5 Easy Ways I Save Money on Beauty While Building Wealth

Okay, let’s talk about something that is very real if you are a financial responsible girly who still wants to look put together.

Because here’s the thing – I love beauty, maintenance and I definitely also love feeling polished. But I also love building wealth. And at a certain age, you simply cannot justify spending money mindlessly just because something is marketed in a pretty way.

So these are five slightly niche ways I save money on beauty and maintenance without feeling deprived. If anything, I feel smarter. And I’m sure they’ll be very helpful for you too.

1. Kids Sun Cream Instead of “Face” SPF

If It’s Safe for a Baby, It’s Safe for Me

This one sounds weird at first, I know.

But genuinely, if something is safe enough to put on a child or baby, it is absolutely safe enough to put on your face as well. And once I realised that, I stopped paying double for SPF that is simply labelled “for face.”

A lot of facial SPFs are marketed as special, premium and advanced or for very specific use/skin types. But when you actually compare their ingredients, they are often very similar. The main difference is just their branding and price.

And kids sun cream is usually half the price. So I’m probably never gonna buy regular face sunscreen again. Especially when it’s always so freaking expensive. And you know the brands I mean – the ones everyone’s obsessed with? Yeah. Those are always crazy overpriced.

And the as you’re supposed to use it every single day – which I also would recommend – but that’s exactly why it gets so expensive over time. Because then you’re basically repurchasing it every few weeks. And that adds up fast.

Paying for Marketing vs Paying for Protection

I started asking myself, am I paying for better protection or am I paying for prettier packaging?

Most of the time, it’s the packaging.

Now I just look for one that doesn’t leave a crazy white cast and sits well under makeup. That’s it. And because it’s designed for sensitive skin, it’s often gentler anyway.

It’s such a small switch but over a year, that price difference adds up. Especially when SPF is something you should be wearing every single day.

Frugal does not mean careless. It just means intentional.

2. Travel Size Brushes Instead of Full Size

Same Brand, Half the Price

This one honestly makes me laugh, because I started asking myself why I was paying double the price for what is basically the same brush.

Travel brushes are usually the exact same brand, the same quality, and the same bristles – they’re literally just shorter. That’s the only difference, and somehow they still cost way less.

Unless you’re a professional makeup artist who actually needs long handles for technique, you really don’t need the full length. I promise you, you don’t.

Function Over Aesthetic

I think we just get so used to thinking that bigger automatically means better, and that full size somehow equals luxury. But if the bristles are the same and the performance is the same, I’m choosing the cheaper option every time.

It’s one of those small mindset shifts where you stop buying things because they look more aesthetic and start buying them because they actually function the same. And honestly, travel brushes fit way better in your makeup bag anyway, so they’re more practical and cheaper, which we absolutely love.

3. Not Sleeping on Drugstore Products

Most of My Face Is Drugstore

I will say this confidently – most of my everyday makeup is drugstore.

My foundations, my mascaras, my lip liners, my glittery pigments – a lot of it is not high-end at all.

And yes, sometimes you can tell the difference with very specific products, because some luxury formulas really are incredible. But most of the time, the difference is honestly way smaller than people think.

A lot of brands are owned by the same parent companies, and a lot of products are manufactured in the same factories. The markup is usually about branding and positioning, not necessarily about better quality.

Price Does Not Equal Performance

I used to automatically assume that expensive meant better, but now I actually read ingredients, I test things, and I compare them.

Some of the best mascaras I’ve ever used were under £10, and some of the prettiest shimmer shades I own are from the drugstore.

If you’re trying to build wealth, you really can’t be emotionally attached to price tags. You have to be attached to results. And if a £9 product performs like a £38 one, I’m choosing the £9 without hesitation.

Looking chic does not require luxury logos sitting in your makeup bag.

4. Model and Trainee Haircuts

Same Service, Fraction of the Price

Before I had any kind of online presence, and when money was definitely tighter, I used to book model haircuts or trainee haircuts all the time. And I’m not exaggerating when I say you can sometimes get a trainee haircut for £5 or £10. You just have to book in advance and plan a little.

Usually these are salons where junior stylists need models to practise or to complete their training hours, and they’re supervised the entire time. There’s oversight, it’s structured, and it’s not random at all.

Letting Go of Ego

At first, I did feel a little weird about it, almost like it meant I couldn’t afford a “real” haircut. But then I realized I was getting the same level of service for literally a fraction of the price. The salon was the same, the products were the same, and the only real difference was who was holding the scissors.

And if they’re trained and supervised, what am I actually losing?

Over the course of a year, that difference in cost really adds up, especially if you maintain your hair regularly. Being financially smart sometimes just means letting go of the idea that you need the most senior person in the room for every single service.

5. Accepting That Natural Nails Look Better Than Grown Out Gel

Reframing It From Deprivation to Freedom

This one was the hardest mentally.

I used to get my nails done consistently. Every two weeks. Gel. Always polished. Always perfect.

And when I stopped, it felt like deprivation. Like I was giving something up.

But then I started noticing something.

Natural, well cared for nails actually look better than grown out gel. Especially when the gel starts lifting or you can see the growth line. It never looks as chic as we pretend it does.

Time, Money and Health

There are so many benefits to going natural. First of all, you save the hour it takes to get them done. Second, you never have to stress about them growing out or booking your next appointment. And third, you’re saving around £80 every two weeks, depending on where you go, which is serious money over the course of a year.

It’s also just healthier for your nails, because mine feel stronger now, less thin, and way less damaged.

What initially felt like I was giving something up now genuinely feels like I gained time, money, and freedom instead. And that shift in mindset honestly changes everything.