If there’s one thing I learned over the past year, it’s that slowing down the pace of my always-on life and allowing time to take care of myself is a huge win for my personal state of well-being. Shocker, I know.
I may have been late to this party, but once I was there, I was all in: I turned my daily beauty regimen from something I rushed through into something I savored. But as I developed my more robust (and seriously life-giving) routine, I realized very quickly that if I was going to invest in making every trip to my bathroom counter feel like a day at the spa, I’d need to get creative with figuring out how to save money on beauty products.
If I was going to invest in making every trip to my vanity feel like a day at the spa, I’d need to get creative with figuring out how to save money on beauty products.
My next light-bulb moment: Shopping Ulta Beauty’s 21 Days of Beauty event, when you can score daily steals of 50 percent off seriously iconic products that never go on sale. To be honest, I’m kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner (are you sensing a theme?).
I did the math, and by shopping the event (which runs from March 14 to April 3—check out the full calendar here) I’ll shave over $160 off my beauty budget. And since I’m saving so much money, I’m finally taking the plunge on some of those everybody’s-talking-about-it products that I’d always think about adding to cart but never actually followed through on buying. Yes, I am describing the beauty jackpot.
Are you also wondering how to save money on beauty products? Scroll down to see how I’m doing it.
My skin-care staples
Cleanse, tone, moisturize has been my skin-care mantra since I was first introduced around seventh grade (thanks, middle-school acne). Though the exact products I’ve used to complete my go-to, three-step method have varied over the years, you’ll always find a variation of that trio in my beauty cabinet.
During the 21 Days of Beauty event, I obviously plan to nab one of each, but I’m taking the opportunity to branch out from the brands currently taking up residence next to my sink. On my shopping list are updated versions of two of the products I actually started my skin-care journey with all those years ago—and let me tell you, Clinique (on sale March 27 only) and Dermalogica (March 28 only) are skin-care stalwarts for a reason. These products work.
I’m also deeply in love with all-things Tula, so I’m pumped that I’ll be able to snatch a refill of the Pro-Gycolic Toner (March 20 only), which I’ve been using for about a year now and always leaves my skin feeling super smooth, not tight or irritated like some toners.
Shop Beauty Steals
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ March 27 sale price: $15 (reg. $30)
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel March 28 sale price: $20 (reg. $39)
Tula Get Toned Pro-Glycolic 10% Resurfacing Toner March 20 sale price: $17 (reg. $42)
The new additions
Now to foray into more uncharted territory for me: serums and eye pads. I recently started using my first-ever retinol, and have dabbled in eye creams, but I’ve never really committed to making these next-level products part of my everyday routine.
The StriVectin serum (March 17 only) is a brightener and skin-smoother all in one (thanks to vitamin C from acerola cherry and retinol boosted with vitamin B-3), and the Skyn Iceland eye pads (March 30 only) help de-puff tired eyes in just 10 minutes. Personally, I’m excited to use these as my secret weapon for looking more awake in early morning meetings.
Shop Beauty Steals
StriVectin Super-C Retinol Brighten & Correct Vitamin C Serum March 17 sale price: $36 (reg. $72)
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels March 30 sale price: $16 (reg. $33)
My updated base layer
On the makeup front, I usually keep things pretty simple, and often skip makeup all together if I’m being honest. But in the spirit of trying new things, I added these two cult-fave foundation products to my shopping list to see what all the hype was about.
The Face Tape foundation (April 2 only), which is like an all-over version of the fan-favorite concealer, doesn’t disappoint with a vegan formula that slides on as easily as a selfie filter—with pretty much the same effect. And the bareMinerals finishing powder (March 30 only) sets everything together while also giving me the SPF coverage I always forget to put on.
Shop Beauty Steals
Tarte Face Tape Foundation April 2 sale price: $20 (reg. $39)
bareMinerals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder Broad Spectrum SPF 25 March 30 sale price: $14 (reg. $27)
The finishing touches
Mascara and brow gel are my go-to essentials for feeling extra put together, and these two have been on my list of products to try for like, ever. The Better Than Sex mascara (March 20 only) has almost 15,000 five-star reviews thanks to its vegan, lengthening formula, and the Benefit brow gel (March 26 only) both darkens and volumizes brows for a fuller, more dramatic look.
One beauty shopping spree later, and I’m already feeling like a self-care genius with more fun products in my lineup and more money in my pocket—and that’s a total well-being win.
Shop Beauty Steals
Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumizing Mascara March 20 sale price: $13 (reg. $26)
Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow+ Tinted Volumizing Eyebrow Gel March 26 sale price: $12 (reg. $24)
Top photo: Stocksy/Mem Studio
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