Beauty on a Shoestring: Babe on a Budget

Last Friday, I was a bridesmaid for the first time in my dear friend Katy’s wedding.  It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding, and I’m fairly certain we were the hottest bridal party ever.

During the course of bridesmaid-hood, fellow bridesmaid Lindsey A. (not to be confused with bridesmaid Lindsey H.) asked if I could help her with her wedding day make-up.  Like me, she was on a tight budget and looking to economize.  However, since I’d be doing my own hair and make-up, I knew I wouldn’t have time to also do her make-up day of.  What I did do was help her plan out a make-up strategy and aid in a make-up shopping extravaganza.

As with any event prep, I told Lindsey to start by pulling make-up looks for inspiration.  She tore out various magazine ads, and the one that emerged as the top candidate was this Revlon ad with Jessica Alba. We were all wearing floor-length gowns, so it was totally appropriate to wear a more evening make-up look.  Lindsey especially liked the eye make-up in this ad.  It was a great choice, because Lindsey has similar skin and hair coloring as Jessica.

We traveled to one of my favorite places for make-up shopping:  H-E-B.  That’s right, I’m talking about the grocery store.  There are always coupons in the make-up aisle, so you can really maximize your savings.  As fate would have it, that week’s coupon was for $3 off Revlon face and lip products.  And here’s the best part, while you can only use one coupon per product, you can use multiple coupons in one shopping trip.  Hellz … yes.  Bring on the extreme couponing!

I made a shopping list of everything she would need, and I do mean EVERYTHING.  After looking at the options for each item, here’s what Lindsey ended up buying:

FACE
1) Foundation: Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in light beige
2) Concealer:  Revlon ColorStay Under Eye Concealer in light – COUPON ITEM!
3) Blush: Maybelline Fit Me Blush in light pink
4) Finishing Powder: Revlon PhotoReady Translucent Finisher – COUPON ITEM!
EYES
5) Eyeliner: Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in black
6) Shadow:  Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in sultry smoke
7) Shadow: Covergirl Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadow in champagne
8) Brows: Maybelline Ultra Brow Brush-On Color in light brown
9) Mascara: L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes in black
LIPS
10) Lipstick:  Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in raspberry – COUPON ITEM!
11) Lipliner:  Revlon ColorStay Lipliner in plum – COUPON ITEM!

That’s 11 items total, and after using four $3 off coupons, Lindsey spent less than $70 total.  That’s pretty darn good, if you ask me.  I know she was happy with her purchases (she especially loved the mousse foundation), and she looked glamorous the day of the wedding.  Goes to show that you don’t need to spend a ton of money on make-up.  Yes, there are certainly more expensive items I love (see Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation), but I think drugstore brands like Revlon and L’Oreal have really upped the quality of their products.  What are your favorite budget brands?

Images: Jessica Alba, make-up collage – see product links, Lindsey A – author’s own