Beauty tip: Quick fix and spend less

Making beauty an event for the girls!
Photo taken by Melissa Yang

“I fell asleep at his… er, I meant my friend… Lacey’s house by accident.” “I wasn’t coherent enough to drive on the right side of the street.” “I don’t remember anything.” It doesn’t matter what the story is. There are times when we aren’t prepared for morning to arrive.

Let’s face it: Sometimes we need a quick fix in the morning and we don’t always want to spend a fortune. We’re not talking sex, drugs or alcohol; we’re talking makeup.

The March 2011 Cosmo issue featured a short feature titled “Shameless Money-saving Tricks.”

The article briefly discussed saving tips such as “sweet deals” at bakeries, “a sexy-getaway for cheap” when planning a mini-vacation and how to save money with “no more cable bills.”

Practical for everyday use? Not quite.

How about sweet deals on unexpected emergencies? Here’s a situation:

Two long mornings ago, my friend Anna Lee called me with her story an hour before she had to be in at work. She and her boyfriend had a little too much fun last night and she ended up staying the night without a change of clothes, a toothbrush, a towel or her makeup bag.

The clothes, toothbrush and towel issues were solved easily enough (she borrowed from the boyfriend). But the makeup was something he didn’t have.

$5 Duo Eye Shadow Collection
Photo courtesy of www.eyeslipsface.com

My 27-year-old friend called me in distress and asked to borrow my makeup, but I wasn’t anywhere near where I could help, so I told her to run to the store and buy the cheapest basics: Powder, blush and mascara.

She went to the nearest Target and purchased a bag full of makeup for less than $20.

Lee ended up purchasing powder, foundation, cream blush, eye-liner, mascara, an eyelash curler, a brush set, eyebrow color and lip gloss.

Her secret was e.l.f. cosmetics, a line of simple but quality makeup products that females can use without sacrificing their budget.

“I was so stressed because I didn’t want to go in to work looking like a mess,” Lee said. “I went in to Target empty-handed and came out with a whole new set for on-the-go makeup.”

$1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pen
Photo courtesy of www.eyeslipsface.com

E.l.f., which stands for eyes, lips and face, is great for quick emergencies and is also a great money-saver because most of the basic products like eyeliner and mascara are $1. Many other essential e.l.f. products only range from $3 to $5. Bigger packages like eye shadow palettes and sets of foundation and blush powders may cost around $10.

The quality of the products vary but is still excellent considering prices.

According to Lee, the waterproof liquid liner smeared a few times throughout the day, which required a few instances of touching-up, but the other products were satisfactory.

“E.l.f. wasn’t as great as well-known and respected products like M.A.C. or other regular store products like Rimmel, but for a quick-fix, don’t pass it up,” Lee said.

For Lee, it was a pleasant surprise for a morning emergency that also saved her a lot of money, considering that most mascaras now range from $7 to $10 and the simplest eye liners can even cost up to $8.

Lee’s experience with e.l.f. cosmetics has been positive thus far, but it is important that each female tries any suggested makeup brands to make sure the products are a good match for her skin and comfort.

Sometimes the needed tips can’t be found in the pages of even one of the most popular women’s magazines, but perhaps that’s what friends are for.

I have since tried e.l.f. products and found them to be very satisfactory, especially since I always look for quality and low prices.

We can’t predict the future and are preparedness, but we can shop smart.

For any emergency occasion, E.l.f. is a good choice.

What kinds of good deals have you found through word of mouth or experience?