5 tips for shopping for beauty products

WANT that charcoal mask or the smoky-eye look but don’t want to spend a lot?

There are lots of options to look your best for the winter holidays, and the beauty shopping experience is becoming more enjoyable. Both Walmart and Target are revamping their beauty areas, adding better lighting and bringing in new affordable niche brands. And many discounters and drug chains have carved out areas devoted to popular Korean beauty products. Specialty beauty chains have been expanding as well.

“It’s very crowded. There are a lot of products, lots of options,” says Ron Robinson, founder and CEO of BeautyStat.com, a product review site, noting that shoppers need to do their research.

So here are five tips:

Know your budget

Figure out which type of products you want to splurge on. If you want to spring for $100 skin cream, great. But if you can’t afford to keep replenishing, perhaps buy something that’s within your budget, says Robinson.

Shop online

Use your phone while you’re in the store to compare prices and read reviews of beauty products. In addition to the beauty sites, check out e-commerce sites or social media platforms, which offer products for less.

Follow bloggers

Robinson encourages shoppers to follow bloggers to get information on new products. Each has his or her own expertise, such as beauty deals at drug stores and department store beauty reviews.

Try before you buy

Stores are offering more opportunities for testing, with beauty sections that feature service counters where customers can ask questions about color-matching products, receive skincare consultations, and get samples to test.

Sign up for loyalty programs

Many retailers have reward programs, so the more you buy, the more points you earn. The points can be combined with other discounts and special offers. (AP)