Being a student with a Superdrug addiction can sometimes put a strain on your budget. Whilst you want to be able to afford nights out, library break cups of coffee and avocados in the weekly shop, you also want to keep updating your make-up drawer and beauty routine. A great way to do this is by cutting prices on your basic items and one of the best places to find great deals is your local supermarket. Not only is the meal deal cheaper than Boots, but supermarkets are also a better bet for a plethora of beauty bargains.
Take coconut oil for example. A 500g tub in Superdrug costs almost £10, yet in Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s the same quantity is available for less than a fiver. Both are organic, the only difference is the label. As well as being a huge saving, this also means you can use it in baking or cooking, as well as for a hair and face mask, on the cuticles and lips, or all over your body to lock in moisture after a shower and reduce fine lines, wrinkles and cellulite. It is also a surprisingly effective, yet gentle make-up remover - try rubbing it in and then washing off with warm-water. If you’re really adventurous it’s supposedly also effective as a shaving cream, or due to its natural anti-bacterial properties as deodorant - I have yet to try this myself though. What’s more, as it is farmed from a plant this means it is 100% vegan, and coconut oil is usually a Fairtrade product.
Image Credit: @vitacoco (Instagram)
Something else to add to the shopping trolley is supermarket own-brand baby shampoo. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting you wash your hair with it! Baby shampoo mixed with warm water is ideal for cleaning make-up brushes. You can normally get 500ml for £1, which is a huge saving in comparison to a lot of branded make-up removers and it is just as effective. Moreover, because babies are so sensitive their shampoo is really gentle and doesn’t contain harsh chemicals. This helps to prolong the life of your brushes and means they return to teddy bear softness after every wash.
A handy tip for the fragrance lover, is that many supermarkets stock smell-a-like fragrances, which have all the lasting power and smell of high end brands just without the fancy bottle and the price tag. Lidl’s Suddenly Madame Glamour is a 63% fragrance match to Coco Mademoiselle and in a blindfold test, few contestants could distinguish between the £3.99 and the £70 competitors. M&S, Sainsburys and Asda also bring some nice scents to the table, but always test them first because 90% of cheap perfume lives up to the less than favourable reputation.
Image Credit: @i.nastorevn (Instagram)
A final trick, is to remember that beauty comes from the inside out, in terms of health, what you eat is just as important as what you put on your body. Whilst marketers will have you believe you should be taking vitamin supplements, many scientists agree that if you are eating a balanced mix of foods these shouldn’t be necessary and you’re better off saving your pennies for something more important - like one of the new MAC Snow Ball Brush Kits for example. So, leave the multivitamin tablets on the shelf and pick up some fruit and veg from your local supermarket instead, this will keep your skin, hair, nails, and your bank balance healthy.