Do you know how much you spend on a years worth of make-up and beauty services?? Whether your the type of person that uses strictly drugstore brands or department store brands we guarantee that you are at least racking up a couple hundred if not thousands of dollars on your beauty needs. Curious to find out the bottom line on your beauty expenses? Use our worksheets to manage your beauty budget. Who knows maybe it will save you a couple hundred dollars that you can spend else where or if not at least you know where your money is going.

Print out the beauty budget form here
PersonalizedBeautyBudget.pdf

YOUR MAKE-UP BAG
Most of us have multiple pieces of foundations, cover sticks, lipsticks, lip glosses, etc. But how many of them do you actually use on a regular basis. As part of human nature we just purchase products on impulse sometimes and later don't use them. They get lost in the shuffle and we confuse the products that we actually use. To make sure your not making drastic choices and being left empty handed, begin to brainstorm and list the items you need to create your signature look. When you have this list, make sure you stock up on the items that you use most frequently, this will keep you away from the make-up counters and the make-up aisle at the drugstores... WILL POWER GUYS... Your really don't need 10 blushes and 50 tubes of lipstick and gloss!!

Now, figure out how many uses you get out of each product. With your list from the beauty budget form, also schedule your purchases... For example every six months you will replaces your foundation, concealer, etc and every six months, your mascara and glosses. STOCK UP, the less time you spend in the drugstore or make-up counter the better for your pocket!

BODY, SKINCARE, & NAILS
When creating your budget for this section, consider your priorities. Do you really need to get a professional wax, massage, manicures and pedicures or can you suffice by at home remedies? Try to think of different routes... Let's say that your major concern is your skin and thats why you get monthly facials, but imagine, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on facials each year (Minimum of $50 per month on facials = $600 year), why not invest that and go to a dermatologist. The doctor will assess your skin and administer treatments and prescriptions that will really achieve what you want and better than anything that can be bought over the counter!

HAIR CARE
Hair care depends on whether you prefer salon professional formula's or whether you are ok with drugstore brands. The things to think about here, is instead of coloring every two months, can you hold it off another month? And getting a cut/trim every two months instead of the usual six weeks.

GRAND TOTAL - WHAT'S REALLY WORTH IT?
Just like in fashion, there are times to splurge on products and times to skimp. This rule applies to beauty products as well.

FOUNDATION
SPLURGE... This is the time not to be cheap, go and try all the products until you find the perfect match. You want to look like your skin is naturally beautiful and even, this is what people see first. So take your time in finding the perfect foundation. It is also necessary to get probably two foundations. You will probably need one for the winter months as well as the summer months as our skin tone changes. When you have two you can also mix to get an even a fresh skin tone.

BLUSHES & BRONZERS
If you are a powder blush and bronzer user, then I suggest going for the high end products because they go on smoothly and last longer because they are more finely milled than those from budget brands. Also the tools are just as important as the blush in this case. Soft natural bristles distribute powder more evenly than synthetic bristles. If you are a cream or gel blusher, then it doesn't matter if you go expensive or cheap because the creamy consistency allows for easy blending into the skin.

LIPSTICKS, GLOSS, BALMS
It doesn't matter. The only difference here is at the department store they have a variety of shades and you are allowed to try them on. But if you find a drugstore brand that works for you, great!

MASCARA, EYELINER, SHADOWS, BROWS
With mascara go for the cheap. You have to throw it out every 4-6 months anyway so find a cheap one that works for you and stick with it. As for eyeliners, splurge!! The pigments tend to be richer and last longer and have the right texture, they are creamy without being oily. When it comes to eye shadows, just like in blush, the pigments are finer and for that reason the color you see in the container is the color you will see on your lids, the cheaper brands look lighter on the lids. Invest in a good tweezer for your brows.

SKIN CARE
Cleansers serve one purpose to get your skin clean, so find one that works for you, brand or price doesn't matter here. If you have oily skin you will need a toner, but otherwise, its not necessary. For moisturizers, again it doesn't matter. Although I can't part with my pricey Estee Lauder skin line, but again, just try out tons of products until you find one that works for you, whether it is cheap or expensive. With body washes same rules apply get what works for you.

HAIR CARE
If you have virgin hair, you can use drugstore brands. But if you have color treated or damaged hair then the best thing you can do is invest in good quality shampoo's like Kerastase. For styling aids, anything at the drugstore is good but watch out that it doesn't contain a lot of alcohol. And for tools, get a natural bristle brush to help prevent breakage. For hairdryers and styling appliances, make sure you opt for ionic technology and ceramic tools that protect your hair from frying.