Since I was in elementary school, I already started stocking up on haircare products I really liked. And I’ve always struggled with overstocking on beauty products and basically have enough to last me for several years especially with my stint in the beauty industry. With getting big discounts, gratis, and just purchasing a lot in general, I ended up with shelves and shelves of products. And I literally just can’t turn down a good deal or say no to a sale so I keep adding to my backstock. Even though I’m no longer work in that industry, trying new products have been a passion of mine and hence, this blog. Also, in the past year, I found that the sales have been too good (especially in the US) and they keep happening so often that I have to stock up on my favorite beauty products almost every time a promotion happens!
If you tend to purchase a lot, there comes a point where you’re going to ask: how much should I stock up on beauty products? If I buy too much and don’t get to use them in time, will it go bad? If I buy too much of my favorite products and my skin or preferences change, then I’m also stuck with a lot of product that I just wasted money on! The answer to the question of how much to stock up on beauty products could be different for everyone, and it can depend on a lot of personal factors.
Points To Consider When Deciding How Much To Stock Up On Beauty Products
1 – How Much Budget Do You Have?
Normally, I allocate a set amount of budget every year towards beauty which include makeup, skincare, and haircare products. I do my best to not spend on this particular category after I use up this budget, or I take leftover budget from another category in order to appease my love for beauty products. I usually look at it this way, in order to maintain my VIB status at Sephora, I have to spend $350 CAD. So that’s what I budget myself for at Sephora (although I’ve reached Rouge status the past few years since I definitely overspent). I also take into consideration other beauty retailers and wholesalers that may have sales or new product launches during the year that I want to purchase from and add some more budget there.
But also remember to look at the bigger picture of your finances and understand how much you actually want to allocate to purchasing new beauty products and being able to stock up on your favorites. Is this an amount you’re comfortable with spending in a given year and is this an amount you can afford spending? Once you figure out a number you’re good with, be disciplined and stick to it and as you purchase new products.
2 – How Much Room Do You Have For Backstock?
With the amount of sales from multiple beauty companies every year, it’s easy to quickly get caught up in buying too much. 1 thing I’ve realized that I have to take into consideration when stocking up on my favorite beauty products is if I actually have the room for it. I usually have my bathroom cabinets, vanity table, and makeup organizers to store all beauty products. And I’ve made it so that once all those spaces are taken up, I won’t let myself buy anymore. These are my designated areas for beauty and it also helps me limit how much I purchase. Not trying to be a hoarder, but also not trying to let a good deal get away, allocating specific space for beauty really helps with deciding how much you should actually buy.
3 – Are There New Products You Want To Try?
If you love trying new beauty products, maybe stocking up on too many of your favorite beauty products is not a good idea. You should have at least 1 backup of your must-have products, but leave some of your budget and space for you to purchase new items in that category to try. For example, with waterproof liquid eyeliners, I really like using the Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner and I want to have at least 1 on hand while being able to purchase new brands. I usually like to stock up on 2 or 3 per year, with having at least the same amount to use in the current year – so that would be about 4 to 6 liquid eyeliners in backstock at all times (with a mix of standard and travel sizes).
4 – How To Choose The Best Sale To Splurge On?
Sales are what makes purchasing new beauty products so much more exciting for me. But they also end up making me spend a little more than I wanted to. Over the years, I’ve been shopping at different retailers to get the best price. I’m probably not the most loyal customer for a particular retailer since I rather find the best price over gaining points to get a free item that takes forever to redeem anyway.
I generally like to look for beauty products that are at minimum 30% off. And when items are 50% off or more, I like to purchase a couple more for my backstock. Don’t be fooled by any sales that happen between 10-20% off (aside from the Sephora sales when I get 20% off). These actually happen quite often and the discount is so minimal that I usually skip these events. Unless it’s a brand you know that rarely goes on sale, you’d save more money by waiting a little longer. I find that Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are usually the best time to get a good deal, and the 21 Days Of Beauty sale that happens twice a year at Ulta Beauty are usually quite impressive with 50% on some awesome brands.
5 – Calculate How Much Of Your Favorite Products You Use In A Year
To get a better idea of how many beauty products to stock up on, start noticing how long it takes you to use up a concealer, an eye cream, or even a hair detangling spray. To give you a couple examples, with concealers, I can use about 4 or 5 a year (including travel sizes). Depending if I use a full size or sample size of an eye cream, I can use up to 5 or 6 a year. And once I figure out how much I use in a year, I purchase accordingly – and this will help you shape your budget too. Knowing this, then I take into consideration how many years of beauty products I actually want to have in my backstock and go from there. See the basic guidelines section below for more details on how much I actually stock up on and what the right amount for you may be.
6 – When Do The Beauty Products Expire?
An important factor when deciding how much beauty products to stock up on is their expiry date! You don’t want to purchase 5 of your favorite products and they end up expiring in 6 months or before the time you can use all the products. When I got the Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 sunscreen, I found out that it only lasts 8 months before expiry both times I got this product. And I definitely don’t use a whole tube of sunscreen during the summer – even when I share it with other people. In this case, it doesn’t make sense to stock up on this item. And especially with the price, I’d expect it to last up to 2 years!
Always remember to check expiry dates when you’re purchasing your beauty products. Some will have a best before or expiry date, others will have symbols that show once the product is opened, you have 3, 6, 12, or 24 months to use the product before it goes bad. Knowing this extra piece of information will also be able to help you decide how much to stock up on!
7 – Is Your Skin Or Preferences Changing?
Another factor to keep in mind is whether your skin changes throughout the year, if you prefer to try a new product, or want to add an extra 1 into your routine. In Canada, we get all 4 seasons and during late fall and winter, that’s when I need to start switching my skincare products over to a more hydrating regimen. Knowing your skin’s needs are very important and this will help you determine how much to buy of each type of product for the year.
And in terms of adding an extra step into your routine, you never know what may pop up. Maybe you’ll need a hydrating mask, an acne solution, or you suddenly want to add an essence into your routine. There are some skincare products that I’ve introduced to my skincare routine the past year that I never thought I’d use but have now become a permanent part of my beauty regimen. It’d be helpful to leave some budget open to trying new products just in case your skin suddenly needs it or if you decide you need something more to complete your beauty rituals.
Basic Guidelines On How Much To Stock Up On Beauty Products
When my mom likes a beauty product, she sometimes gets excessive with stocking up on her favorite items, especially if it’s on sale. Sometimes she’ll clear out what’s left on a store’s shelf or take home 4 or 5 makeup removers. But after a while, she finds a better product and doesn’t want to use what she has anymore and ends up giving everything to me. Which half the the time, isn’t what I like to use or isn’t right for my skin but I don’t want to waste anything so I try to use it. But is this the best way to make sure you don’t run out of your favorite products?
After considering the 7 points above in regards to deciding how much to stock up on beauty products, here are some basic guidelines to stick to so that you don’t overspend, overstock too much, or regret your purchases and be stuck with something you’re not really going to use anymore:
- At minimum, it’s good to have 1 extra backup of your favorite makeup, skincare, or haircare product – just in case you run out and are in dire need of that particular product. Sometimes people just don’t really recognize when they’re running out of something and then get stressed when they’re empty and have to go out of their way to run an errand. Have an extra of something will always come in handy – let’s say if you ever take that item with you on vacation and end up losing it somehow, you’re out of luck!
- At maximum, I think a good benchmark is purchasing 2 or 3 at most of a particular beauty product at a time. For example, I’ll buy 2 of the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum at a time when it’s on sale because I know I’ll always go back to it and I want to have some available in backstock just in case. I wouldn’t purchase any more than that because I know I’m probably trying 10 other serums out within a particular time frame. Don’t forget that you’ll need to consider how often you’ll use it, when it’ll expire, if you’ll try other products, and how fresh you want your product to be. If you buy 2 or 3 items at the same time, they probably have the same or very close expiry dates. If you purchase a different brand of serum, their shelf life will undoubtedly be different and you can rotate what you use according to that as well.
- It’s okay to stock up a little more on products that you know for sure you’ll continue using for the long term. A lot of people do love sticking to products they know, are diehard fans, and won’t try anything else. So in this case, it definitely make sense especially if you’re getting a really good deal. Even buying in bulk can help you save money.
How I Stock Up On My Beauty Products
Personally, I need to keep a beauty inventory so I know the exact amount of a particular product or category of products that I need to repurchase so that I don’t run out. It also helps me decide what I actually need to spend money on which makes shopping a lot easier.
I stock up between 1 to 3 years’ worth of beauty products at a time. And it all depends on what the product is. Sometimes I don’t mind purchasing a few more bronzers and highlighters even if I can’t get to them quickly because they do have a longer shelf life. For face makeup and skincare products, I like to have about 1.5 years’ worth of backstock. And it sounds like a long time, but it really is only about 6 or 7 foundations or 10 serums. I feel like this is an amount I’m comfortable with and I won’t be worrying if I’m running low. Going by the above considerations and testing over time has allowed me to determine the optimal amount of beauty products to stock up on, but it also takes discipline if you’re a shopping addict!
So for those who are just starting out with purchasing beauty products to have for their backstock, I wouldn’t go too crazy with buying too much as you want to be sure you love the product and know you’ll use it long term. And remember, it also takes time to build up your inventory every year since it’s always good to be patient and do a little browsing in order to purchase products when they are on sale!
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