We've all heard that "beauty is pain," but nobody ever warned us that it'd be super expensive, too. According to data compiled by Skin Store, the average woman spends a staggering $300,000 in her lifetime on makeup. But, as long as you know where to shop, you can keep up your beauty routine and start saving, too. To help, we've rounded up a list of stores, websites, and brands that'll help you save money on beauty products. It's time to get smart about getting glam.
MakeUpMania
MakeUpManiaIn the 1990s, makeup artist Eva Marie Denst was working in the film industry. But she realized that the beauty products she used and adored were almost impossible to find outside of New York and Los Angeles. So, she decided to start MakeUpMania, a website devoted to selling the coolest and craziest makeup out there. Plus, the prices are low and the quality is high. And if you're in the Denver, Colorado area, there's a MakeUpMania brick-and-mortar store you can peruse.
Miss A
Miss AClose your eyes and imagine a website where every beauty product is just $1. Okay, now open your eyes and head to www.shopmissa.com. No, you're not still dreaming—Miss A really does exist, and all of the brand's products really do cost just one Washington.
On top of that great news, you can feel extra good about using anything from Miss A: All of the makeup on the site is made with 100 percent FDA-approved ingredients and is certified cruelty-free.
BH Cosmetics
BH CosmeticsA top-rated, cruelty-free brand made with vegan ingredients sounds like it would be expensive, but BH Cosmetics is all of those things without the high prices. With 25-swatch eyeshadow palettes for $23 and 15-piece brush sets for $16, the makeup manufacturer can help us all stay fabulous, keep our savings going strong, and prevent animals from being harmed. It's a win-win-win!
Nyx
NYXNyx, an offshoot of glamour giant L'Oréal, is the ne plus ultra of affordable cosmetics. Sold at specialty stores like Ulta Beauty as well as drugstores like CVS, the brand unites beauty lovers from all socioeconomic backgrounds by providing cosmetics that are bold, brilliant, and budget-friendly.
Beauty Encounter
Beauty EncounterThe website Beauty Encounter carries all of your favorite Sephora brands—like Dior, YSL, and Tarte—but sells them at more reasonable prices. If your go-to lipstick is Christian Dior's Rouge Dior Baume in Diorette, for instance, then you can stock up via Beauty Counter for $29 a tube, down from $35. And if your signature scent is Chloé's limited edition Absolu de Parfum, then grab yourself a few bottles at $80, instead of their retail price of $145.
Buy Me Beauty
Buy Me BeautyWhen your favorite highlighter or liquid foundation gets discontinued, Buy Me Beauty swoops in to save the day. Usually, you'd think the harder something is to find, the more expensive it'd be. But this website sells discontinued products at discounted prices.
Even if you aren't looking to find a former favorite, Buy Me Beauty is worth checking out for its great prices and clearance section.
Image Beauty
KerastaseImage Beauty is a website that sells all of your favorite stylist-approved haircare and makeup products at wholesale prices. Since high-end salons have a tendency to mark things up, all you have to do to save some money is write down the names of the products you like and then buy them via Image Beauty instead of directly at the salon.
ColourPop
ColourPopBecause they do their testing, manufacturing, and packaging all in the same building, ColourPop is able to create cruelty-free, low-cost cosmetics that compete with all the best brands. Recently, Harper's Bazaar described ColourPop's Super Shock Highlighter as "the best $8 you'll ever spend." Enough said.
Elf Cosmetics
Elf CosmeticsElf Cosmetics—which is styled e.l.f.—is a makeup and skincare brand with shelf space in every store from Rite Aid to Old Navy. However, you shouldn't discount this makeup just because it's sold in so-called low-tier locations. In 2018, some Elf products even received highly-coveted Glamour Beauty Awards. And if you want to know where to start, Allure recently rounded up their favorite products from the brand.
Absolute New York
Absolute New YorkBecause Absolute New York believes that "beauty is essential and should be accessible to everyone everywhere," all of the website's products have price tags that virtually anyone can afford. We're talking concealer cover sticks for $7 and enormous eyeshadow palettes for $25.
Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom RackNordstrom Rack carries the same makeup products that Nordstrom does, but sells them for a fraction of the price. Both in Nordstrom Rack stores across the country and on the website, in-demand brands like Stila, Nars, Laura Mercier, and Urban Decay are available for as much as 90 percent off.
Wet n Wild Cosmetics
Wet n WildCruelty-free and ideal for consumers of all ages and ethnicities, Wet n Wild is a coast-to-coast cosmetics brand with lipsticks for as little as 99¢. And with celebrity fans like Jessica Biel and Meryl Streep, this label has earned a reputation as a low-cost luxury item.
Hard Candy Makeup
Hard CandyYou might remember Hard Candy as the nail polish that came with jelly rings in the 1990s. The hot ticket item even had a quick cameo in the Lindsay Lohan remake of The Parent Trap.
But Hard Candy is so much more than just nail polish for tweens these days. The company brands itself as "beauty with attitude," and all of its products are just as bold as they are thrifty. And speaking of teen stars who've made some daring choices, check out these 40 Shocking Celeb Hair Transformations.
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