Money Saving Tips

Are you on a budget?

Do you love getting a good deal on products?

Are you willing to search for sales?
If you answered yes to any of the above, keep reading this post about money saving tips when buying makeup!

On my Instagram, you have probably noticed that I am a full time graduate student working a part time job until I graduate in May… that means I have moments where I am on a tight budget! Nothing sounds better to me than the word “SALE” or “CLEARANCE” and now I am going to share my tips with you.

Ulta:

If you want a good deal on drugstore and Ulta brands, watch out for their “buy one get one half off” sales, which rotate amongst different brands weekly. You can use their “$3.50 off $10” coupons on all drugstore and Ulta products. Periodically they have “$5 off $15” coupons and “20% off”, but these cannot be used on prestige brands.

If you want a good deal on a prestige brand, wait for their “20% off everything” coupons. The “20% off everything” coupons come out two to three times a year in your email or sent to your mailing address.

Sephora:

Sephora rarely has sales but they are worth the wait. If you are a VIB or VIB Rouge you will have access to sales throughout the year, such as the recent VIB sale in November. If an item is limited edition and not selling well, it will go to clearance. Clearance sections in store are at the end caps of shelves and online in the sale section. I have noticed that there are more sale sections in Sephoras in JC Penny compared to a stand-alone Sephora store.
There are also “friends and family” sales where sales associates give out 20% coupons, be on the look out for those too!

CVS:

Similar to Ulta, CVS has weekly “buy one get one half off” sales rotating through their different brands. If you shop at CVS often I suggest that you sign up for a CVS Extra Care card. With a CVS card you can earn $5 for every $50 you spend on beauty (haircare, skincare, makeup) and you can score “Extra Care Bucks” for spending a certain amount on certain brands. For example: Spend $10 on Maybelline products and earn $3 in Extra Care Bucks. I have made multiple purchases at CVS where I paid less than $1 after saving manufacturer’s coupons and Extra Care Bucks.

Nordstrom Rack:

Nordstrom Rack is the discount branch of Nordstrom so you will see a lot of high-end makeup brands ranging from 50% to 70% off the retail price. I have seen Too Faced, Lorac, Urban Decay, and Stila at Nordstrom Rack. The products will most likely be a season old or limited edition products but they are worth the price! In September I bought the Too Faced Bonjour Soleil bronzer palette for $16.99 compared to the Sephora price of $44.00.

HauteLook:

HauteLook is a website that offers clothing, accessories, and makeup at discount prices. Different deals come out every Monday and you can sign up for alerts for specific brands. I bought products from The Balm on HauteLook and other brands such as BH Cosmetics, Stila, and Lorac have been featured on the site as well.

Do you have any money saving tips? Share them in the comments below!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones!