Smart Makeup Shopping Tips

Every time we go online, we're always bombarded with ads, raves, viral videos, and reviews that only want us to do one thing: BUY. In this age of excessive consumerism, how do we cut through all the noise and be able to say ourselves "This is what I only need"? It's not easy to earn money and the most important thing I learned when I started adulting is you should spend it VERY wisely.

As someone who's been contributing to consumerism (LOL), let me help make it up to you. :D Here are some tips on how you can shop makeup the smart way.

1. CREATE A SATISFYING SHOPPING LIST

-  To me, a good, satisfying shopping list consists of 80% of the things you need and 20% of the things you want to try. That way, you prevent yourself from overspending or leaving yourself hanging, wanting more...which leads to overspending in the end!

Before going makeup shopping, it's always wise to set a budget. Next, make a quick list of the makeup products that you use on a daily basis and need to replenish or get a back up for; this will be your priority purchases. Now with whatever money that's left, buy something that you want to try.

Of course this is not set in stone: if you don't have to replenish anytime soon, then you can use everything on the things you want to try; you can slide up and down your budget scale, but the most important thing to keep in mind is ALWAYS STICK WITH YOUR BUDGET.

2. READ/WATCH REVIEWS THOROUGHLY

- After all these years, I still love reading blogs. Because we all started as consumers, just like our readers and we know how to review from the standpoint of the consumer. That's why I recommend that you read (or watch) product reviews thoroughly before buying makeup; and that means going over the "it's nice", "it's cool", "i love it", "it's an IT product nowadays" and scrutinizing the details like the texture, staying power, cost, performance, application, and all that jazz. Be more discerning when it comes to reading product reviews and your purchasing decision should be based not only on the review, but also its practical application in your life.

3. USE CASH, NOT CARD

- Well unless you really have to. I use cash all the time when it comes to shopping (in debit card form) and not my credit card. Because using credit card makes you think that you have more money than you actually do whereas with cash, you see every cent going in the wind and you tend to be more in control of your spending.

4. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SAMPLES

- Stores like Kiehl's provides sachet samples that you can try before you purchase the full sizes. I always take advantage of samples because it helps me prevent making expensive mistakes! LOL! :D

5. ON A BUDGET? GO FOR DELUXE SAMPLES

- Brands like Hourglass and Benefit offer deluxe- sized products, which are 10-15% of the original size. This way, you can try the same product cheaper and besides, deluxe samples last for about a month and it's long enough for you to enjoy the product and decide whether to pass or move to full size.

6. GO FOR SETS!

- Sets are great value for your money because you get to try the best of a lot of products at a much cheaper cost. P.S. Christmas is the best time to buy makeup sets!

Hope you liked this post!