A grade-A beauty regime doesn’t have to break the bank. Do you spend hours in the salon each month and need to cut back on your spending? Or are you already on a tight budget and think you could never afford professionally polished nails, year round tanned skin and a make up collection dreams are made of? Girls, there are plenty of alternatives to make you feel your best without compromising your bank balance.
Whilst everyones beauty must-haves differ, in this post I hope you will find at least one product or service you can swap for a cheaper alternative. Saving you a few precious pounds each month!
Please note that all the tips and products I recommend are based solely on my own personal opinion. The brands mentioned do not test on animals.
*Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at absolutely no extra cost to you*
Bring the nail salon to you
Whether you love your talons or just hate painting your nails every few days, having your nails professionally painted may feel essential. But there is a compromise. From about £10, you can purchase a UV light to give yourself a Gel polish manicure at home. Gel nail varnish costs about the same as normal nail varnish. It not only lasts for weeks chip free but also protects your nails from breaking. Giving you naturally long nails in no time.
The average gel manicure costs around £30 a time, whereas a bottle of £6.50 gel nail varnish lasts approx 20 applications. Now that is what I call beauty on a budget! Plus you can watch Netflix whilst you paint – no awkward small talk, yey!
Cost comparison: £30 v 33p a manicure
Purchase the Sensational UV Light I use on Amazon.
Glow at home
Ditch the professional spray tan and do it yourself! Yes it takes a little extra work (and lets be honest… a level of skill to achieve a streak free back) but the end result can be equally as good with the right products, applicators and practice.
My favourite brand of fake tan is Skinny Tan. They have a large range of products for different purposes and shades, with various developing times. The 7 day tanner and the mousse are great pre-holiday products, applying with their brilliant fury mit and leaving over night to develop. It is notoriously streak free, smells great and leaves you will a natural looking tan (different shades available). The oil can be applied any time, as it doesn’t require rinsing. Clothes can be worn after just a few minutes of application. I particularly like using this product on my face, as it leaves my skin soft with a more natural glow. Skinny Tan uses predominately natural ingredients too – woohoo!
The average spray tan costs around £25. Skinny Tan products are sold in Superdrug for around £22 each at full price. They are regularly on offer at Superdrug and direct when you purchase multiple products. With each bottle containing approximately 10 applications, that’s just £2.20 a tan when paying full price!
Cost comparison: £25 v £.2.20 a tan
Dare to skin care
Skin care routines are becoming something of a fashion trend, with more and more products making their way into our bathroom cabinets. The cost of products vary massively, and many fail to live up to the generous claims on their bottles.
Everybody’s skin is different. Therefore it is often impossible to take recommendations from others. Whilst trying lots of different products to find the right ones for your skin can be costly. One brand with very reasonably prices and a great track record for professional products is TheOrdinary, a brand by DECIEM. With products costing just a few pounds each, you can try a few different serums, oils, moisturisers and blemish treatments without forking out. Their range of foundations is also an excellent product at just £5.90 a bottle, budget beauty at its finest. I recently swapped from a £35 foundation to this and I am never looking back.
For my full skincare routine and recommendations, read 10 Tips for Clearer Skin.
Cost comparison: Differs depending on the products.
From Kitchen to Bathroom
Many people who prefer natural products say “if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your skin”. Whilst i’m not so sure that is always possible for all beauty products, there are certainly two items found in the kitchen than should definitely make their way into your skin care routine.
Instead of buying toner, make a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar (with The Mother) with water for a natural and fantastic toner. Whilst you can purchase a 200ml bottle of toner for about £2, a £10.99 bottle of Bragg apple cider vinegar diluted 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water works out just 55p per 200ml.
Cost comparison: £2 v 55p per 200ml
Eye make up remover can be replaced with something most people have in their kitchen cupboard for the ultimate beauty on a budget hack – coconut oil! Budging even the most stubborn waterproof mascaras, coconut oil massaged into eyelashes can be wiped off easily with a warm cloth. Leaving eyelashes both cleansed and moisturised! Scoop some from your kitchen supply into a small pot, and it will last you months. If you don’t use coconut oil in the kitchen, a little tub will cost as little as £1 and last months. Whereas a bottle of eye make up remover will cost around £2 and last about 1 month.
Bonus tip: Coconut oil also makes for an epic overnight hair mask. Find my simple recipe on the Sistabliss Tribe Instagram.
Cost comparison: £2 v free
Homemade perfume
Making my own perfume was my childhood dream! Did you also spend hours in the bath mixing every product you could find that smelled good to create your own scents and potions? Well now you get to do it for real!
Perfume is not only extortionately overpriced and expensive, it can also be pretty toxic. With the potential to cause health issues such as headaches. Essential oils on the other hand, claim a range of health benefits. For example Lavender for sleep and stress relief, Peppermint for headaches and Rose for anxiety relief. So making your own scents with essential oils will not only improve your bank balance, but maybe even your health too!
There are lots of articles and videos online to learn how to make your own perfume depending on your preferred scents and health benefits desired. You can buy reusable 30ml roll-on bottles on amazon for just a few pounds, a great way to apply your perfume. Once you have your carrier oil (costing as little as £2.50 for a 100ml) and your collection of essential oils, you can make your own combinations and scents for every occasion or mood. A unique beauty product which won’t blow the budget.
Cost comparison: The cost of shop bought perfume varies drastically, however a 30ml homemade perfume could cost you less than £5.
So there you have it, my beauty on a budget hacks. I hope you found some useful beauty hacks here to try out. Share your experience on our Instagram @sistablisstribe and by tagging #sistablisstribe in your posts and stories.
