How to Save Money When Buying Christmas Makeup Set

Are you makeup-obsessed but can’t spend a lot on cosmetics? You’re not alone. Makeup is easy to spend a lot of money on.

There’s not just one lipstick color. There are hundreds. Even more when you consider matte vs liquid lipstick vs gloss.

Extrapolate that over every beauty item and it’s easy to see why you have so much makeup.

If you’re short on cash, beauty items are often the first things that get cut but they don’t have to be.

As an affiliate partner of various brands and sponsored content, HerPaperRoute may earn commission on qualifying purchases. Disclaimer | Advertise With Us

The following are my best tips and tricks for saving money on makeup.

Essential Hacks For Saving Money On Cosmetics & Makeup

Continue reading if you want to learn how to spend less money on makeup but still look fabulous.

1. Fix Broken Makeup Instead Of Tossing It

Instead of tossing your cracked and caking pressed powders and eyeshadow, spritz a little bit of rubbing alcohol to the top and use a brush to smooth it out. Once the alcohol evaporates, you’ll have your makeup crack-free and ready to use again.

If the makeup is really cracked, you can scrape it into a small jar to use with a makeup brush instead.

2. Find Budget-Friendly Cosmetic Brands

If you need to save money, the easiest option is to find a less expensive makeup brand. You may not even realize how many great affordable makeup brands there are out now.

3. Keep Track of Makeup Expiration Dates

Yes, makeup expires! Some are quicker than others. If you have tons of opened makeup that is getting older, you may be about to throw away hundreds of dollars.

Check to see when your makeup expires and make it a point to use those items first.

I recommend you buy the Life Glow Up Planner which includes a digital tracker to take inventory of all your beauty products and when they expire.

If you have a lot that needs to be used up quickly, going on a makeup spending freeze saves even more money.

4. Use Employee Discounts

For those who are makeup-obsessed, picking up a part-time job at your favorite store is a great way to take advantage of the employee discount. Some stores even allow friends to use their employee discount for up to a certain amount yearly.

5. Ask For Product Samples

Many department store makeup counters will allow you to choose a few samples to try later on. Also, if you’ve made a purchase, ask if they have samples of other products you’re interested in.

At certain stores, a makeup purchase online includes the option to choose samples. If samples aren’t offered unprompted, it never hurts to ask as long as you’re not only there for free samples.

6. Always Buy Makeup On Sale

Find out when your favorite makeup brand has a large annual or semi-annual sale. Several large makeup companies have twice a year sales that their loyal customers look forward to.

These sales are often during the holiday season but I’ve seen them during spring and summer as well. Once you know about upcoming sales, hold off on replenishing your supply until you can get it at a good price.

7. Use Quality Makeup Brushes

You can have the most expensive foundation but if you’re using low-quality brushes, it can still look streaky. A good quality makeup applicator and brushes can give even coverage and a nice finish for inexpensive makeup.

If you do use quality makeup tools, they can be expensive so it’s essential to know how to properly take care of and clean them. While you may initially spend more on these, they’ll outlast numerous purchases of low-quality brushes over time.

8. Get Cash Back Shopping Rebates

There are many cash-back shopping apps out there. Two of my favorites are Rakuten (formerly Ebates) and Ibotta. These apps allow you to earn a percentage of cash back on your normal purchases.

Each store you want to shop at will show the percentage cash back you’ll earn and whether you need to shop online or in-store to receive it. Some of the companies I currently see listed include Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Clinique.

I suggest signing up for both and checking which has a higher cashback rate at the time of shopping. Rakuten is available to use as a website, app, and Chrome browser extension. Ibotta can only be used as an app.

✅ If you sign up for either one through my links you’ll get a $10 cash back bonus!

9. Avoid Impulse Buys

It’s so easy to impulse buy, especially when the price is $10 or less. BUT $10 here and there quickly adds up so it’s good to be aware if you have a tendency to do this.

Sometimes impulse purchasing becomes more of an issue and is compulsive. One quick fix is to implement a 24-hour rule for items you didn’t specifically go to the store for.

Related: Learn why you impulse buy and how to stop it.

10. Check Out The Store Brand Versions

You can often find store brand versions that perform equally to the more expensive name brands. This is similar to how grocery store brands cost a lot less but are basically the same as the fancy brands.

Stores like Sephora and Ulta Beauty sell high-end makeup but also sell their own brand of products. Since these stores are so popular, you can often find reviews of the store brand version online to see for yourself.

You may be surprised to find out you can get essentially the same item for half the price just because it isn’t the name brand. The higher price is paying for that brand’s marketing and exclusivity.

11. Stop Watching “Haul” Videos

Did you know that many of the beauty haul videos on YouTube are made up of products brands sent the YouTuber for free? The brand may have even paid them to include their makeup in their video. Yes, even for the 16-year-old beauty gurus!

While makeup hauls are fun to watch, the efficacy or benefits of the products are often overhyped. It ends up making you feel like you’re missing out on amazing products which can cause you to go on a cosmetics shopping spree of your own.

12. Use Coupons

Many drugstore brands offer coupons in the weekly flyer. Ask friends and family who live nearby save coupons for you if they won’t be using them.

13. Mix Colors Instead Of Buying A New Item

If there’s a trending new color or shade you want to try, attempt to recreate the look with your current makeup. Can you mix two shades of eyeshadow you already own instead of buying a new pot of color?

The same goes for blush and bronzer. Multiple colors can be mixed to create an entirely different look.

14. Find Your Signature Look

A signature look sounds a lot fancier than it really is. Usually, you have a go-to eye makeup routine or daily makeup that you know how to do well.

By narrowing down your number of looks, you can cut down on the amount of makeup you need. You may have 10 tubes of lipstick and 20 eyeshadows, but it’s unlikely that you consistently use all of them.

I suggest perfecting a daily look, classic evening look, and bold party look.

15. Buy During Bonus Time

A lot of makeup companies have loyal customers who know to stock up during special bonus times. Clinique and Estée Lauder are two companies that come to mind.

The bonus deals become available if you purchase over a certain amount of product in one transaction. This is a great opportunity to ask for samples as well since sales associates are more inclined to keep their customers happy and coming back for more.

16. Finish What You Have

Make it your mantra to not buy any more makeup until you finish what you have. It’s incredibly easy to accumulate more and more makeup until it’s unlikely you’ll ever be able to get through it all.

If this sounds familiar, opt to instead not buy any more cosmetics until you finish what you have. As mentioned above, makeup does have an expiration date so you don’t want to risk having to toss everything in the trash.

17. Sign Up For Free Samples

Some companies let you sign up for samples directly from them. It’s best to directly email your favorite makeup brand to find out if they will send you samples.

There are also product sample boxes you can try out. You sign up for free samples with the agreement that you’ll write an honest review and provide feedback.

18. Unsubscribe From Newsletters

While signing up for newsletters is good for knowing about sales and coupons, it can sometimes get overwhelming.

If you’re finding that the constant barrage of sales emails is making you want to overspend on cosmetics, it’s probably best to unsubscribe.

Another option is to set up an email filter for those emails so they go to a separate folder. You don’t have to see those emails on a daily basis this way.

When you run out of an item and want to pick up more, hop over to the folder to check for coupons and deals before repurchasing.

19. Buy Makeup That Works Double Duty

There are products you can buy that can do more than one function. Just make sure that the makeup product is safe for use in other areas of your face, especially eyes and mouth.

For example, lipstick can be used as a cream blush. Eyeshadow can be added to clear nail polish to create a custom shade. It can also be applied as eyeliner with a liner brush.

20. Use A Setting Product

Every time you reapply or touch up your makeup, you’re using more. To combat this, a setting product may be all you need.

This can be a topcoat for nails, spray or powder for face, or liner and gloss for lipstick. Setting products typically are less expensive than products with color and pigments.

21. Keep A Makeup Wishlist

A makeup wishlist should have a handful of items that you’ve been eyeing for a long time. This includes high-end luxury products and classics that seem out of your price range.

Instead of buying another shade of lipstick you don’t need, put that money towards saving for something on your wishlist. By doing this, you’ll stop to think more critically about your purchases and will find that doing without becomes easier and easier.

The motivator is that by the end, you’ll eventually have enough saved to splurge on your makeup wishlist. Yay, positive reinforcement!

22. Sign Up For Rewards Programs

Ask your favorite store if they have a rewards program. Many do. If you shop consistently, you’ll build up points that can be used for products and discounts.

It’s not only Sephora and Ulta Beauty who do this. Your local CVS or Walgreens have discount cards that can save you a lot of money.

Another perk many don’t know about is bringing in your empty makeup containers, or empties, back to the store for recycling. Usually, the “empty” can be from ANY brand and they’ll give you a discount off your purchase.

23. Ask For Makeup Gift Cards Or Gifts

Ask friends and family to get you gift cards to your favorite store or items off your makeup wishlist. It’s an easy birthday and Christmas gift for them to grab for you and takes the pressure off.

Plus, you get something you’ll like and maybe wouldn’t have bought for yourself.

24. Start With A Good Skincare Routine

Think about it… Your skin is the canvas for your makeup. If your skin is dry, patchy, or oily, you’re going to use a lot more makeup to get the look you want.

A good skincare routine includes removing makeup at the end of the day. If you leave it on your face overnight, your pores will be clogged and will not be at it’s optimum for the next day’s application.

Skincare doesn’t have to be expensive. Understanding what your skin wants and needs to look at its best can be done with inexpensive drugstore brand products.

25. Look For Makeup Dupes

Dupes stands for duplicates in the makeup world. Many of the high-end favorites have products sold by less expensive brands that are the same in every way except for the packaging.

If you have a favorite product you can’t live without, check first to see if there’s a budget-friendly makeup dupe you can test out as an alternative.

26. Use Every Last Bit

Often, the applicators and pumps that dispense makeup leave a lot behind. Before recycling the containers, get every last drop out of the bottle.

My favorite way to do this is by using this inexpensive beauty spatula. You’ll seriously get everything out of your foundation or face cream bottle. It’s silicone so can be washed and reused.

27. Watch Reviews Before You Buy

While you’ll want to stay away from makeup haul videos, watching authentic and honest reviews about a makeup item is smart to do before purchase.

Just make sure that it isn’t a sponsored post or video that could have some bias. Double-check for any disclaimers about sponsorship or ads before taking their word about an item.

How To Spend Less Money On Makeup – Conclusion

Saving money on makeup doesn’t need to be restrictive. There are many easy and realistic options to do so that won’t feel limiting. By combining a few of these tips, you’ll be able to spend less money on makeup.

Let me know your best money-saving makeup tips in the comments below. Have you tried any of the hacks I listed above?

ULTA Beauty or ULTA as we've grown to know and love it, is an amazing place to shop for makeup, perfumes, haircare, and skincare products. Of course, it's always great to know ways to save money and get amazing deals, right? ‌ ‌Dealspotr ‌shares 15 tips on how you can save money while shopping at Ulta and still look fabulous! ‌

Snapshot Survey

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:

Email address

1

Use Ulta Coupons

When most people think about coupons, an image of an old lady furiously clipping and snipping newspapers comes to mind. And even though that doesn’t sound appealing at all, coupons can actually save us thousands of dollars per year, which is a good enough reason for you to start looking at couponing differently.

In fact, if you want to save money at ULTA, you’ll have to start using their store coupons. ULTA typically offers two types of coupons – $3.50 off $10 and the more exclusive 20% off – and you can find them in Sunday newspapers.

We also recommend downloading the ULTA Beauty app (available for both iOS and Android) to make sure you are always up-to-date with the most recent ULTA coupons.

2

Look for Manufacturer Coupons

Apart from offering their own coupons, ULTA is also known for accepting manufacturer coupons. Moreover, they even allow you to stack manufacturer and ULTA store coupons to save more money.

However, before getting exciting, make sure to visit ULTA’s list of brands that are excluded or restricted from promotions. In addition, you should also check their coupon policy.

3

Join the ULTA Rewards Program

ULTA has one of the best rewards programs and you should definitely become a part of it. Once you sign up you’ll start earning points on purchases and receive amazing deals and exclusive discounts on different products. Joining the ULTA Rewards Program is free and all you have to do is show your membership card at checkout if shopping in the store, or use your ID during an online purchase.

For every dollar you spend, you get a point. These points are valid the entire year, and you can redeem them for anything your heart desires. And if you spend $450 in a year, you’ll become a Platinum member and get 1.25 points for every dollar spent at ULTA. In addition, you’ll receive 2 points per dollar spent during your birthday month. The collected points will never expire, plus you’ll receive a free gift on your birthday.

4

Go to the Salon to Rack up the Points

If you are in need of getting your hair, brows, or nails done properly and you are looking for ways to save money at ULTA, then visit their salon. Apart from getting 25% off of your first visit, customers also get an opportunity to rack up points as they sometimes receive 5-10 points for every dollar spent.

In addition, ULTA also offers these multipliers on purchases of a certain brand, so make sure to pay attention while getting a glamorous hairdo or manicure.

5

Pay Attention to Email Messages

Emails from ULTA often contain important information that helps customers earn bonus points. This means that by purchasing certain items, you’ll get double the points, and sometimes the opportunity to double up on bonus point offers. The ULTA Rewards Program can give you an opportunity to combine two or even more bonus offers on certain purchases. Apart from that, they will also send their latest promotions, deals, and coupons which will help you save money.

Famous Quotes

To give oneself earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.

Confucius

6

“Free Gift with Purchase” Promotions

One of the best parts of shopping at ULTA is the ever-changing selection of “free gift with purchase” promotions that offers all kinds of freebies until supplies last. If you purchase an item that is part of this promotion, you get special gifts like scarves,tote bags, and makeup from both high-end and drugstore brands.

Now if that’s something you would like to pursue, you should know that most free gifts are displayed around the store and usually hang by the price tags. However, not all offers are listed in store and you’ll have to also check the ULTA Free Gift With Purchase page. With that being said, make sure to check their website before shopping and get as much free stuff as possible. After all, that’s one way of saving money.

7

Check out “Buy More, save More” Webpage

ULTA’s website has an entire page dedicated to all of the bargains and sales that are going on. They run promotions for BOGO free merchandise and buy-one-get-one 50% off deals.

They update this page often, so make sure to visit it from time to time to get better deals and save some money.

8

Don’t Miss out on the 21 Days of Beauty Deals

ULTA’s 21 Days of Beauty sale happens twice a year, usually during fall and spring. For 21 straight days, a different item per day is significantly marked down. For example, you can score Lorac blushes worth $22 for only $11 (50% off). To find out more about 21 Days of Beauty sales and the date of the next sale, check out their website.

9

Take Advantage of ULTA’s Return Policy

There is nothing worse than wasting money on a makeup product and realizing that the item is not what you expected. However, thanks to the amazing ULTA Return Policy, you can return any product for any reason as long as it is returned within 60 days of the purchase.

You don’t have to be stressed about trying out new products as you can return them and receive a full refund in case you don’t like them. And if you get a gift with purchase and decide to return the original purchased item, you still keep the gift – now how cool is that!

Trending

All stories

→

10

Get Free Shipping

When it comes to online shopping, you should always research the shipping costs before purchasing anything. And even though some items might be cheaper online, they often tend to be more expensive when you include the shipping fee. With that being said, ULTA often offers free shipping on orders with a minimum purchase (usually $50), so make sure to take advantage of that policy as well.

11

Look for the Clearance Section

If you really want to save money at ULTA, then make sure you check out their clearance section where you’ll find great bargains on a wide range of products. In addition, try to find a coupon to lower already cheap prices and score an unbelievable deal.

Pay close attention after the holidays — ULTA is known for offering a killer post-holiday clearance that starts on December 26th where you can save up to 85%. Also, if you are unable to locate the clearance section, simply ask the employee to point you in the right direction. Don’t be shy and save some money!

12

Buy in-Store

We all know that online shopping is more convenient, hassle-free, and ideal for busy parents, but sometimes you can only save money in the store. According to a beauty employee, ULTA stores tend to mark down products that are not selling well (up to 75%) to make space for new inventory. These price reductions will usually not be displayed online.

On the other hand, ULTA offers free samples with every online purchase that enable customers to try out many products free of charge. So overall, it’s best to check both the website and their store to be sure you are getting the best possible deal.

13

Look for Ads

To make sure you are always up-to-date with the latest promotions and newest products, you can go the old-school route and check the advertisements that are located on ULTA'S website and in popular magazines.

14

Use Discounted ULTA Gift Cards

For people who want to save as much as possible, purchasing discounted ULTA gift cards is the way to go.

15

Use Rebate Websites and Apps

There are many rebate websites and apps that offer cash back on your purchases. In terms of websites, the two most famous are Ebates and ShopDiscover.com. Ebates members get around 3%-4% cash back when using their website for online shopping at ULTA, while new members receive a $10 gift card with their first $25 purchase. ShopDiscover.com offers 5% cash back on all ULTA purchases made through their website. They even connect cardholders with special discounts and coupons. When it comes to rebate apps, we only have one real “king” – Ibotta.

There you have it ladies, 15 awesome ways to save money at ULTA. I can't wait to shop at ULTA! What about you?

Email address

Comments

Thelma62913:

The workers look at you so funny when you use coupons; I don’t know why.

karen:

Xxxxxx

: