Budgeting for Beauty

One thing they don't tell you about growing up and going to college/university or into the work place is that not only will your thirst for beauty products will grow but also you will more than likely have to budget from them. Growing up I was surrounded by beauty products - one of the upsides of having a sister who is a beauty blogger. Then one day I was on my own in student halls deciding what type of ketchup to buy, realising the odd trip to MAC, Chanel et al would have to wait as a gal has got to eat. Now I am not complaining for one moment, education is far more important than a pricey lipstick and when I do go home I can raid my sisters stash - a dream come true for many (sorry Adrienne) and I like to think I have become more savvy with my beauty choices in the last few months.

The first thing I recommend is to economise, sometimes bigger really is better, student halls on the whole can be a tad grim to say the least so my guess is most would rather shower than bathe? Forget pricey Lush bath bombs and opt for a large bottle of shower gel, I fully recommend Soap and Glory Orangeasm Body Wash. At £6.50 you could say this is on the pricey side given what it is but as it is 500ml in size and doubles up as a bubble bath should you want it. I use this almost daily and six months in the bottle is still going strong. I apply the same logic to hair care, more often than not purchasing the huge bottles of Tresemme Shampoo and Conditioner - £4.99 each for 500ml.

Certain products such as facial masks and candles, the cheaper travel sized variants are your best bet - chances are you will only use them occasionally for a treat so why waste valuable space or cash. Have you seen the Origins Masks to Go? Four little snap pots of their best selling formula - Origins Clear Improvement Face Mask in single use packs. At £8 it works out just £2 per face mask which is on par with the likes of the bargain sachets found on the high street!

I am guilty of shunning multi-purpose products but when cash strapped and looking to keep my stash as small as possible, they are not to be overlooked. Personally I don't tend to favour lip and cheek multi-taskers - though Benefit Tints do rank highly, rather I rate do it all products for the eyes. I'm sure everyone has heard of MAC Paint Pots - a primer, base and eyeshadow all in one, heck certain colours can even be used as eye liner! A more budget friendly option is Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadows, admittedly a little softer in texture so they are not ideal for lining the eyes but certain shades can be used as a highlighter.

Lastly don't be too quick to skip over own brands - Superdrug and Boots Vitamin E own range skin care is as good as The Body Shop variants, not to mention marginally more affordable. Tesco Pro-Formula skin care is also wonderful, full of skin saving ingredients and again won't cost an arm and a leg.

If this has inspired you to get your student finances in order perhaps visit the TSB Student Accounts page to learn more on how you can earn interest on your monthly incomings and only student friendly services. TSB have a seven day switching rule, meaning they will have your new account ready to go within a week - speedy and easy! You can read more here - link.

This is a compensated post.