25 great ways to save on beauty buys | members only

8. THINK LONG TERM Saving money doesn’t mean you have to skimp on services you love. But think about costs vs. benefits. Take your next spa visit, for instance. A basic facial will usually

cost less, but the results are temporary. More advanced treatments — like chemical peels and phototherapy — that target specific issues like wrinkles or acne — come with a higher price tag,

but Ghafari notes are long-lasting and may result in fewer trips to the med spa. “Both are necessary and complement each other, but the selection will all depend on each individual’s skin

type, condition and concern,” she says. 9. JOIN SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS If you have makeup items you’ve never used, Green says there are social media groups where you can buy and trade makeup

with other members. “Maybe you can get the perfume that’s sold out in exchange for eyeshadow you bought, but never used,” Green says. To swap, check out Facebook groups like Makeup &

Glamour, Makeup Addicts and Makeup Buy, Sell, and Trade. You can also stay in the know by following and liking local salons and spas on social media to keep up with upcoming events that may

offer free treatments, sales or raffles for freebies, according to Woroch. Sam Island 10. SIFT THROUGH YOUR STASH One impulse buy leads to another. It isn’t until you get home to cabinets

and drawers full of unopened products when you realize you’ve just wasted your money. “Beauty buys can often be spending temptations or impulse buys, and so one way that you can save money

on beauty would be to look in your bathroom cabinets and pull out all of the items that you don’t use. You might notice that you tend to buy tons of a particular type of makeup or skin-care

product. So, focusing on the items you do use, could help you spend less,” Hanson says. 11. TRACK YOUR SPENDING Squandering cash on beauty items can be stopped — if only you knew exactly

what you were spending your money on. Hanson says tracking your spending can help you build overall awareness, adding that the act of writing it all down can clue you in on where you’re

spending the most, and can help you pinpoint where you might want to shift your focus. For instance, if your tracking reveals that you’re overspending on makeup, it would make sense to

target that area to figure out ways to reduce your spending. 12. GRAB THE BIGGER SIZE  Have you ever noticed that products with fewer ounces aren’t that much cheaper than products that

contain more? “If it’s something that you buy regularly, you might notice that buying a bigger package or a bigger container of it is a better deal; it’s less per ounce, as long as you’re

going to actually use it,” Hanson says. You can find larger-sized products on Amazon and Walmart.com, but make sure to use the mega-sized bottles to refill your smaller, easier-to-lift

containers. 13. SHOP WITH INTENTION It’s easy to get caught up in the hype when influencers are swearing by their latest skin-care finds or letting you in on their daily beauty routines. But

it pays to focus on what will bring you the most benefits. “I usually will try to help my clients prioritize which products will be the most important in their routine and which other items

they can purchase at a lower price point,” Ghafari says. For example, Hanson adds that you may be able to get away with spending less on a basic facial cleanser by purchasing a drugstore

brand (many are just as good as the pricey stuff) in order to save on items that may have greater impact such as a quality serum or moisturizer. 14. WATCH FOR OVERLAPPING PRODUCTS When

introducing new products to your beauty collection, be sure to read the labels thoroughly, as you may notice that some of the listed ingredients appear in the products you already own. While

not necessarily a bad thing, it might not be conducive to your money-saving goals. As Hanson points out, there are so many overlapping products out there (especially in skin care) that you

may not need to purchase as many items as you think. For instance, as Hanson notes, hyaluronic acid is seemingly in _everything_. And while a quality hyaluronic acid serum is a staple in

many 50-plus skin-care routines, know that this popular ingredient is likely in your moisturizer, cleanser and eye cream, too. Doubling up is not necessary, unless your dermatologists says

otherwise. Sam Island 15. FIND THE FREEBIES If you’ve been eyeing a certain product for a while, but you’re not quite ready to make the commitment, try getting some free samples before

reaching for the full size, Hanson says. Good to know: Sephora online lets you pick up to two free samples per order. And there are various options — from face creams to foundations to

fragrance — almost anything they can pump. Shopping in store? Consider asking for samples at checkout (no need to be bashful when bargaining on beauty). Ulta offers “Gifts with Purchase,” 

but not all orders qualify. Von Maur department store offers samples at their cosmetics counters — Estée Lauder, Chanel, Clinique, Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier — in limited quantities. 16.

BE MINDFUL OF HOW MUCH YOU’RE USING Having a heavy hand might be costing you an arm and a leg. If this is the case for you, try easing up on the pump dispensers of your everyday products.

We’re talking shampoo, hair styling creams, hand lotions and other products. As Hanson notes, sometimes companies design the packaging to encourage you to use more than what you need,

causing you to purchase the product more frequently. Rule of thumb: Adjust amount of shampoo based on hair length (short hair needs a nickel-sized amount; medium-length hair needs a

quarter-sized dab; long hair half dollar-sized dollop.) To be smart, always start with a smaller amount of product or lotion and add more if necessary. 17. OPT FOR AUTO-REPLENISHMENT You

might be quick to uncheck the “auto-replenish” box at checkout, especially if you’re buying products you’ve never tried before. But when repurchasing your holy grail items, selecting this

option may save you more money. “When you sign up for a recurring purchase of a product, some stores or manufacturers offer 5 percent off your recurring purchase,” Green says. Some of these

brands include Bobbi Brown, Sephora and MAC.