Looking fabulous and getting your makeup spot on for your wedding day shouldn’t require you to break the bank. We’ve put together a bunch of beauty alternatives to expensive makeup essentials that you can incorporate into your wedding makeup and no one will know the difference – except, perhaps your wallet! Brides-to-be, here are 10 of the most inexpensive alternatives & makeup hacks to pricey makeup products.
1. Aftershave for a primer
This one has been the rage all over the world lately. Use an aftershave lotion for priming your face. It tightens the pores, shrinks them a little and provides a smooth canvas for your makeup – exactly what a primer does!
2. Baby powder as a setting powder
You needn’t go about buying different types of powders to set/ bake your face when you have one of the more effective and inexpensive alternatives right at a medical/ grocery store. Baby powder is super fine in texture and works wonderfully to set your liquid/ cream makeup. Just be sure to dust off the excess before you step out!
3. DIY lip scrub
Lip scrubs are awfully expensive for the tiny dollops that are sold to us. It is one of the simplest concoctions to manufacture so why not whip up a batch at home? All you need is granulated sugar and a carrier oil of your choice (almond, coconut, argan, jojoba etc.). Mix the two and store it in the refrigerator. Use it right before you start applying your makeup to get the perfect canvas for your lipstick.
4. Cinnamon’s a natural lip plumper
We all want a plump pout but may not want to spend a lot on fillers and other lip plumping devices/ concoctions. We have the perfect natural solution for you – cinnamon! Cinnamon powder/ oil plumps your lips and improves blood flow to them causing them to swell up and look flushed! Mix some cinnamon powder/ oil into your lip balm and rub it on your lips! It is perfect for that naturally pouty and flushed look. You’ll need lesser lip colour and the effect lasts a few hours.
5. Essential oils instead of expensive perfumes
Perfumes can be really expensive but you needn’t spend a bomb to smell awesome. Perfumes are concoctions of a blend of essential oils in an alcohol base. Using fragrant essential oils like jasmine, lily, lavender or sandalwood, instead of a perfume will mean your skin won’t be irritated as there is no alcohol in it, and because of the oil base, the fragrance will last way longer. They cost lesser than perfumes, and you require a tiny quantity for a strong fragrance. Think traditional ittars!
6. Beetroot as a blush
If you’re opting for a minimalistic makeup look and don’t want to go overboard with the number of makeup essentials you want to buy, then this makeshift blush is exactly what you need – a beetroot! This red vegetable has better colour payoff than most blushes in the market and adapts to pretty much any skin tone. It is difficult to go wrong with this one. Rub a slice of beetroot on the apple of your cheeks and voila, you have a naturally flushed glow in less than a minute. The bonus here is that it looks super natural in any lighting!
7. Clear mascara to fix your brows
You don’t need a brow gel if you have a clear mascara because they do the exact same job – hold tiny strands of hair in place. Use your clear mascara on your brows after you’ve filled them in to seal the look without spending a bomb on expensive brow gels!
8. Choose a foundation or a concealer
Instead of splurging on both, pick one and make it work for the other purpose as well. If a foundation is your choice, then use it to spot conceal as well. If you’d rather buy a good concealer, then dilute the concealer with your day cream to achieve a foundation like consistency. The important thing is that it needs to match to your skin tone. Once that is achieved, the difference between the two is merely the consistency, which you can easily alter at home. This way there will be no shade difference in your foundation and concealer and you’ll achieve a natural finish effortlessly!
9. Oils instead of a body shimmer
Oils reflect light beautifully and create a sculpted look when applied on the body. Use lighter variants of oils such as jojoba and argan oil instead of splurging on body shimmers which may end up looking tacky. These natural alternatives are excellent for your skin and won’t leave any brownish patches on your precious wedding attire!
10. Rose water as a setting spray
A basic job of a finishing spray is to set your makeup and hold it in place and prevent any smudges while providing some moisture and hydration. A simple chamomile rose water spray will do the trick! Spray it from a distance to set your makeup or use it to refresh your makeup and wake up your skin instantly! It literally costs less than 100 bucks a bottle so don’t think twice about this swap!
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