How to Shop for High-End Makeup on a Budget

Let's face it. The high-end makeup brands are unbelievably amazing! You know my favorite foundation is Nars All Day Luminous Foundation. But, it is extremely pricy and a lot of times out of the budget for me. I know that this is one of the biggest issues when watching some of our favorite YouTubers use these things in their videos. But I have managed to not only acquire these things over time but not break the bank with these products. So here are my tips on buying the best of the best without feeling as if you have spent way too much money!

1. Gift Cards. Sephora and Ulta sell gift cards year round. What I have started doing is purchasing a gift card once a month. I usually put anywhere between 10-20 bucks on it. Then I put it away. I continue to do that until after about 6 months or so. So now you have anywhere between $60-$120 that you can completely splurge on makeup! You never touch your bank account during your makeup shopping sprees. You literally saved up and now you have a ton of money to spend guilt free! Once you do that, start the process all over again.

2. Rewards points. Both Sephora and Ulta have membership programs where you earn points every time you purchase something. With Ulta, you can actually use these points as cash on a purchase. Keep track of how much you spend at each location. It will let you know how much you have with them where you can get your favorite make up item either at discount or completely free depending on how much you have to spend and the price of the item. Sephora's point system is different. With their points, you can get sample items. Keep an eye out on what they're offering. If it is something you always wanted to try, use your points to obtain it. You also get a free birthday gift. Take advantage of that. Last year, I got the Nars Velvet and Satin Lip Pencil. They were a great size and lasted for a while. I utilize this system a lot!

3. Buy from the cash wrap! Do you know that while Smashbox is my favorite foundation primer in the world, but I have never purchased the full size tube? I ALWAYS get my primers from the cash wrap. They're cheaper and they last quite a while. I also purchased the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder from the cash wrap. They have so many travel sizes right before you get to the register. They're definitely more cost efficient than spending $38 bucks on primer.

Cash wrap Smashbox, Urban Decay, and Laura Mercier Products

4. Glambot. Glambot is a blogging store that re-sales makeup that is either gently used or never been used by someone else at a discounted rate. I just found a Makeup Forever single shadow for $13.88. They're constantly getting new products in and have some of the best! Nars, Becca, Marc Jacobs, etc. Here is a link to their website to check out what they have. All of the products are sanitized before reselling. It is also a policy of theirs that lip sticks, lip glosses, and mascaras are brand new and never used by the person who sold it to them. So the stuff is very safe to use. Here is a link to check out the products that they have. Glambot.com


And there you have it! I am always big on saving money but still enjoying the best things in the world. With a little bit of budgeting and thinking outside of the box, you too can own high-end makeup. Let me know if you try it out! I would love to hear some of the amazing shopping experiences you all will have.

Until Next Time Luvs,

Aly