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12 Ways To Save Money On Makeup And Beauty Products

12 Ways To Save Money On Makeup And Beauty Products

As much as I love to collect it, I’m the type of person who is rarely willing to pay full price for makeup. Over the years, I’ve compiled a number of ways to always get the best deal. Below are 12 ways to save money on makeup and beauty products.

12 Ways To Save Money On Makeup And Beauty Products

1. Promo codes

Simply type in the name of a brand and ‘coupon code’ into YouTube and the first videos to pop up most likely have a coupon code in the description box.

Plus, sometimes using the codes gives a commission to the YouTuber, helping to support them in the process.

2. Hautelook

Hautelook is a part of Nordstrom Rack, and it offers flash sales of popular brands. Products are usually around half off and only stay on the website for a few days before disappearing.

3. Consider the Cost per Ounce

Usually buying the travel size of something is a rip off, but sometimes the travel size is actually cheaper per ounce.

Travel sizes are also better if you want to test the product before getting the full size, and it can be better to purchase the smaller size if you don’t think you could finish it before it expires.

4. Shop through Sites like TopCashback

By clicking the website’s link through TopCashback, you can get cash back on your purchases, paid out to you whenever you want! They have the biggest cash back offerings online because they pass 100% of the earnings on to you.

5. Check both the brand’s website and other retailer sites for the best deal

Check if you can get better deals from actual sites instead of retailers like Ulta and Sephora.

Macy’s offers a lot of beauty brands and can have sales that are better than what Sephora typically provides. Nordstrom provides free shipping and returns. Some brands offer free shipping on their site versus buying from a retailer.

6. Work at a retailer

This obviously isn’t applicable for everyone. But when I first started getting into makeup, I started working at Ulta and got 25% off all purchases.

Sephora has a similar employee discount, and most places let you use your discount even if you just work seasonally or part-time.

7. Check out The Cosmetics Company or TJMaxx

I’ve mostly seen The Cosmetics Company at outlet malls, and the store typically only stocks brands under Estee Lauder – like Becca, Mac, Smashbox, Clinique, etc.

Your local TJMaxx might have some hidden gems as well. Large beauty brands will send overstock or discontinued products to stores like TJMaxx where you can get them at a heavy discount. Just be careful when purchasing cream or liquid products, as you don’t know how old these products are before they get to the store.

8. Use apps like Shoptagr

You save products you want to the app and it will tell you when they go on sale somewhere on the internet or when they come back in stock. It essentially does all the work for you.

9. Plan and wait for yearly sales

Wait for holiday or Black Friday Deals. Brands like Stila, Tarte, and Anastasia Beverly Hills regularly offer friends and family sales for up to 40% off!

Twice a year, Sephora offers, 10%, 15% or 20% off depending on what type of member you are. Ulta provides 20% sales a few times a year and special events where they do offers like earning 10x the points you would normally earn.

Also, stay updated on what brands these retailers offer, because that changes all the time. A brand you’ve wanted to try might pop up on Sephora and you can wait until the next say to try it out.

10. Put it in your wish list or online cart

Stores like Dermstore give you a 10% discount off (most) products that you put on your ‘wish list’ before purchasing. And a lot of stores will send a ‘Did you forget something?’ email with a discount code if you put something in your online cart and let it sit for a few days.

11. Buy it in bulk

This should only be done for stuff you use regularly or use a lot of at once. Costco has a beauty section and sometimes sells bigger sizes of beauty products on their website that aren’t as readily available on retailer sites like Sephora and Ulta.

12. Subscribe to save

Online retailers like Vitacost, Dermstore and sometimes Amazon give you the option to schedule a delivery of a product every 2 months or so and in return they’ll take a certain percentage off. This is good for products that you repurchase regularly, like skincare, for example.

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What are some of your favorite money-saving secrets when beauty shopping?

About the Author

Natasha Terensky

Natasha is a Penn State Grad (International Business and Business Economics) and is currently a research analyst for a consulting firm. She loves makeup/ beauty, going to concerts, watching period pieces, traveling, and learning more about how to be better with personal finances. You can find her on her YouTube Channel about smart spending and cruelty-free beauty (Too Much Tash).

Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEyHtzn-1KTY0cVVIzSdxA?view_as=subscriber