The beauty industry has recently enjoyed a massive boom – we have a lotion, a potion or a tool for every  beauty need a woman could wish for. While this has done wonders for our appearance, it has played havoc with our bank accounts. Here are some top money saving tips to keep those costs down when  buying your beauty products online.

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Online interaction with a store normally results in rewards such as a discount or first knowledge of an online sale.  Facebook doesn’t just have to be used for stalking your ex boyfriend or uploading photos, it can also be used for discount searching! Many companies use social networking sites to promote their brand, and frequently run competitions or offer discounts in exchange for customer interaction. Signing up for a company newsletter, means you will be the  first to know about upcoming sales and discounts. Signing up to these websites can guarantee annoying spam emails, but chances are you will get a special discount for your first purchase, so the advantages far outweigh the spamming!

Voucher codes are a womans best friend.

Make sure you utilise voucher codes on the internet. Certain money saving websites such as http://www.moneysupermarket.com/vouchers/  or http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/ offer vouchers that will give you discount on your transaction. These coupons can save up to 25% – and are a little known but invaluable tip in shopping online.

Always check beauty blogs.

This is essentially free, unbiased advice from a beauty expert, and they always post the tricks of the trade. They’ll be the first to know and inform you about a secret sale happening somewhere on the internet, and often trial out beauty products, so that you don’t have to. Another good idea is to never underestimate your tools close at hand. Your kitchen cupboard are full of ingredients that make the perfect face mask, hair conditioner or spot reliever. There are countless beauty blogson the internet that give helpful instructions on how to make any of these beauty fail safes.  The Daily Green recently posted a great article with homemade facemask recipes.

Try before you buy.

You can always obtain some testers of a product from an online store if you are worried about buying it online.  It is definitely worth trialing a product to check whether it is suitable for you- as many online stores do not accept returns on beauty products. This eliminates the blind factor of buying a product online- so trial the product  free of charge and then shop online and buy it for considerably cheaper.

Shop around.

Whilst time-consuming and monotonous, have a go at comparing the prices of products on different retail sites.  Look for the discounts. If you are buying your beauty products online, the chances are that one online retailer will be offering  a discount.

Utilise little known websites.

The internet is full of small websites that offer great deals. Websites such as www.glossybox.co.uk- an online subscription service that delivers a beauty box full of small sample products monthly, right to your door.

Quality control.

Inevitably, shopping online comes with an element of risk, so it is essential that you weigh up your purchases. Although shopping on a obscure website means you’ll save money on your beauty products, it might put your bank account at risk. This is why it is important to research the company and their credentials before you finalise any purchase. You can normally rely on popular customer review sites. Trustpilot are a trustworthy review site, hosting thousands of reviews from customers about brands such as Lenstore UK and ASOS.

A multi- purpose product works wonders.

Look for the products that are good quality and multi-purpose, and then save money by ordering online. Of course, there is that age old trick of toothpaste on spots, but did you know that the majority of modern beauty products are also as versatile? An example of this is Elizabeth Arden’s hugely popular 8 hour cream. Whilst officially billed as a moisturizer, it can also double up as an industrial strength lip balm, and many beauty bloggers swear by its spot healing powers. Even your standard moisturizer normally contains some level of SPF-  so doubles as sunscreen.  Tinted moisturiser can even be used as self-tan! The Sunday Girl has posted an article about her favourite multi-purpose products. These small tricks means you will still get the same beauty results, without breaking the bank.

These tips will help you find your next beauty fix, at a fraction of the price, with just a click of a button.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source

Have you ever noticed that the fragrance in your cologne gets depleted with time? This article will help you to preserve the scents in your cologne bottle for long time.

Cologne, like many other bathroom and makeup products such as perfumed soap, lotions and body creams have a shelf life. In most cases, the manufacturers indicate the expiry date of the products once it is opened. Although the cologne might have an expiry date indicated on the label, you will notice that after some time of use, your cologne slowly continues to lose the strength of its scents.

Actually, after some time, some colognes for men may end up flat. Without the right methods of storage and use, you can easily find that your most treasured cologne does not have any fragrance at all. Worst still, some of the colognes may go bad and smell bad if you do not take the effort to preserve the fragrance in them. Below, you will learn the best ways to preserve fragrance in your cologne and make it last longer.

Preservation of Fragrances in Cologne Bottles

The fragrances and scents in most colognes are essential oils. Perfumes and colognes are normally preserved using alcohol and other chemical mechanisms. Alcohols normally evaporate easily and lead to the fragrances in the perfumes getting lost. While using the products, it is easy not to pay attention to preserving the fragrances in your cologne. In order to keep your product smelling enjoyable for long, here is a simple guide to follow.

1.Store Away from Direct Light

Some of the cologne bottles are superbly designed and can be tempting to display in the open. Direct light, especially from the sun quickly degrades the quality of cologne. If your cologne is packaged in a clear bottle, it is crucial that you avoid exposing it to direct light. Light breaks down the molecules in the cologne while accelerating the evaporation of alcohol preservatives that are added in the bottle. Leaving your cologne bottle exposed to direct light will make its fragrances degrade quickly.

To avoid this problem, ensure that you store your cologne in its original box packaging to prevent it from being hit by direct light. If you are used to leaving your cologne in the bathroom, try to ensure that it is in a cabinet that does not receive direct light. Another alternative is to store the bottle in a shelf to prevent direct light from reaching it. The darker the storage area, the better the fragrance, will be retained.

Store your cologne in a dark place away from direct light.

2.Reduce Exposure to Heat

Just like direct light, heat disintegrates the molecules in your cologne. The bonds that make the scent you like in your cologne will be quickly broken when it is exposed to heat. In the end, it loses its fragrance faster than it would be natural.

The preferred temperature under which you should store your cologne is 12 to 14 degrees Celsius. However, if the cologne does have citrus notes or scents, it is preferred that you preserve the fragrance at much lower temperatures, around 4 degrees Celsius to avoid disintegration of the fragrance. Another important tip to preserve the fragrance in your cologne bottle is to avoid storing it near radiators and heat vents in the house.

3.Keep Your Cologne in a Dry Place

Most people do not know that humidity will also hasten the fading of fragrance in a cologne bottle. It is for this reason that many don’t mind storing their bottles of cologne in the bathroom where they use them frequently. Like any other makeup, excess humidity will accelerate the loss of fragrance.

Although you can store your cologne in the bathroom, ensure that you put it in a bathroom cabinet to keep it safe and protected from steam. If you are not sure whether or not the cologne is safe from humidity, you can put it in a dry room, cabinet or drawer specifically designed to preserve cologne. The best drawers and cabinets for storing cologne are lined with linen to prevent light and unnecessary humidity.

4.Avoid Excessive Opening and Closing of the Bottle

How many times do you use your cologne? The more times you open and close the bottle, the faster the fragrance is going to fade. Alcohol that is used as a preservative in your cologne readily evaporates, causing the fragrance to be lost quickly. In order to prevent this loss of fragrance, ensure that you only open the bottle a few necessary times.

If possible, choose colognes that are packaged in bottles designed not to be opened. A bottle that has a mechanism of dispensing the cologne without having to be opened will preserve the fragrance much longer. An example of such men colognes is Hugo Boss. However, if you need to open the bottle several times a day, ensure that you seal the cap tightly after use to avoid any leakage of the fragrance.

A cologne that dispenses without opening the bottle preserves the fragrance much longer.

5.Don’t Shake the Bottle

Do you shake your cologne bottle before applying it? Well, shaking cologne bottles before using them is a myth that only works to degrade the product. Most people shake the bottles with the assumption that they are mixing the ingredients to get the best scent. Contrary to this thought, colognes are designed in a way that they remain evenly mixed – but only if they are stored properly.

When you shake the bottle contents, you incorporate air and accelerate the breakdown of the fragrance. To preserve the cologne, ensure that you apply it without shaking. Avoid disturbing the contents of the bottle as much as possible to ensure the scents last longer.

Beauty is one of those industries that is always likely to be valued in spite of the struggle many sectors are experiencing in the wake of the recession. If you are a skilled beautician then your talent is always likely to be in demand. Even in financially uncertain times, people want to look their best and enjoy investing in their appearance.

A lot of beauticians dream of being able to strike out on their own. This is something that seems really daunting but it’s definitely worth exploring if you have a skill and you want to take it further. Working for yourself can be incredibly rewarding and it is certainly a good option if you need to fit work around your life, your children, your other pursuits and concerns.
So what do you need in order to prepare yourself for striking out on your own?

Go mobile

Perhaps the first step is to take your talent out on the road. It’s really hard to set up an independent beauty business if you are not able to get around. One of the real advantages to your customers using your service instead of going to a shop is the fact that you can visit them at home. Consider what you can do about your travel arrangements in the crucial early stages.

Market yourself

These days you can actually market yourself incredibly cheaply through social media. Websites like Facebook and Twitter are perfect for sharing information about the services you provide and the promotions you are prepared to offer from time to time in order to secure more work. People can also post feedback and interact with you via these channels.
The crucial thing to remember here is that these are your business accounts not your personal accounts and you need to conduct yourself really professionally on them. Never let them stagnate because people may think you’ve stopped offering your service.

Use your contacts

In the early stages, you absolutely have to use your contacts to get ahead. You must tell all your family and friends about what you’re doing and get them to spread the word. Do their nails, do their eye lashes, waxing and so on. Use them as your guinea pigs in order to refine your skills, but also so they can show people what you’re capable of. People do notice these things and they will ask where your friends and family got their nails done and so on. Effectively, they are your live marketing department!

Get supplies

Beauty supplies are quite an investment but you can’t do your job without them. It may take time to build up a full selection but you should view supplies as an initial investment as well as an on-going concern. Keep your colours well-stocked so you can always offer what the client wants.

Sort your finances

You need to pay attention to things like tax when you start a business of your own. Get familiar with what it means to own your own business and where you may be able to save money on supplies, memberships, resources and subscriptions by holding this particular status.