Nerdy Beauty-Product-Junkie -- splurge or save?

Photo from Real Simple Magazine

Those who know me in person (=everyone who reads this blog), know I can get very nerdy when it comes to calculating numbers. Those who have had the fortune to go shopping with me, know that I am a bit of a beauty product junkie. So, if you put these two together, I am actually a nerdy beauty-product-junkie.

Just like investments or charitable donations, I believe people need to take a portfolio approach toward spending money on beauty products. Some are worth larger allocations, while some are not worth the high price tags. Some are long-term, buy-and-hold blue chip purchases, while some are short-term trading oriented items.

If the department store one is only 10% better than the drugstore one, why pay double the price for it? Inspired by this very good article Splurge or Save? The Smartest Beauty Buys by Elizabeth Schatz Passarella at one of my favorite magazines -- Real Simple, I opened my makeup bag and medicine cabinet and created an excel spreadsheet to calculate how much money was spent on my face.

Here is how to read my list:
Item - save with drugstore brand or splurge on department store brand-- $ price and length of usage -- $ amount spend per month

Skin Care
Eye makeup remover – save -- $6 for 6 months -- $1/month
Face makeup remover – save -- $12 for 6 months -- $2/month
Face wash – save -- $16 for 12 months -- $1.3/month
Toner – save -- $10 for 3 months -- $3.3/month
Eye cream/gel – splurge -- $54 for 9 months -- $6/month
Night cream/lotion – splurge -- $30 for 9 months + $30 for 6 months -- $8.3/month
Day cream/lotion – splurge -- $42 for 6 months -- $7/month
Exfoliater – save -- $24 for 2 years -- $2/month
Cleaning mask – splurge -- $18 for 3 years -- $0.5/month
Moisturizing mask – save -- $1.5/mask, twice per month -- $3/month


Photo from Real Simple Magazine

Makeup
Foundation – splurge -- $40 for 9 months -- $4.5/month
Concealer – save -- $24 for 2 years -- $1/month
Blush – splurge -- $30 for 4 years *
Lip balm – save -- $5 for 2 years -- ignore
Lip pencil – splurge -- $15 for 2 years -- $0.5/month
Lip stick or gloss – save -- $24 for 12 months -- $2/month
Eye liner – splurge -- $20 for 4 years *
Eye shadow – splurge -- $40 for 4 years *
Mascara – save -- $15 for 12 months -- $1/month
Face powder – save -- $24 for 2 years -- $2/month

Other
Tools – splurge (tweezers, eyelash curler, brushes) $100 forever *
Hair products – save -- $9 for 9 months -- $1/month

Calculation
*Total fixed cost (4 years or more of usage): $190
Total monthly variable cost: $46.5

Conclusion
I spend about $1.55 per day on my basic skin care and beauty products. “Basic” is the keyword here. Please know that a non-disclosed amount of money is spent on non-basic products. Compared to $12 a day of parking I pay for my car, I feel bad for my face now.

Added on 8/21/09: I know. I know. I am spending way too much time on this completely unproductive thing. But I also discovered that I spend 68% on Skin care and $22% on makeup. Only 2% on hair, and 8% on tools, etc.



In the near future, I will write about why I decide to spend big or small amounts on these things. I will also share with you my “all time favorite + will buy again and again” top recommendations of beauty products. A lot of tuition was paid to discover these goodies, so please stay tuned!