Confessions Of A Make-Up Artist: How To Save Money

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Every day this week, we're letting you in on a secret -- a piece of information from different industry insiders that will help you save money.

A make-up artist confesses on how to cut costs on foundation, eye shadow and even lip balm.

"I don't think you need a blush and a lipstick and, let's say, an eye shadow. If you find the right colors and you're a very, very natural person, you can give yourself a glow with just one or two shades for cheek, lip, and eyes," said make-up artist Romney Chan.

Chan breaks it down that you can buy one product to get two uses.

"Frame the face. Use the brow. Get a powder, get a really nice tone that matches your hair," Chan said. "Skip the liner all together. Just wet your brush."

When it comes to foundation, don't buy a new, lighter one moving into cooler months.

"All you have to do is a couple pumps of your moisturizer and perhaps a drop or two drops of your foundation," she said.

She also said skin care should come from your kitchen, not behind the counter. Romney uses sugar, a little oil, a squirt of honey and a pinch of baking soda to make a lip moisturizer (check out the recipe below).

"You can actually jar it up, and keep it sealed as long as it's in a seal-tight jar," she said.

For only $10 you have a product that will last months.

One thing Romney says not to pinch pennies with -- SPF sunscreen. But even then, she said, buy a moisturizer with sunscreen mixed in.

Here's the recipe for Honey Lip Gloss:
2 tsp beeswax
1 tsp honey
7 tsp oil (castor oil, jojoba or sweet almond oil)
1/8 tsp flavor oil (it can be vanilla extract, almond oil, etc.)