How would you spend £100 a month on style and beauty?

[LeveretGrey]

What would you do?

I've never had much spare cash and am now in a position where i can put a modest £100 per month aside for myself. This first month I bought BB cream, primer, and had a mini facial. Next month i plan a haircut and hopefully colour.

I know it's not a huge amount, (especially for things like botox and the like) but I always felt guilty spending on myself. What do you do? What would you do?

Grateful for inspiration!!

I would use some of the money to buy a book (India Knight’s Beauty Edit is good) with lists of recommended products for various budgets. Alternatively (or as well) look at insta for influencers who show you products from boots etc that work sImilarly to high end skincare and makeup.

ETA beautyglowgirl is good for this but ideally someone with fairly similar skin tone to you for makeup.

what brands are your BB cream and primer and do you like them?

A few years back I started having my nails done and now it’s a non-negotiable every 3 weeks. I feel so much better for it!

I’ll be honest and I’d struggle to spend a hundred pounds every month on ‘beauty’ - I’m very low maintenance!

However, if I had a hundred pounds, I woukd widen the remit. Buy theatre tickets, something nice to wear or new handbag, spa day, day out to somewhere nice including nice lunch.

Do you have a perfume, OP?

There are lots of brands that do sets of minis well within your budget so you can get one, try 5 or so perfumes and see if you can pick a “forever” one!

I buy nice products, Epsa, Medicate, Estée Lauder, Elemis skincare, Bobbi Brown, Lancome and Laura Mercier make up, Molton Brown or Ortiga shower gel and body lotion. Loreal professional shampoo and conditioner.

I couldn't get to £100 a month on usage though. Everything lasts me for ages - like more than eight months for most things. I would target an area, so spend £100 on a cleanser and toner one month, moisturiser and something else the next month.

My hair costs £160 every six weeks.

Top tip - look for posh advent calendars out of season. The Espa one contains products I will use for a fraction of the price of the products.

I’ve just done a beauty overhaul last week, a lot of mine was out of date by years, not been used, wrong colours etc. One thing I’ve done is made sure they are Cruelty free. I was approached by a woman handing out leaflets about testing on animals particularly on Beagles in the UK outside Barclays Bank (they knowingly provide banking facilities for the factory that has the Beagles for experiments) I’m ashamed to admit I wasn’t aware that animal testing was still going on. I wrongly assumed that had all stopped because of all the advancements in technology/AI etc. The leaflet recommended apps such as PETA and Cruelty free kitty, leaping Bunny or just google it. There are loads on there that don’t test on animals and the quality of the ones I’ve bought, are actually better than my usual really high end stuff that do test on animals. I’m really liking Iconic London, Hourglass cosmetics, Rimmel and ELF I’ve saved over £200 by switching from Dior, Chanel, Bobbi Brown and Nars. Was also very surprised at the amount of in house cruelty free things like Aldi, M&S, Superdrug own label etc. .

I'm quite grateful to the lady and her leaflet…helps contribute to stopping horrendous cruelty to animals I couldn’t watch the rest of the videos they were very upsetting and definitely made their point, hits the companies in their pockets that support the unnecessary testing and saves me money a win win all round so far.

The BB and primer are both an Australian pharmacy home brand. Like the BB, the primer is a bit sticky. I got them in Australia where i have just returned from.

I do have a perfume! Chanel number 5. DH buys it for me as it is his favourite, i go through a bottle about every 14 months. I actually think it's too heavy for me, so might look for some lighter fragrances, especially during the summer.

I just thought about my eyebrows- i have extremely heavy Brooke Shields type brows and my eyesight isnt great so i don't pluck as well as I ought. I could get that done monthly- I know when i do it it makes a big difference to my face.

Thing is, i'm dumpy, and had an upbringing where I was really clobbered about my weight and called a 'fat hobbit' etc by my parents. I've decided that I'm tired of being ashamed of what my genetics has given me and i want to actually make an effort and really enjoy myself. No more cheap ill fitting clothes. No more shame about my menopause belly. I want to just really put some effort in- for me.

Thanks for this- also a consideration. I was also shocked recently to discover animal testing was still a thing.

Lush products - their skin care range is fabulous. Ethical sourcing so your little treat doesn't support the misery of others, so that should help with your feelings of guilt! And the ingredients are fresh, no synthetic fillers.
Their new make up range is gorgeous, specially the tinted moisturiser which is really light.

If no 5 is too heavy , but you like it otherwise. You may like the lighter version ‘ l’eau no 5 ‘

enjoy your £100 monthly spending spree , it sounds great x

Getting your eyebrows shaped and tinted can change your whole face. I’d also educate yourself about skin care then you can create a good basic routine. Caroline Hirons does a good book that can help with that. In terms of makeup I think a good glow product for under some cc cream, a blush, a concealer and a mascara are the most important basics. Rimmel multi tasker, lumene cc cream, the maybelline instant eraser and maybelline sky high mascara are great products. I like a cream blush too, as cream products will add more glow in to your face and make you look youthful.

I can spend that quite easily. I just bought Dermalogica ‘Dynamic Skin Sculptor’ for example. I think it was £96. I have a facial every 4 weeks which is about £80 and worth every penny.

Last week I popped into space NK and came out about £140 lighter having bought 4 items of makeup. I did get a free AirPods case though 😂

I think I probably spend that although it is variable. I only go to the hairdresser four times a year but that costs £100 a time. I also get my eyebrows done reasonably regularly.

In spring and summer I get a pedicure every six weeks and then in autumn and winter I swap it for a facial every six weeks. That's £50 a time.

My skincare is reasonably cheap but works well for me. I buy from brands like The Ordinary and The Inkey List. Make-up is a mixture of high street (mainly ELF) and some higher end products - mainly for my face as I like Erborian, Givenchy, Charlotte Tilbury etc.

I like treating myself to a new perfume every so often as I tend to rotate them and I wear it every day. I wear lighter, fresher fragrances at this time of year compared to the winter.

ooh Id love this!
I get my hair cut every 10 weeks and it’s £36 and I box dye my hair so that’s not too expensive.
im 48 so I’d use some of that £100 a month and put it towards Botox. One of friends recently had it done and it wasn’t that expensive. I only noticed once she told me and it’s definitely worth spending on if you’ve got the budget.

Honestly Botox.
and a trim every 3 months.
do my own nails once a week at home, it’s my way of relaxing

I do a 7 minute exercise video every day to keep my menopausal tum in check. I follow Lucy Wyndham-Read but I'm sure there are loads of others.

I can’t bear to even walk by the local
Lush - the smell is so pungent it makes me feel nauseous.

errmmmm I don't think I could unless a sports massage counts??

I spend about £200 a month on skincare, hair, make up etc. I don’t spend very much on each thing but I buy a lot of things. Don’t wear perfume.

The one thing I wouldn’t give up is my Dermatica subscription which has left my skin at 50 better than it was at 40. Plus obviously a good SPF.

Does that include treatments? Over a two month period I get my hair cut, eyebrow and eyelash dye and then leg and underarm wax. I keep my own nails short so no spend there. I go to the podiatrist every 6 weeks too. After that I'm low maintenance and buy whatever heavy duty facial moisturisers are on sale. I use cheapish foundation eg Max Factor. I need to change that but haven't got up the courage to approach any of the counters or posh shops.

I don't buy much perfume or matching body lotion as it's usually given as a present but it's the good stuff.

Is this for clothes as well? If so, I’d start with a nice autumn jacket/coat, not too heavy and a couple of lights scarves that go with it to ring the changes. If I had a bit of money left, I’d buy a moisturiser- my favourite is Clinique Moisture Surge.

I can spend that on perfume alone.

It’s not terribly helpful for people to say they don’t think it’s much money. £100 a month is a lot to many people.

I have a massage once a month. It’s £45 and I’d prioritise that over pretty much anything, I think.

Hahaha good point

Yes I spend £40 a month on a sports massage

Eyebrows done every 2 weeks £20

Full face every month £25

I dye my own hair probably £5

That's most of it gone! Bloody hell.

I would like some skin treatments, it's a bit dull and uneven but unsure what to go for. I use 50 spf every day so it's not sun damage and I exercise every day, good diet, don't drink etc

I couldn’t spend that much a month but if I did it’d be massage, facial, brows.