When was the last time that you regretted buying a beauty product? There is nothing worse than ordering something online only to get it delivered and it’s not the shade, texture or scent that you expected. Or worse - it just simply doesn’t work or even suit your skin type. And with us spending almost $90 billion a year on beauty products with $18 million a year of that being spent online, it’s no surprise that waste is such an issue too.
So how can we shop smarter so we don’t regret what we buy, waste our money and also add to the growing beauty product landfill?
I am often asked what makes me buy a beauty product. What are the things that entice me to invest in a pot of cream, lipstick, or shampoo? Sustainability and a brand with a conscious are non-negotiable's. As a Beauty Editor, I am sent hundreds of new things to try every year so a product needs to have a heart as well as deliver really good results in order for me to buy it. And I have learnt during my years working in the industry and testing products for free, that a great beauty product doesn’t have to have a high price tag or fancy packaging in order for it to work.
But I get that shopping for beauty can be so confusing . With so much information available on social media, it’s hard not to get caught up in the fads and trends. And also how do you know who to trust when taking advice?
So while it’s hard to compile a failsafe checklist to follow each time you go to add to basket, I believe that there are questions to ask yourself before buying something new.
These are the 3 things that I always ask myself before buying:
1. Is there any evidence that it can work?
This is an especially important question when buying skincare. I’ve tried enough lotions and potions to know that a celebrity endorsement, marketing gimmick, fancy bottle or a high price tag doesn’t mean that a product will actually work! And for all the beautiful packaging and clever marketing in the world - if a product fails to deliver on what it promises, then it’s a big NO from me. Google it to see if it has any case studies or science-backed proof to back up its claims. Or find out if anyone that you trust has tried it and loved it. Sounds obvious, but it's so worth putting in the research!
2. Does it do more than one thing?
Again, like the first question, this is something that I mostly apply when shopping for skincare products as I believe that they should work really hard for your money. I am cautious about buying anything that is targeting just one area, like a neck or eye cream. I know! Controversial! But unless they are backed with some ground-breaking ingredients that have been scientifically proven to work, I greet them with scepticism and find that my regular cream is just as good for those areas instead.
3. Does it suit my budget?
I’ve tried some expensive products in my time - and while some are just hype and not as great as you would expect, others are actually worth the money and deliver brilliant results. But if that’s the case, I have to question whether the product is actually affordable for my budget and whether it's worth it to be a part of my beauty regime. Especially if it means I have to sacrifice another product in order to afford it. Most of the time you can find cheaper alternatives that won’t break the bank.
Obviously some products can’t tick all of these boxes. For example, a perfume can’t really do more than one thing apart from make you smell nice so there are exceptions to the rule. But in general most of my repeat buys say ‘yes’ to at least 2 of these questions.
Happy shopping!