Bargain Beauty | Buying Makeup for Less
Hello Lovelies! Welcome to my first installment of Bargain Beauty. A series I wanted to start on how I shop for all my beauty needs while living in New York on a very tight budget, and some amazing bargain finds that I can pass on to you all.
Today I have compiled all my tips and tricks to getting all the makeup products you want while trying to stick to a budget.
All my life, I have lived on a tighter budget than I would have liked, and with a hobby like makeup and nail polish, I could easily see my money flying out the window with each new season of products. It took some time, but I finally figured out how I could get the high-end products I wanted, without the high-end price tag. **note I will have a separate post on where to buy nail polish specifically for cheap**
If you’re interested in find out how you can save money, check out my compilation of tips below!
Okay let’s start out with physical stores that offer great prices. There are so many places out there to find discounted makeup, but here are my favorites.
T.J. Maxx/Marshalls
I cannot express how hard it is for me to walk into one of these stores and not walk out with arm fulls of stuff. Just to list a couple of things I have found here, the Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette ($19.99) Marc Jacobs foundation ($18.99) BITE Lipstick ($7) and so much more.
These stores get daily shipments and there are locations all over the country (and for those if you in the UK it’s the same as T.K. Maxx). If I am ever walking by, I always stop in and check out their makeup section. Sometimes all I find is a $4 OPI polish and other times I find stacks of MAC cosmetics.
They also always have a healthy supply of Elf, OPI, Clinique, and some off brands of popular makeup trends and brushes. If you’re consistent and patient, you can really hit it big here!
Nordstrom Rack
Most of us think of clothing and bags when we think of Nordstrom Rack, but did you know each of them has a pretty good selection of beauty and face products as well?
Most Nordstrom Racks have a NYX display, the Balm, Urban Decay, and Smashbox etc. Usually the prices range from just a couple dollars off, to 50% and more, so it is always worth it to check it out. To stopped in there today and saw The Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette for $23, down from the $49 that is retails for.
Now online the possibilities are endless! Both of the above stores have online sites as well, and you can find some of the same products there, but I find that I always get the best deals when I walkin the physical store. However, online sources are a huge way I get my discounted makeup.
Hautelook
Hautelook is my go-to online shopping for beauty products (but they also have discounted everything so me sure to look around!) Hautelook is a partner to Nordstrom, but it’s a flash sale site and smartphone app. Each day at 8 am Pacific time, there is a new release of products that is available for a limited time.
This is where I've gotten palettes from the Balm, Juvias Place, Smashbox, MAC etc. While you do have to pay shipping if your order is under $200, I still think you get a great deal most of the time.
Today I have compiled all my tips and tricks to getting all the makeup products you want while trying to stick to a budget.
All my life, I have lived on a tighter budget than I would have liked, and with a hobby like makeup and nail polish, I could easily see my money flying out the window with each new season of products. It took some time, but I finally figured out how I could get the high-end products I wanted, without the high-end price tag. **note I will have a separate post on where to buy nail polish specifically for cheap**
If you’re interested in find out how you can save money, check out my compilation of tips below!
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T.J. Maxx/Marshalls
I cannot express how hard it is for me to walk into one of these stores and not walk out with arm fulls of stuff. Just to list a couple of things I have found here, the Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette ($19.99) Marc Jacobs foundation ($18.99) BITE Lipstick ($7) and so much more.
These stores get daily shipments and there are locations all over the country (and for those if you in the UK it’s the same as T.K. Maxx). If I am ever walking by, I always stop in and check out their makeup section. Sometimes all I find is a $4 OPI polish and other times I find stacks of MAC cosmetics.
They also always have a healthy supply of Elf, OPI, Clinique, and some off brands of popular makeup trends and brushes. If you’re consistent and patient, you can really hit it big here!
Nordstrom Rack
Most of us think of clothing and bags when we think of Nordstrom Rack, but did you know each of them has a pretty good selection of beauty and face products as well?
Most Nordstrom Racks have a NYX display, the Balm, Urban Decay, and Smashbox etc. Usually the prices range from just a couple dollars off, to 50% and more, so it is always worth it to check it out. To stopped in there today and saw The Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette for $23, down from the $49 that is retails for.
Now online the possibilities are endless! Both of the above stores have online sites as well, and you can find some of the same products there, but I find that I always get the best deals when I walkin the physical store. However, online sources are a huge way I get my discounted makeup.
Hautelook
Hautelook is my go-to online shopping for beauty products (but they also have discounted everything so me sure to look around!) Hautelook is a partner to Nordstrom, but it’s a flash sale site and smartphone app. Each day at 8 am Pacific time, there is a new release of products that is available for a limited time.
This is where I've gotten palettes from the Balm, Juvias Place, Smashbox, MAC etc. While you do have to pay shipping if your order is under $200, I still think you get a great deal most of the time.
Overstock.com
When I first stumbled upon the makeup section on overstock.com it was because I was googling around for a specific palette I wanted to buy myself on Black Friday. To my surprise, overstock had a huge selection of discounted makeup products!
Another great aspect of overstock is they pretty consistently have sales on their already low prices, and they email out coupons which you can also stack on to bring your grand total down.
When I first stumbled upon the makeup section on overstock.com it was because I was googling around for a specific palette I wanted to buy myself on Black Friday. To my surprise, overstock had a huge selection of discounted makeup products!
Another great aspect of overstock is they pretty consistently have sales on their already low prices, and they email out coupons which you can also stack on to bring your grand total down.
HSN.com
HSN, short for Home Shopping Network, is similar to overstock, but here you can do “flexpay” aka installment payments for products which is super handy if you can’t dish the full amount right at the get-go. Don’t get yourself into trouble here, know what you can and can’t afford even on Flexpay!
Now, this last tip may only apply to those of your who are as, or more, makeup obsessed as me, but utilizing rewards programs has gotten me some top-notch free products.
HSN, short for Home Shopping Network, is similar to overstock, but here you can do “flexpay” aka installment payments for products which is super handy if you can’t dish the full amount right at the get-go. Don’t get yourself into trouble here, know what you can and can’t afford even on Flexpay!
Now, this last tip may only apply to those of your who are as, or more, makeup obsessed as me, but utilizing rewards programs has gotten me some top-notch free products.
Ulta
I personally lived next to an Ulta most of my life, but since moving to New York, I’ve had to turn to rely on online shopping which is so much more dangerous for me! Since my mom and I share the same Ulta rewards account, I always have a ton of points to redeem on future purchases. If you buy all your makeup from Ulta, the points really rack up and I recently got the ABH Modern Romance palette for ~free~ Yes you read that right FREE.
I guess it’s not 100% free because I had to spend a fortune on makeup to get those points, but I probably would have bought all that makeup anyways and then still wanted this palette so for me it’s a great deal.
The reason I personally like the Ulta rewards program better is because for a long time I didn’t live that close to a Sephora, and I feel like their rewards (aka samples) are not worth it for the amount you have to spend to get them.
Honestly, a handful of brands have rewards programs and if one of your favorite brands hands one, I highly suggest you keep up with those.
I hope that this short list has given you a new place to shop for makeup! Do you have any go-to sites or stores that you buy discounted makeup at? Leave a comment down below and share the love!
I personally lived next to an Ulta most of my life, but since moving to New York, I’ve had to turn to rely on online shopping which is so much more dangerous for me! Since my mom and I share the same Ulta rewards account, I always have a ton of points to redeem on future purchases. If you buy all your makeup from Ulta, the points really rack up and I recently got the ABH Modern Romance palette for ~free~ Yes you read that right FREE.
I guess it’s not 100% free because I had to spend a fortune on makeup to get those points, but I probably would have bought all that makeup anyways and then still wanted this palette so for me it’s a great deal.
The reason I personally like the Ulta rewards program better is because for a long time I didn’t live that close to a Sephora, and I feel like their rewards (aka samples) are not worth it for the amount you have to spend to get them.
Honestly, a handful of brands have rewards programs and if one of your favorite brands hands one, I highly suggest you keep up with those.
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I hope that this short list has given you a new place to shop for makeup! Do you have any go-to sites or stores that you buy discounted makeup at? Leave a comment down below and share the love!
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