Confession: Where I Buy High-End Makeup for Cheap

I love my makeup–some even describe me as a makeupaholic–but I rarely, if ever, pay full price for high-end makeup. But I’m no couponer–in fact, there aren’t any coupons available for high-end makeup brands, so that’s a route I can’t take. I’ll share my secret though: read on to learn more.

Tip: Look for Nearly Discontinued Makeup
The easiest way to score high-end makeup for cheap is through discontinuation sales. You probably don’t know what that means, so I’ll explain: When a product isn’t popular, or for some reason a company chooses to stop making a product, they will sell the rest of the product inventory for cheap, usually through their website. One example is STILA’s Last Chance section, where they put all of their nearly-discontinued makeup for sale. You can score some awesome makeup here–like $22.00 concealer for $8.00, or the one time I got a $64.00 Urban Decay eyeshadow palette for $29.00. Did I mention that palette came with eyelid primer, mascara, and liquid eyeliner?

The downside: Unfortunately, not all high end makeup brands do this, such as Bobbi Brown or Lancome, so your choices are limited. You also have to factor in shipping costs, which can totally undue any savings you made by buying it cheap.

Save by Buying from Independent Sellers
As an alternative to high-end makeup companies, you can also opt to purchase makeup through independent sellers, who often sell on online retail sites such as eBay and Amazon.com. Many of them specialize in discontinued makeup–since the product is discontinued, they can buy them for cheap. In turn, the savings transfer to you when you purchase it from them. Expect big savings here, anywhere from 25 to 75 percent off the original price.

The downside: The risk of buying counterfeit high-end makeup is high here, so be warned. Common signs of counterfeit makeup is makeup being sold that contains the wrong packaging or none at all (according to BellaSugar), makeup sold from a country where counterfeit items are often sold, and sellers who post stock images of the makeup instead of a personal picture.

Consider Blog Sales for Cheap Makeup
Although I do this rarely, buying makeup products from sales on blogs is a good way to score on high-end makeup–but the catch is most of the products are used. Now that’s probably a bit squirm-worthy for some, but if you’re brave, this is a good way to get high-end makeup for cheap. Most bloggers offer sanitization services prior to shipping products to eliminate any bacteria, however, and most of the products are lightly used. Typically, I look for makeup products that have to be squeezed out of a tube, since the chance of the entire product coming into contact with germs is lower–and lip products are a definite no no for me! Yuck!

The downside: As well as the germ factor, most bloggers offer a flat shipping rate for makeup products, which can lower your savings. Most bloggers charge $3 to $5 per order, but if you live internationally, expect the price to sky rocket.

If you love makeup just as much as I do, buying high-end makeup isn’t an impossibility–just know how to shop smart!

Source:
“How to Spot Fake Cosmetics”, BellaSugar.com