How I save money when buying makeup + TIPS

It's been a while since I've made a blog post but since it's currently in the school holidays, I thought I would try and kick start my blog again. It might not be up and running regularly when the semester starts up again but my Instagram sure will be! (@ALLUIRE)

I’ve had numerous people asking me how I buy all my makeup products and apart from the obvious answer of working hard and saving up my money, it also comes down to where I buy my makeup from. In Australia, even though the price of makeup has slightly improved, in comparison to other countries within the world it’s still extremely expensive. I hardly ever buy makeup in Australia unless it’s the core necessities or a limited edition product that I am absolutely dying to get my hands on. The times when I do buy makeup, which to be honest has become a bad habit of mine, I usually purchase from overseas. I am lucky enough to have relatives who often travel and are able to pick up a few goodies for me as it’s cheaper in comparison to Australia. But down to the nitty gritty, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my tips on saving money when purchasing beauty products.

1. Do your research.

Before diving in to buy a product, make sure you research about it. You don't have to do thorough research like you're doing a school project but ensure to find more about the product such as other people's opinions and reviews. This will help to see whether it will suit your personal skin type or your personal preference. No one likes buying a product that is raved by a sales assistant but when you actually try it, it’s nothing alike how they described it to be. Check out the price in your local Sephora or Mecca and compare it to other online stores such as Beauty Bay or even the online Sephora store as there are sometimes discounts available. Also with some clothing stores such as Peppermayo they stock beauty products which may also have discounts. You never know when there might be dramatic price differences so it’s worth the check!

2. Buy from overseas for selected products.

I am not saying that all products are cheaper overseas than within Australia but the majority are. Of course you need to include added tax and the conversion rate at the time when purchasing from America for example. As I know the price of Nars products are about the same here as in America. However, if you are not going overseas always check out online department stores such as Nordstrom and Selfridges as you can order products there to be sent to Australia. I recently bought my Tom Ford products online from Selfridges and I saved roughly $30 (excluding shipping) which is a lot of money!

3. Ask for samples first.

Whenever I am wanting to try out or buy a new foundation, I usually always ask for a sample first. Not only does this help me decide whether this particular foundation works for my skin tone but also helps save me money as buying a $60+ foundation is extremely pricey and you don’t want to be wasting your money if it doesn’t suit you!

I hope my tips have helped and if you have any more questions don’t hesitate to ask! Also if anyone has any particular blog posts that they want to read, I am open to any ideas so comment down below.

Happy smart shopping!

Whitney x