How to bag a beauty bargain

Now in my late twenties, lotions and potions promising to slow down the signs of ageing and quality every-day cosmetics are becoming increasingly attractive. I'm more likely to be drawn to £30 tubs of creams than a pot if £5 sparkly green eyeshadow, which is unfortunate, seeing as my budget is still very much in the £5 sparkly green eyeshadow bracket. But, a bargain-hunter/cheap-skate till the end, I've discovered a few ways of kitting out my bathroom, and my face, with expensive skincare products without shelling out full-price. And you'll be pleased to know that none of them involve shoplifting.


In-store events
Last week in Brighton's L'Occitane branch, I indulged in cupcakes, sipped from a champagne glass, enjoyed a mini facial and walked away with a goodie bag bursting with £45 worth of products, and all for just £10. Thus is the joy of in-store promotional events. I'd read about this one in Stylist magazine, and booked my place immediately. The goodie bag was full of luxury shower gels, face creams and moisturisers that will keep me going for a good couple of months. Check magazines and skincare retailer's websites for events near you.

Magazine freebies
With the women's magazine market so saturated, free gifts are a great way to tempt you to buy a particular title, and they seem to be getting better. Steer clear of the cheap t-shirts and canvas bags and focus on the cosmetic giveaways. Glamour has offered free Benefit, Nails Inc and Clinique gifts in the past year - all pricey products. Get a subscription to a magazine and the savings can work out to be even greater. You may even get an extra freebie for signing up.


Vouchers and offers
Boots is the Don when it comes to skincare savings. It's forever giving out £5-off vouchers that can be used to bag yourself some bargain beauty treats. And the brands in-store also give away excellent gifts - No7 and Clinique especially. Sometimes a sample serum tube can last for months. Also look out for Boot's two-for-one offers and make the most of the Boots advantage card - I used a double points voucher when I bought all of my wedding makeup and quickly amassed a tidy sum with which to treat myself in the future. Supermarkets can also be good places to look for offers on branded skincare.

Charity shops & car boot sales
Charity shops and car boot sale pitches are full of unwanted gifts, and these often include skincare sets, barely-used perfumes, hair products and plenty of other lotions and potions. Go rummaging just after Christmas to bag the best finds. Or hold your own gift and clothes swap after the holidays - you may be after just the thing your friend received with a fake smile and quickly hid in a drawer.

Oh, and one more top tip - check out ASOS.com for branded beauty products and perfumes in the sale, particularly post-Christmas.

Do you have any other money-saving secrets? Do share...

Second image by Flickr user SunShineCity.

Ahead of the curve

Following Mark Fast's bold decision to use size 12-14 models at September's London Fashion Week, and the overwhelming positive response Glamour magazine received when it pictured a woman looking comfortable with her belly roll last year, this month's V magazine champions the fuller figure.


The Size Issue features fashion's top plus-size models in various states of undress - love-handles, back fat and all. But while the focus on healthy-looking women is encouraging, and the models glowingly gorgeous, I can't help but feel that they could have been more flatteringly styled.

The problem lies in the fact that, while the fashion industry may gradually be welcoming curvier models into its midst, the top fashion houses still aren't designing for them. Clothes that are made for skinny girls don't look great on anyone over a size 10.


As a girl with curves myself, I wouldn't wear a cut-out swimsuit, body-con cut-out dress or crop-top. Not because I think I'm fat, but because these styles just don't suit my shape.

So as much as I love these photos - I'm clamouring to get my hands on the print issue - for showing the beauty in healthy, curvy women, I'd love them more if the models were dressed in clothes that compliment their figures - you only need to look at 1950s style for a guide on how to get it right.

Let's hope that, in the future, we see women like this in our magazines on a regular basis, and that's it's not under a gimmicky heading telling us that "it's okay to be curvy" - we know that, thanks, now just let us get on with it in style.

Image credit: Models.com and V Magazine.