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Do you find makeup to be overly expensive? How would you like to get free or cheap makeup? We’ve looked at seven different ways you can save money on your makeup and beauty products below! There’s always methods available to get cosmetics for less!
We all love free samples! Some can be slightly challenging to get hold of when it comes to makeup though, as the samples usually run out pretty quickly. You may need to find websites that track these sorts of deals, or follow the brands themselves on social media.
The other option is to go to department stores or places like The Body Shop, and simply ask if you can have a free sample. If you tell them the name of a particular product you’re interested in, and are looking to buy, there’s a good chance that you’ll be given a sample. And it’s always worth asking – the worst that can happen is that they’ll say no!
Not only can recycling the packaging of your makeup lead to free gifts, it’s also great for the planet. Certain brands have rewards schemes which mean that you get a freebie when you return the packaging to them. One of the most well known schemes is ‘Back to MAC’ – when you return six primary packaging containers to your local MAC counter, you’ll be rewarded with a free lipstick of your choice. The packaging can’t be the paper boxes, but anything like foundation bottles or blusher pots are included.
It’s worth noting that if you’re looking to get the reward quicker, you could empty your MAC products into other containers that you happen to have already. Then, simply return the containers and get your free lipstick early!
Another popular makeup recycling scheme is through Lush. If your product comes in plastic packaging, such as the iconic Lush black pots, for each one you bring in, you’ll get 50p off your next purchase.
If you find a particular brand of makeup that works well for you, you’ll probably want to stick with it! But if it’s an expensive brand, the costs can start to add up. Instead, you could try using cheaper alternatives – these are essentially copycats of the named brands and designer products, that come at a fraction of the price.
One of the best ways to find these sorts of makeup options is to follow beauty blogs, as well as YouTube channels that focus on cheap copycats. Alternatively, you can subscribe to websites such as Beauty Pie. This will cost £59 a year, and will allow you to buy makeup and other beauty products at reduced rates, sometimes at less than a fifth of the RRP.
If you’re given makeup as a gift and are not keen on it, or if you change your mind about a particular product, you can always sell it. While you may be able to return unused makeup, not every brand will give you a refund. In these cases, you can just try to make your money back.
Sites like eBay are great places to list unused makeup products, though there may be a fair bit of competition. The same goes for Facebook Marketplace! You may therefore want to use a site that has a section dedicated to selling makeup, like Depop or Vinted.
Unfortunately there’s a lot of competition around becoming a product tester, which makes sense when you think about it! Who wouldn’t want to get sent free stuff to try out? There are two main ways to sign up to become a tester – through the brand directly, or via certain websites. For example, Pinecone is a well respected site, where you can answer surveys, and occasionally be sent products to test.
In terms of signing up with a brand, one of the most well known schemes is the Boots Volunteer Panel. Sometimes they will accept volunteers across the country, and post products to them, but they’ll often ask for local people (near Nottingham) to sign up, so that these individuals can visit the Boots Evaluation Centre in person.
Another great way to get money off your beauty products is to sign up to loyalty schemes. Big retailers like Boots, Superdrug and Debenhams all have loyalty cards which will give you points for every £1 you spend. Normally, you’ll need to save 100 points to earn £1 back, which may not sound like much! But these points will slowly add up, and can be used for a big splurge every now and then.
With any of these loyalty cards, it’s worth looking out for special events, as well as deals, which mean you get more points. Both Debenhams and Superdrug also have exclusive discounts or treats on your birthday, so you might want to check in store then!
Most brands will run sales and promotions, which are always good to keep track of. But what if these aren’t available when you’re looking to buy a load of beauty products? Perhaps try using discount codes from influencers and bloggers. The big names on social media will regularly share these codes for their followers.
And if you’ve got a big social media following yourself, you could always consider becoming a beauty influencer, and getting discounts (or free stuff) that way. As with all of the tips above, what have you got to lose?