. I swapped my expensive hair care products for aussie, they work fine.
Foundation i have tried high st versions but they break me out so i use mac face and body. Think its nearly £30.00 but the bottle is gigantic, 100ml compared to the vast majority of 30ml.
Face creams and cleansers I use the french pharmacy ones now, often on 342 at boots.
Blusher, bronzer I buy my normal stuff (guerlain, nars etc) because they last for ever, ditto eyeshadow.
Still hunting for a good high st mascara to replace my lancome ones, yet to find one i like and have spent a small fortune in the process.
Lipsticks, i have a few favourits: a lancome liner i wear all over, nars crayons and a chanel one. They kast ages too.

The biggest change i made was like a poster above said, i just buy what I need. Before I used to treat myself to a lipstick or chnage foundation midway through a bottle "just because" and I never do that now. I use it all up entirely before I buy something new. That has really been my biggest saving by far.

The best (cost effective) make up remover I've found is coconut oil. I wear waterproof mascara every day and it takes it off easily. I bought a jar from the supermarket 9 months ago for £6 and there's still about a third left since you literally only need a fingernail scraping each time.

I love my eve lom cleanser even though its full of mineral oil but use this first to get the make up off (and to save on the eve lom).

I agree with those saying use up what you have and only buy what you need. I have accumulated so much make up over the years I literally have three make up bags full of stuff plus drawers full of products. Make up wise I reckon that if I could top up the everyday basics (foundation, powder mascara, lip liner) I could go 5-6 years without buying eyeshadow, blusher etc.

Body lotions I have a good 18 months supply backed up since its the sort of thing people buy me for gifts.

Facial skincare is different since if Ive stopped using something its generally because it wasn't great so all the half opened bottles in the cupboard should probably just be ditched.

I'm a die hard tropic skincare fan. The cleanser is unreal. I decided to try the l'oreal miccelar water this month after I ran out, as on a budget before my next holiday, and regretting it after two days.

The tropic skincare cleanser removes all my makeup (including stubborn mascara) completely - and it doesn't sting the eyes or skin at all. My skin feels "happy" once I'm done, plump and clean, and it's so quick compared to a two or three step program to remove makeup and cleanse. It's £15 which isn't cheap but way cheaper than your eve lom.

Lndnmummy what's the coverage like with Mac Face & Body foundation. I'm looking for a new foundation to replace the Dior Nude I've almost finished.

Thanks for the great suggestions

I second coconut oil to remove make up. I've tried loads of foundation but keep going back to lancome, same with their mascara. I need to find a cheaper one but I got fed up of buying ones that were crap. I do need to find a new face cream as my skin is ridiculously dry at the mo.

Bobble33, sorry for delay. Coverage is light but could build to medium id say. I have roseaca so when my redness is bad then i need extra cover on my cheeks. Its just a divine foundation that doesnt set in any lines.

I might try the mac face and body too. The clinique foundation I use atm has risen in cost dramatically and I get through it too quickly to be spending £24 on such a tiny bottle.