An Inexpensive Way to Try New Beauty Products

Let's face it, beauty products are expensive. And not only that, they're addicting! You often can't make it out of the store (or offline) without purchasing two different shades of eye shadows, a lipstick, a new mascara, and most definitely a few impulse buys at the counter. If you add it up it's actually quite expensive and walking away without spending over $50.00 dollars is a miracle!

Once home, or when the box arrives in the mail, I always carefully open the products (think about keeping the pretty packaging like a crazy lady) and test out all my loot. The Vegas Girl shade of red that looked fabulous on me in the store (or even more dangerous, in my head while perusing online shops) now looks less like Marilyn Monroe circa 1960 and more like Pretty Woman pre-Richard Gere. What is a girl to do?

Thankfully most make up stores and counters do have a pretty nice return policy, however making the trip back to the store isn't the most convenient. I always have the greatest of intentions, but two months and one crusty lipstick later I'm still out $20+ dollars.

Hence the solution was born. I'm a big believer that if it goes anywhere on your face except for lips and eyes, invest. It's important to invest in quality foundations, concealers, and powders. Those products, for the most part, do not change very often and you will get your moneys worth. Deciding that you need the same fire engineer red lipstick Megan Fox wore because she looked divine, may not be worth your $20+ dollars. Also strategic lighting and encouraging sales associates are a dangerous part of the impulse to buy as well.

Instead hit your local drugstore (and not because you need aspirin for your shopping hangover!) to buy beauty products. Whenever I want to try out a new eye shadow color, play with eye liners, or decide if a red lip will make me the envy of all my friends I simply go down the block to CVS.

*photo by makeupandbeautyblog.com

There you can pick up an shadow AND a lipstick for under $5 dollars! This is my "Try New Products" playground. If I go home and realize that the ice blue eye shadow "I just had to have" should have stayed on Jessica Simpson and not on me, I don't feel so bad about my purchase. Here too I can return this 99 cent product to my local drugstore, but if I pull "the usual" and forget, I'm not too upset.

But what if you do fall in love with that plum eye liner or super pink cheek color? Now, may be the time to head back to the make up store/counter and test out the higher quality brands. It may be worth investing in knowing for certain that the product will be used. Often though, you find that the drugstore brand is just what you needed!

Another way to do this is to go to an Ulta store or online at http://www.ulta.com. Ulta carries designer as well as drugstore brands. Here I can spend my time in the best of both worlds!

Over the years this has saved me a lot money and a lot buyers remorse! Try it out and let me know, via twitter.com/@makeup_chic, how it turned out!

Good Luck! :)