Times Are Tough... Beauty on the Cheap

"Today, there are three kinds of people: the have's, the have-not's, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-have's" - Earl Wilson

Times are tough~ It seems that overnight... America went from "Land of Excess" to "Land of What the Hell is Going On ?!?"  Now, I have never been a staunch follower of the news and things going on in the world (I know it's horrible... my cousin actually took a picture of me reading a newspaper)  but it seemed that the way people were living and spending money (including me) could not continue to go on.

For instance, even just a few years ago... if you see the shows that were on American T.V..... it was ridiculous!  Shows that annoyed me the most were of the extremely rich and stupid people that would throw away money like it was toilet paper.  The best example I can think of is the MTV show "My Super Sweet Sixteen".  Now, I have been accused many times in my life of being a spoiled brat (what can I say... I'm the youngest of all my friends/cousins and I'm an only child!), but these girls (and occasional boys) took SPOILED to another level.  "GIVE ME MY CAR !/ Let's go on a plane to find me a cute dress"  COME ON.... ARE YOU SERIOUS??  Ohhh.. those show annoyed me soooo much. OK..enough ranting~*

Anyways.. my point is that nowadays, everyone is being muuuucchhh more careful about how they spend their finances.  Personally, I have tried thousands of beauty products throughout my years (My mother would yell at me cause I wanted to try wrinkle creams at 13...) and I have found that the cheap stuff... is cheap not only in price, but also in quality.  By buying 3 or 4 cheap eyeliners.. I could have purchased one quality one.  On the other hand, just because something is expensive doesn't mean that it's the best.  I have tried many a expensive creams that are such a waste... and it is torture for me to have to use the whole thing because I can't bear to throw it out.

Now... I think you need to find the right products that work for you.. and even if it's more than you would normally spend on something.. it can be priceless when you find that perfect shade of lipstick or the eyeliner that stays on all day.  I am willing to spend a lot of money on beauty products (obviously....), but that is not the case for everyone.
SOOO for all those thousands of readers out there reading this (dream big Irene... dream big), here are the beauty items that I feel you don't need to spend a lot of money on:

Makeup Wipes-  I would not invest in expensive Makeup Wipes.  They are unecessarily expensive and can be oily.  Instead I use baby wipes.  They get the job done for almost everything...When wearing hard-core eye makeup, I use a cold cream to get the eye makeup off first and then use a baby wipe. I stock up on the Target brand Up and Up~ It's cheap, lasts long, is soft, and gets the job done.

Face Wash- I personally don't see any difference when I've bought expensive face washes over the years.  CETAPHIL is a liquidy product that dermatologists swear by.  There's no bubbles, so it may take some getting used to, but it doesn't leave your skin dry and stripped. It is great for dry and sensitive skin. PURPOSE and BASIC are other brands that are cheap and are bubbly.

Brush Cleanser- First of all... I hope all of you are washing your brushes reguarly! I have yelled at many a friends that have NEVER washed their brushes... omg...just thinking about those brushes makes me sick.

Now most of you aren't makeup artists, so obviously you don't need to wash your brushes everyday like I do, but if you wear makeup every day or even at least a few times a week... I STRONGLY suggest you wash your brushes once a week or at least every other week.  This will keep your brushes for longer ( I have brushes that are over 10 yeasr old), keep the germs at bay, will make your makeup application look better, and can keep you from breaking out.

Now one thing I don't feel is necessary to spend money on is an expensive brush cleanser.  Many brush cleansers are oil based and you're supposed to basically wipe the makeup away with a paper towel. But where do all those chemicals go that take away the makeup? Onto your precious face and skin!  Instead, I wash my brushes with a little bit of Johnson's Baby Shampoo and water.  It gets rid of everything... although the foundation brushes may need to be washed twice. When drying, take the big brushes and roll quickly between your hands to get the water out.  Shape the brushes and lie all blushes flat to dry.
For Makeup Artists that are on the job and need to clean their brushes right away... I use baby wipes. No more makeup.. No residue!

Mascara- Unless the mascara has a really different type of brush.. I find there's no need to pay a lot of money for mascara.  It's recommended to be thrown out every 3 months, and there are many great Drug store brands.

Lipstick- I don't think you need to spend a lot of money on lipstick.  Invest in the few colors that really work for you.. but for fun, trendy, or special occasion nights... I would just buy a Drug Store brand.  Lipstick comes off so quickly anyway, and for me... I'd rather have a lot of colors to play with.  If you do find a cheap lipstick you like, you can make the lipstick last longer by lining lips with lipliner first, or putting foundation on your lips, swiping lipstick on, blotting with a tissue, and adding another layer of lipstick

Nail Polish- I am an expert at turning nail polishes chunky.  I don't know why.. but nail polish does not survive well in my beauty arsenal.  Therefore, I will not be going to the Department store counter to spend $15+ on nail polish that won't last that long. I love OPI, ESSIE, and SALLY HANSEN nail polishes

Shampoo- I don't have the typical straight shiny Asian hair.  I have tried soo many things that don't really make much difference.  Shampoo is just like soap.. so I feel it's unnecessary to spend a lot.  Conditioner is a different story and if you find an expensive one that works... go for it.  Over the years, shampoos I've always gone back to are the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo (used only once a week or when my hair feels oily), and the John Freida Blonde Shampoo (haha.. yes.. I know I'm not blonde.. but it really highlights your hair).  I've also used Head and Shoulders and it did seem to get my hair really clean.

Wax (Hair Remover)- I don't get waxed professionally... I'm Asian so I'm not very hairy in the first place.  I've always used Sally Hansen Wax Strips (the ones that came double sided on clear strips) but I think they've discontinued it (WHY do they do this to me?!?) so I now use an organic microwaveable company called MOOM.  I love it.  But don't heat it for longer than 30 seconds cause you'll burn yourself... trust me....  For the stray hairs that you don't get? Grab a pair of tweezers and pluck them away!

Contact Lens Solution- When the heck did Contact Solution get so expensive?  Now when I was studying abroad in London, it was ridiculously expensive so I had my friend mail me solution from home (Thanks Gracie!), but one day I looked and saw that solution was going to cost me $12?!?  No Thank You!  I use the cheapest Bausch and Lomb brand... I won't spend over $5 on contact solution... It's only saline! But.. that's just me...

Toilet Paper- I buy toilet paper in bulk and I love SCOTT toilet paper.  It lasts long, It's cheap... and it's only going into the toilet! Do you really need a blanket to wipe your bottom? The Extra Soft SCOTT is also really good and still cheaper than the expensive Quilted Toilet papers...
I've also started using Toilet Paper instead of Facial Tissue (i.e. Kleenex) because I ended up going through boxes of tissues so quickly.  It gets the job done.


So...there are my list of items that I scrimp on.  I think there are definitely cheap alternatives to the rest of the beauty products (which I will be writing about later on), but I think that the other things are worth the investment... May you all live long and prosper~*



"The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money"