Makeup
How Much Should You Really Be Spending on Beauty Products?Four women hand over their salon statements and Sephora receipts to our expert analysts to find out whether their beauty spending fits their budgets |
PHOTO 8/14
Annual Salary: $25,000
Monthly Take Home Pay: $1,668
Monthly Beauty Expenses: $62
Beauty Budget Breakdown: A.J. is a 22-year-old recent graduate working as an assistant at a publishing company. She spends $750 a year on beauty -- she gets $60 facials every other month, uses drugstore makeup, gets cheap trims at a no-frills hair salon and occasionally splurges on manicures. She pays for her most of her expenses, but her parents still cover her cell phone and car payment. She has no savings and no debt.
Why: A.J. argues that splurging on facials means she can go lighter on cosmetics. "Keeping my skin under control means I don't have to spend a lot on expensive makeup," she says. She occasionally worries about not accruing savings, but feels she doesn't make enough money to save. "I'd only be able to set aside around $50 a month, and even that would be making a sacrifice," she says.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Expert Advice
