Marina | March 2, 2014 | Beauty |

Buying makeup has gone from being a luxury to becoming a necessity.  Every woman needs at least the basic makeup products to conceal flaws, enhance her beauty and give her a confidence boost. Aside from being important for aesthetic purposes, some makeup products have benefits that do you some good too. When it comes to makeup purchases, you get what you pay for. Drugstore brands definitely get the job done most of the time but higher end products often have more to offer like added protection for the skin, antioxidants and whatnot. Splurging on beauty products isn’t bad but are you getting the most out of our splurge? Here are some tips on how to get your money’s worth from makeup purchases.

• Go for products that can multitask – if you’re going to splurge some hard earned cash for a beauty product, it better be something that you can use to get at least two jobs done. Some famous examples of products that can multitask are lip and cheek (and sometimes eye) tint, tinted moisturizer, and moisturizers with SPF. There are lots more of other multitasking products out there, just do your research and spend your good money on something that you can get the most use out of.

• Opt for unscented products – one of the things that makes some beauty products cost more is the scent that it comes with so if you want to get most of your money’s worth, go for unscented beauty products which get the job done just as well at a much lower price. Products like shaving cream, deodorant and soaps don’t necessarily have to be fragrant so skip on the scents and save some serious cash. Need proof? Just take a look at how much difference there is in the price of men’s hygiene products (which are normally unscented) and women’s scented products.

• Make sure you hit pan or get the last, teeniest tiniest bit – a little perseverance is what it sometimes takes to get your money’s worth from the makeup and beauty products you buy. Turn the shampoo and conditioner upside down and leave them like that when it’s running low. You’re sure to get at least a wash or two’s worth of product from that ‘empty’ bottle. Use a Q-tip to get the last bit of concealer from the pot, cut up the lip gloss tube and use your finger to scoop up the last sliver of gloss, do the same for other beauty products in a soft tube like foundations, concealers, toothpaste – going the extra mile to get the last smidgen out of your purchases is a sure way to get your money’s worth.

• Choose palettes – makeup products like eye shadows, blush and contour powders, concealers and lipsticks come in palettes offering you a bit of each color at a very reasonable price. Take advantage of these and go for palettes instead of purchasing each color separately. Not only do you get more color / variation at a lesser price, you also get to try out new shades / hues without buying a full sized bottle, tube or pot. Remember, though, to choose palettes with wearable colors and shades in them like a neutral eye shadow palette and a lipstick palette of reds, pinks and oranges.

• Use but don’t abuse – one common mistake a lot of us make with products is that we tend to use more than what is needed or recommended, especially with liquid / cream products that come in squirt tubes or pump bottles. Read the label on your beauty product. There’s usually a recommended amount indicated at the back.