Makeup, also known as cosmetics, can be a costly expense. I know this firsthand but have found many ways to save money on my makeup purchases. Here are 7 ways that I personally save money on makeup.

1. Coupon clipping.

My house receives the Sunday newspaper every week. The great thing about the Sunday paper is that there are usually a lot of ads and coupons in it. I can always count on there being coupons for makeup so I clip these coupons and put them directly into my wallet. If you find an item on sale and you also have a coupon for it you end up saying a lot of money. There have been many times where I was able to get an item for half of it’s regular price because it was on sale and I had a coupon for it.

2. Reward programs.

Many beauty stores offer a rewards program. I personally am apart of the rewards program at Ulta. Ulta’s rewards program works by accumulating one point for every dollar spent. After you accumulate so many points you can redeem them for anything in the store or for the salon services they offer. In addition to the points you also receive one free full-sized mascara every year on your birthday. Since it’s free to be apart of Ulta’s rewards program it’s worth it to be apart of it just for the free mascara.

3. Discount stores.

Most people don’t know this but there are many discount stores that sell brand name cosmetics at a very low price. I like shopping at Ross because almost every time I go there I usually find makeup bundles from the brand Physicians Formula. Inside these makeup bundles usually consist of three different full-sized makeup items for $7.99. That is a really good price considering sometimes these items cost that much individually in other stores.

4. eBay.

I have bought makeup a couple of times off of eBay. I usually can score eyeshadow for about $1 to $2 each and the foundation that I use for around $8. If you do want to buy cosmetics off of eBay to save money be careful. Only buy from a seller that has a good rating to ensure that you are buying makeup that hasn’t been tampered with. It’s best to only buy items that you can clearly see a plastic seal still attached on the makeup in the photos that the seller provides in the listing. Some foundation bottles do not contain seals which means a seller could possibly fill up used bottles with a different solution which could be potentially harmful.

5. Buy in bulk.

Many stores, like Ulta, will have sales where you can buy multiples of one item for a great price. This gives you a chance to stock up so you don’t have to buy the item again for a long time. You can usually get the best price when you buy in bulk. Try contacting the makeup company directly and ask if they can provide you with a discount for buying in bulk.

6. Samples.

I love samples and am avidly looking for free samples all the time. When a new product comes out it’s not uncommon for the company to offer free samples. Visit various cosmetics websites to check and see if they offer free samples. I’ve gotten makeup, shampoo, and conditioner many times just by visiting various websites. You can also contact companies directly and ask for samples. Sometimes you might only get a one-time use sample but other times you might get lucky and get a full-sized sample. If you write reviews for products there are many companies that are willingly to offer you free samples.

7. Sharing makeup sets.

Ulta sells these makeup sets that usually have about 20 different eye shadows, blush palettes, nail polish, eye liner, lipstick, and more. These sets usually are for sale at a great price but I’m not a big fan of every item that is inside them. To save money I sometimes will buy a set with someone. We then split the makeup by who wants each item. In the long run it’s the cheapest way to buy a lot of makeup that you actually want. You can also sell any unwanted items from sets on eBay. I have actually bought unwanted items from a set from someone else on eBay before. Most of the items within the set are individually sealed so I haven’t had any problem in buying the unwanted items that way.