Buying beauty products and bills going up

[citygirl1961]

Just wondering if anyone here is deciding to cut down on what they spend on beauty products and toiletries and even clothes with bills looking to rocket sky high. I like a mix of high end and budget stuff but more high end I do admit, you do get what you pay for and the more higher end stuff lasts longer. I like Clinique make up, Liz Earle skin care and Wella hair care. What do you think?

I believe that if you find a product you really like and use even if pricey then go for it as they do tend to last and you WILL use them. I remember trying the Boots serum and it took 3 of them to last the same time as the Clarins one so no saving. I have found that I spend more with the "impulse buys" at Boots as opposed to ordering brands online. eg I bought a cheap eye colour palette last summer to take on holiday. It wasn't nice - hard pigment and you needed a lot of it. Spoke to the Dior person a few months ago and got a palette of 5 for 49 pounds which is dense , lovely and will last forever. Dior is my go to. I always buy shampoo etc online from All Beauty or Look Fantastic. QVC also has great bundles. I am fussy and wouldn't put anything from Aldi on my face or body. You do get what you pay for. I am on a buying less clothes in 2022 and buying less crap beauty stuff.

@MarmaladeTeepee

I've been on a lemonade budget since quitting my well paid job and retraining as a teaching assistant after having children. I use a combination of Aldi and Clinique for skincare and Clinique, Aldi and cheaper brands (collection, maybelline etc) for makeup. Aldi's dupes are amazing and definitely worth checking out. Home bargains is also fab for haircare.

If you sign up to the Clinique newsletter they've constantly got offers on and I find some of their products last for ages so I can justify the cost - the largest bottle of clarifying lotion lasts me at least a year, same with the largest pot of moisture surge and their even better glow foundation is hands down my favourite foundation and lasts me around 6 months. If you've got a high end product that you love and the alternatives don't match up to it, you could always ask for it for birthdays or Christmas?

I use Clinique Even Better foundation and it lasts for me ages too. I sometimes buy it when Clinique send out offers via emails like you say. I also love Clinique eyeliner and lipstick, I try others but nothing comes close. I have got a sample of the No7 hydraluminous foundation and I was thinking of switching to that because it is nice but still not as good as Even Better Glow, even though its half the price, but I agree that you get what you pay for with good quality products that you love and use and even though the outlay may be expensive it can work out cheaper in the long run. I do like Wella shampoo and conditioner from the hairdressers but that lasts a long longer than the stuff from Boots. Skincare I do like Liz Earle but think I might be able to cut back on that.

@ChickenStripper

I believe that if you find a product you really like and use even if pricey then go for it as they do tend to last and you WILL use them. I remember trying the Boots serum and it took 3 of them to last the same time as the Clarins one so no saving. I have found that I spend more with the "impulse buys" at Boots as opposed to ordering brands online. eg I bought a cheap eye colour palette last summer to take on holiday. It wasn't nice - hard pigment and you needed a lot of it. Spoke to the Dior person a few months ago and got a palette of 5 for 49 pounds which is dense , lovely and will last forever. Dior is my go to. I always buy shampoo etc online from All Beauty or Look Fantastic. QVC also has great bundles. I am fussy and wouldn't put anything from Aldi on my face or body. You do get what you pay for. I am on a buying less clothes in 2022 and buying less crap beauty stuff.

I fully agree with you. I find that higher quality products and clothes last longer than cheap. I don't buy many clothes now but when I do, some are cheap and some are a bit more, but I refuse to pay cheap for shoes and coats now as I feel much more comfortable in better quality ones and they last longer. Things like jumpers, trousers, skirts etc are usually mid price. Its just that I am a real worrier and even though I love nice stuff and know it makes more sense in the long run to buy it, I do worry about the cost of living going up and how I am going to afford it, though I do work, have a decent wage and when I retire I'll get a decent pension.

I do my own gel nails (fingers and toes) and I really like the results. My cuticles aren't 100%perfect like they would be if I spent money and time at a nail bar but the nails themselves look like a pro did them. I use a kit from Mylee.

I also sometimes buy brand new toiletry items and kits from Vinted - the unwanted Christmas presents on there can be really good deals although there's an element of trust involved.

For skincare I swear by the Ordinary.

Next I'm going to try swapping my Olaplex with the Revolution dupes from Superdrug which the reviews say are similar or even better!

I spend money on skincare but I'm happy enough to buy cheaper make up. Mascara is meant to be thrown out after 3 months anyway, so there's no point in getting an expensive one! I buy cheaper shower gel and shampoo too. I also don't wear an awful lot of make up, so I don't need that many products. For cheap brands, I like L'Oréal shampoo and bourjois and rimmel. I used to buy lots of lipsticks but there's no point now with masks.

I know this is a thread about beauty but at some point it is going to start hitting small businesses. I mentioned up thread that I'll be going to the hairdresser and beautician less often. I'll also be eating out less, buying takeaway coffee less etc. worrying times.

@FanGirlX

I know this is a thread about beauty but at some point it is going to start hitting small businesses. I mentioned up thread that I'll be going to the hairdresser and beautician less often. I'll also be eating out less, buying takeaway coffee less etc. worrying times.

I agree. I haven't been to the hairdressers in fourteen months now and I used to go every six weeks, spending around £150. I also only have a manicure every two months now instead of once a month and I'll likely drop it altogether before long.

I've been doing both myself and saved a fortune which has been a big help, but obviously that's at somebody elses expense and I don't feel great about it.

I'm going through a moment of trying to appreciate what I have already, so only buying things if I need them. I've been guilty of being a bit wasteful financially in the past and have quite a beauty stash as a result. I like the idea of having good quality basics. If I try to deny myself too much I find it leads to a "treat" mentality. I don't buy for the brand though, only if a cheaper product just won't do the job for me.

@WildPoinsettia I'm the same. I'm slapping creams on all over the place right not to reduce it as my life would be easier with less stuff & I've convinced myself that toiletries don't count but they're taking up a lot of space. I've already got a box for womens aid & trying to use up my oldest bits first.

@ABitOfAShitShow I got this one:

https://www.lookfantastic.com/mylee-pro-salon-series-led-lamp-convex-black/13170522.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&thgppccampaign=71700000083936107&adtype=&productid=13170522&gclid=Cj0KCQiAi9mPBhCJARIsAHchl1xWlJ5oAyUqTybcVoAOF6T0Dhvew3YP7Hj9aznUgOnCz2sviTPzmmQaAsPjEALwwcB&gclsrc=aw.ds]]

And then a red sky kit on Amazon which contains loads of files, base and top coat, orange sticks etc and added a load of gel colours to it too.

I'm still practising but my toes and left hand are fab...right hand is coming on 😂

@ShirleyBadass Thank you! I’ll need to practice too! 😬

Doing gel nails at home be rwalky careful to not get it on ypurvskin at all, it can cause lifelong allergies which also makes you allergic to certain dental and surgical stuff (?) i think both but may be wrong on that. If you get gel 9n the skin remove straight away before curing.
The trick with gel nails is proper prep it doesnt stick to cuticles/skin properly and will lift so good cuticle work imperative use a metal pushy.
Thin layers of gel and cap the end of tge nail.

Sorry about typos

I've asked my hairdresser to help me figure out how to stretch out my colouring appointments. My hair cuts are now 4x a year. Eyebrows get threaded every couple of months. I will maintain my laser skin treatments as they make a huge difference.

I don't do nails or any other beauty treatments. I do face masks and dye eyelashes/eyebrows at home.

I'm using all my beauty products up and then I will be streamlining what I have massively. Part of that is due to reducing plastic but cost is a big factor.

I'm on a low spend year for clothes.

I do feel bad I feel my hairdressers have struggled enough with all the lockdowns but I just can't justify going as much as I used to. I've grown my hair out into a lower maintenance style but I don't feel good about it at all.

Keep an eye out for asos 20% days

They sell a lot of hair and beauty brands so if you are going to try and buy them. a discount is always nice 😊

@citygirl1961 Liz Earle has really been dumbed down over the past year; formula changes to cheaper ingredients. I was a mega LE fan but have found as good an alternative.

I use Sukin sensitive cream cleanser (which I take off using a cloth), Holland and Barrett Vit C serum, then Sukin Ageless day cream. The day cream is in a jar and lasts ages.

Sukin is available on Amazon quite cheaply.