Be shop-savvy: stop wasting your time and money.
We’ve all experienced it: you're walking away from the beauty counter and it hits you: 'What the heck did I just buy?'
It’s so annoying, isn’t it? Furthermore, to add to your unwanted purchase is the knowing that you're now required to make an unwanted return in order to get what it was you really needed.
I assure you, you're not alone here. You're not the only sucker to have bought a pale green eyeshadow duo when you what you'd really had in mind was a nice, subtle, "everyday" lipstick. Avoiding the trap, that which is so expertly employed by cosmetics consultants in a bid to reach their sales targets (Well, can you blame them?), is actually pretty easy (see below).
Though might I suggest you heed this advice pronto! New season and limited edition product releases are already propped up and plastered throughout department stores and online; you're going to be a target if you're not careful.
Develop a relationship with skin and beauty specialists that you can trust
Of all the lessons I’ve learnt this has been the most valuable. Recruiting an entourage of face and body experts will, without a doubt, make your shopping experience less of a hardship, helping you to reach and maintain your beauty best with ease.
I have my little black book as such full of names and numbers I turn to in a face and body crisis; I encourage you to do the same. You'll be guaranteed reliable, not to mention expert advice, providing you with all the know-how you need and preparing you for your next visit to the cosmetics counter.
Alternatively...
Do your own research.
If you can't afford the services of a dermatologist or skin care specialist to determine what's best for you, spend some time and record yourself how your skin reacts to various products and methods.
Read as many beauty articles, leaflets and brochures as possible, schooling yourself on the latest techniques and ingredients to have a better, more up-to-date understanding. And consult your friends and family. Ask them whether you really suit a red lip, a smokier eye or a heavier brow - there sure to give you an honest answer.
And remember... stick to a budget.
Don’t be swayed by the hyperbole attached to a newly released, outrageously expensive moisture-laden base, stick to your plan and purchase only what you’d originally intended (that reasonably priced oil-free foundation). Not only will you save money, but also time. Of course, feel free to accept the offer of complementary samples, you might be able to afford a change in time.