We are all busy moms, and sometimes we truly deserve a good luxury splurge to make us feel pampered and appreciated. Things like a trip to the spa or salon are an awful lot of fun, but they can also be quite pricey, which is why it's good to spread them out a bit.
But we can make our fun indulgences a little less few and far between simply by spending less money on beauty products that we use every day. Believe it or not, expensive isn't always better. There are plenty of quality products on the market that work just as well as all of the fancy designer brands and deliver the same (if not better) results.
1. Shampoo, Conditioner & Hair Styling Products - I'm semi-ashamed to admit that I used to be a huge shampoo snob who wouldn't even dream of buying hair products anywhere other than at a salon. But then one day I was out of shampoo & conditioner and I happened to be at the grocery store, so I picked up a couple bottles of Garnier Fructis for about $2.99 a pop. And I fell head over heels in love with store bought hair products from that point forward. I'm now convinced that there's really no difference between cheap hair products and the high end stuff. I love you, Garnier. I really do.
2. Mascara - OMG. Please tell me you are not paying some ridiculous amount of money to lengthen and define your lashes. I've tried pretty much every brand on the market, from fancy to super cheap, and by far, the best ever is good old Great Lash Mascara by Maybelline (the one in the pink tube). You can't beat it, plus you can get it anywhere.
3. Lipstick and/or Lip Gloss - Yet another thing that I used to spend a fortune for but now refuse to splurge on. I got sucked into buying a $30 tube of lipstick on more than one occasion, but you know what? The pale pink gloss I picked up at Old Navy a couple weeks ago for $3.50 makes my pout look just as sexy. No more fancy-schmancy lip stuff for me.
4. Body Wash/Lotion - This is an area where I go one step further than buying store bought products instead of pricey beauty counter goods. I buy generic. I've found that the drug store brands of moisturizers and body washes work just as well on my skin as the name brands, so there's really no sense in paying extra money for something just to look at a pretty label in the shower or on the bathroom vanity.
5. Makeup Remover - Can someone please tell me how pricey makeup removers even found their way to store shelves? Because there's really no need for them. The only makeup remover you will ever need is something you probably already have a bottle or two of in your home if you have young kids -- Johnson's Baby Shampoo. It gets every last stitch of makeup off without being harsh on your skin -- even stubborn eye liner and mascara. And since it's tear free, it doesn't sting your eyes and make them all red. Try it -- I promise you'll be amazed.
What other inexpensive beauty products do you recommend? I'd love to hear so I can give them a whirl!
Image via beverlyislike/Flickr
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Comments 30
The only thing I'm a snob about I'd body wash. I really love bath and body works and I've used nothing but them since I was in high school many many years ago.
Having been a professional in the beauty industry now for nearly a decade, I can honestly say that I agree with the majority of this list. I especially agree with the mascara choice (I use it on all my brides and at all photo shoots) However, the shampoo and the facial wash I just cannot get behind.
Garnier (as well as Herbal Essences, Pantene and VO5) have large amounts of paraffin wax (which causes build up and perpetual dry ends and greasy roots) and fragrant oils (which give the scent but also allow the company to call their product "organic") which cause hair shaft decay. These shampoos/conditioners also prohibit any additives from connecting to the hair shaft, which means that if you color or highlight, it doesn't last as long and creates more damage to your hair.
As far as the Johnson & Johnson is concerned, I don't allow any of their products in my house ever since they found large amounts of formaldehyde in their products.
I'm pretty brand loyal to the Full N Soft mascara from Maybelline. I find it doesn't clump nearly as much as any other brand I've tried. But that's about it. I use Dove shampoo, but I don't think that counts as designer.
I don't wash my hair with shampoo/conditioner anymore, saves me a ton and my hair is super super healthy.
I use baking soda to wash it and apple cider vinegar to rinse it and my hair has never looked better. (I stopped way back in November, and my hair has grown like 6 inches since then).
I cannot believe there are people out there who didnt know this already.....geez...
I really like Dove shampoo and conditioner. My fave drugstore mascara is Loreal Double Extend. Super easy to remove and seriously the best mascara I've ever used. I also use baby wipes to take off my makeup :) I don't use Johnson and Johnson products though. Never liked them.