Inflation: Cosmetics Edition

They want us to eliminate the small things that make us happy, but we shouldn't have to. Here are some items you can get for the low to help you keep your self-care routine.

When you think of cosmetics, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely makeup. But its Google definition is “a product applied to the body, especially the face, to improve its appearance.” The subtext specifies that “the range covers everything from the latest cosmetics to skin and hair care.” In 2022, what we consider to be a “skincare routine” may have changed since the prices of our favorite products feel more like a pretty penny at a time when inflation is affecting every. single. thing we do.

Prior to the pandemic, I considered myself a mini lil’ skincare guru. I followed all the TikTok trends, got inspired by and bought what the girlies on IG were using, talked to my close friends and family about new products I tried, and loved going over which ones worked and which didn’t to anyone that would listen. I even wrote about some products on my personal blog (also in an effort to be a calm micro-influencer) in the past. And now? I’m doing whatever works for my face and my bank account.

If you know anything about skincare, the products can cost you an arm and a leg. Take the Drunk Elephant brand for example(a collection I have yet to try because of its price point). A full-size moisturizer can run up to $98 for just a 3-ounce bottle. Let’s try to bring it down a notch and see how we can survive this very real recession with day-to-day products we can bare to buy cheaper sometimes.

One of the many go-to stores I’ll be talking to y’all about is Dollar Tree, which has yet to disappoint. Here are some of the skincare items I continuously buy:

• Cotton pads

• Cotton balls

• Q tips

• Johnson & Johnson baby lotion (travel size)

• Palmer’s cocoa butter lotion (travel size)

• Disposable razors

Makeup:

• L.A. Colors bronzer

• Beauty Benefits “Glow with the Flow” bronzer

• L.A Colors mascara

• Wet n Wild makeup brushes

If you have tried anything else from Dollar Tree or similar stores and want to join the inflation conversation, please share them with us!

Love & light,

Gabby