Frugal Friday: More Bing, Bang, Boom For Your Buck!

Bath & Body Works: $10 off any purchase of $30 or more with code ENJOY1050. Exp. 6/3.

Starbucks: Free tall drink when you buy a pack of Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee. No code or coupon needed. Exp. 6/3.

Today's Frugal Friday tip is probably a no-brainer, but I thought I'd throw it out there: Value Kits. If you love high-end makeup, but hate high-end prices, value kits are definitely the way to go. In case you're staring at the screen, wondering what in the world I'm blathering on about, value kits are small collections of coordinating products. Sometimes they're full-sized, sometimes they're deluxe samples, and sometimes they're a combination of the two (see Benefit's Rare Beauty kit). No matter what, you're getting a lot of product for less than you would normally have to pay.

Now, there are a few cons to going the value kit route; namely, you can't pick your colors or products. You might end up with something you absolutely hate! There's also the fact that some of the products can be miniatures, and a lot of folks don't care for that. Personally, if there's a product I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like, but the overall set is amazing, I'll save that product for someone else who'll go nuts over it. If you haven't opened it, save it for a stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift. As for the minis, I personally prefer them. Rarely do I finish a product before it's either expired or out of season. Plus, I like to keep my most used products in a counter-top organizer. Minis take up less space and cause less waste. Anyway, if I end up using it all up and loving it, I can purchase the full-size without feeling like I'm gambling away my money.

Here are some of my favorites out there right now. The most expensive is $50, and the least is only $12!


Buxom Beach Bound Lips & Lashes: $12, Sephora

You can't beat this deal with a stick. You get a full-size Big & Healthy Lip Balm in Copacabana (nude) and a deluxe mini Buxom Lash Mascara in Blackest Black. Normally, the balm alone costs $15, so basically, you're getting a $3 discount on the balm, plus a free mascara. Yeah, it's a mini, but it's a good-sized mini that will last you a while. 

Photo Credit: Sephora



Benefit Legally Bronze: $38, Sephora

Another amazing deal here: four full-sized products, and they all work together for a nearly complete look! Hoola bronzer (a $28 value all by itself), BADgal Brown mascara, Gilded highlighter pencil (which works well as a shadow/liner), and High Beam liquid highlighter, all in a cute, reusable makeup bag.



Photo Credit: Sephora



LORAC Elite Collection: $38, Sephora

I picked up a LORAC set once on a whim, and fell in love with the brand. In fact, just this week, I pulled out one of their baked blushes to add to my Summer staples. It makes a fantastic bronzer on my crazy-pale skin. Anyhoo, in this kit you get a blush, three shadows, lip pencil, lip gloss, mascara, and mini eye primer, all in gorgeous neutrals. Everything's full-sized except, obviously, the mini eye primer. If you only like two or three products, you've gotten your money's worth. If you like them all, just add foundation and powder for a complete look. Bonus: comes with a sweet little makeup bag.



Photo Credit: Sephora



Smashbox Beauty Exposed: $39, Ulta

A mix of minis and full-sized products, this is another kit that will give you almost an entire look. You get a palette with five neutral shadows, a mini Photo Finish face primer (which will normally set you back $17 on its own), a pretty pink blush, medium-sized coral gloss, and a brown eyeliner pencil. Fantastic kit for someone just starting out with makeup, or who is interested in trying neutrals.

Photo Credit: Jules Darling

Sephora Favorites Beauty & the Bride: $50, Sephora

This is really the most hit and miss of the bunch, but I still think it's pretty darn awesome. It's a sampler of 11 mostly miniature products (there are a couple of full-sized, though), housed in a "keepsake" box (meh). These are all different brands, but, oddly enough, you could do an almost complete look with what's in here. There is so much stuff, I'm not even going to try to list all of it, but you can click the link for full details. This is also a kit that would be very easily broken up into several small gift sets. 

Photo Credit; Sephora


Have a great weekend, y'all!