Something I used to do a lot a few months ago (before my life sort of changed) was get intricate with my nail designs. Ever since, I either haven’t had time or gave up on it.
Does this mean my life has officially gone back to normal? I wouldn’t call this intricate by any means, but I’m glad that I’m getting back into the things I love. Blogging included.
Max doesn’t look like he cares very much, but I forgive him.
Did you know that items and services marketed towards women tend to be more expensive? (Source) That’s right, apparently society thinks it’s okay to charge women more because we’re more likely to pay more for the same items.
Next time you’re buying deodorant or a shaving razor, look at the men’s section and compare. Don’t be too shocked that you’re paying more!
Personally, I think we need to give a big “shove it” to the man.
Begin looking at what you’re spending on beauty and try to cut down. Here are some ways you can still enjoy being a woman, but spend a little less.
1. Cut your own hair.
This isn’t as scary as you think it is!
It’s very easy to do if you have longer hair, which is another reason why I consider longer hair to be more minimalist and easy to maintain.
Do your research first. Make sure you have the right materials, and follow a guide.
My favorite tutorial is this one on YouTube, which I have been using with amazing results! This saves me a lot of money and aggravation over bad hair stylists. (I’m cursed.)
2. Stop dying your hair.
This is a given. Dying requires a lot of upkeep and it damages your hair. It also continually takes money out of your wallet, plus you need to buy extra beauty products to heal the damage.
It’s nice to dye for a change, but if you’re short on cash it’s best just to skip this. Growing it out is a pain, too!
3. Check for duplicates.
Sometimes you can buy a cheaper alternative to an expensive beauty product without sacrificing the results. These are usually called “dupes” within the beauty community.
Look around for these duplicates by doing trial and error yourself, or by doing some research online.
Need a new beauty product, but can’t afford to waste your money on a bad purchase? Always read reviews on a product first to save yourself time and money.
I highly recommend a community like Makeup Alley. I never buy anything without checking there first, and it’s saved me so much money!
5. Stalk for sales.
Mark the big sales on your calendar and save up for them.
For example, you can get away with making a wishlist of more expensive products and waiting for Black Friday (or Boxing Day) sales, seasonal sales, or any quarterly specials a store may have every year.
This way you’ll save big and you’ll still get what you want. This requires the patience of waiting for the sale, but pays off big.
6. Clip coupons.
Saving up coupons and being aware of coupon regulations at your favorite store will help you save money on beauty products.
For example, it’s easy to get drugstore makeup on discount by combining manufacturer coupons with store discounts at places like CVS and Walgreens.
ULTA is another example — you can use ULTA coupons on drugstore makeup to pay less.
7. Try DIY.
There are so many great DIY alternatives out there that you can create with household items.
I was browsing YouTube recently and came across quite a few great tutorials. I was especially inspired by Xteeener’s recent tutorial, Sexy Sunkissed Makeup. She was inspired to try this look after seeing it in a magazine ad.
It’s been a while since I wore full makeup, but this looked like a lot of fun to try for the weekend and I had the necessary tools in my collection. What a surprise!
Below I’ve listed what I used to recreate this look. The shades I used were a bit lighter, and more on the neutral side rather than burgundy. I also skipped many steps I find unnecessary for every day, like highlighting.
Wonderful weather in the LA area last week, which lead to the park and a potential beach trip!
Unfortunately, the beach trip didn’t work out. We just didn’t feel up to it for whatever reason.
However, I ate lunch in the park and took some naps during the work week. It was absolutely wonderful.
We celebrated Josh’s 25th birthday, which isn’t actually until this Wednesday. We spent the day at the Brand at Americana, eating and selecting his gift.
My beauty package from Target came in! Did any one else take advantage of the free beauty bag they were giving away? Follow One Parade’s Twitter if you want to be notified of freebies! Reviews of the products will be up within a few weeks, after I’ve had the chance to use them all.
This blog entry was posted in Personal on Jun 25 2012.
Something I used to do a lot a few months ago (before my life sort of changed) was get intricate with my nail designs. Ever since, I either haven’t had time or gave up on it.
