Counting the Cost of Beauty

Budgeting monthly expenses involves different considerations for today's women. With the current importance of social media, women are aware that their faces may end up online at any point in the day. This is one of the many reasons so many women are invested in their beauty routine.

That routine comes with a cost, however. A very real monetary cost that can add up to thousands of dollars per year, even up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in a woman's lifetime. This can involve everything from hair products to salon treatments to skin care products. Small purchases made when a jar of cream or a bottle of toner is empty don't look like much at the time, but those dollar amounts add up.

Skin Care

The basis of most makeup routines is skin care, and that step is over thirty percent of the world's average spending on beauty. A 16-step makeup process begins with cleansing and involves anywhere from one to six steps focused on skin care alone. Anywhere from two to six products are used. Facial wash, toner, serums, eye creams, moisturizers and primers are all involved in keeping a woman's skin smooth for the application of makeup.

Women often spend anywhere from $50 to $200 every three months on skin care routines. Toners, serums and moisturizers tend to be the most expensive products, averaging anywhere from $20 to $50 (or more) per bottle.

Your Colors

The average beauty routine involves more than just skin care. Makeup--foundation, eyeshadow, bronzer, mascara, etc.--often makes up the majority of a woman's beauty spending. Foundation alone is one of the most expensive products used, and the price may simply be due to marketing, not necessarily higher quality ingredients or results.

And women try to cut costs on certain products--eyeshadow, blusher, eyebrow shadow--while spending higher amounts on others. Mascara alone can cost nearly $40. Lipstick, available in thousands of colors, can reach over $30. And as social media exposes women to new makeup application techniques and products, they add more to their routine. Bronzer and highlighter are becoming staples of the beauty routine, something unheard of ten years ago.

Many "daily facial costs" include the products, but what about the applicators? Brushes and sponges can range anywhere from $0.99 each to $25 or more. Application sponges, powder brushes, blenders, contour sponges, eyeshadow brushes and lip gloss wands all carry a monetary cost. A blush brush may last over six months, but a blending sponge will need to be replaced within two months or even sooner depending on the usage.

Aftercare

In conjunction with skin care is the cost of makeup removal products and post-makeup skin care. With long-lasting makeup being a preferred choice for many women, makeup removal isn't as simple as washing with soap and water. Creams, specialized cleansing wipes and other removal products are needed to remove makeup and leave skin clean.

And there's the addition of night eye creams, moisturizers, toners and facial masks. Many products boast formulas designed to rejuvenate skin and erase signs of aging, but only a few specific products have dermatologists agreeing with their usage.

Cutting costs for many involves simply buying a cheaper product, but this can result in spending more money if acne breakouts or discoloration occurs. Knowing the full monetary cost of a daily beauty routine can actually help safely reduce costs. Reading ingredients and comparing brands is one method. Getting expert help, like checking with a LuLaRoe consultant, is another. A beauty routine can have a high monetary cost, but knowing what the money is actually buying and how to select products based on results rather than marketing will save money without sacrificing beauty or confidence.