If you need to cut back on your spending yet still want to support Black, Latino, or minority (or women) owned brands, start with saving money by selecting affordable beauty products and services. Looking good can be expensive, but it is possible to save money at the same time as supporting minority owned beauty, fashion, or cosmetic brands near you or online.
Add up the cost of cosmetics, body lotions or potions, beauty treatments and trips to the minority or female small business hairdresser or salon over the course of a year and you may be surprised to find that the cost runs into the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Whether you simply don’t have that sort of money to spare or would just like to cut back on what you currently spend, these tips as well as affordable female, black, Asian, or Latino or Latino owned small businesses will help you to keep looking fabulous without causing a huge dent in your bank balance.
Affordable female and minority owned beauty brands
Find some of the affordable Black, Asian, LGBTQ, and Latina owned beauty and cosmetic brands to shop at below. They all operate online, with some having products sold at retail stores near you. Or, find other beauty brands owned by minorities or women.
Botánicas is owned by an Afro-Latina. The small business runs countless sales for hair and other beauty products.
Alamar Cosmetics is a Latina owned beauty and cosmetics brand. All natural, affordable organic eye shadow, gloss, and many other items.
Black Girl Sunscreen offers discounts for first time customers. Black women (and men) need to protect their skin as they too can get cancer, and this natural affordable brand takes care of that issue.
Carol’s Daughter has been operating for almost 100 years! They offer many discounts to men, women, LGBTQ community and others who need hair, skin, or body products.
As noted, the list above is tiny – partial. There are thousands of other female, Black, Latino, owned fashion, beauty and cosmetic brands, many of which may be sold in stores near you or online. Search our site, and find a directory of personal care product businesses.
Additional beauty tips for saving money
Your personal appearance may be important to you, but when it comes to paying the bills and saving money, you can survive without fancy clothes, makeup, hair and nails, but you can’t go without food or shelter. Besides, you can sustain your good looks without spending money, as you’ll see below, so why not start right now with these pointers?
1. Cut the cost with coupons. With some careful research, it’s possible to find discount coupons for virtually any beauty or fashion product nowadays. Many small, Black or Latino owned beauty and cosmetic companies offer them. Check your local newspaper for flyers and search the internet for coupon or discount sites (such as Retailmenot.com) and forums. Forums are a great way of getting the coupons you need for saving money on minority owned beauty products as other members are often willing to trade them or send you them for the cost of the postage. One of the best parts of couponing is that if you find a product already on sale you can often get it completely free if you use a coupon.
2. Don’t be a brand snob. Supermarkets often have a wide range of own-label cosmetics and female or minority company beauty products and they keep up with the latest fads as well as developments. Not only are the small minority owned beauty and self-care products often as good those offered by premium brands, they tend to be a fraction of the price.
3. Enhance your beauty in natural ways. The cheapest and most effective way to enhance your looks as a Black, Asian, or Latino women is to pursue a healthy lifestyle. With exercise, fresh air and a nutritious wholesome diet, you’ll keep yourself in glowing health and great shape. If you’re a smoker, you’ll improve your complexion further by quitting the habit; you could also save money that way. There’s another cost-free way to boost your beauty, too: chilling out and relax. Put work and worries aside for at least a couple of hours a day, and allow plenty of sleeping time too to sustain your mental well-being. Or do yoga or mediate at a female or minority owned small business near you. When you’re in tip-top health both physically and mentally you’ll glow with inner beauty, and that’s the best sort you can have.
4. Contact your local college, including Historically Black Colleges near you. Make enquiries about whether it runs beauty therapy courses or offer apprentice ships for Latinos, Black, or Asian community. Those that do often offer very reasonably priced treatments to members of the public so that students can practice – don’t worry, they’re supervised! Not only can you save on the usual cost of a leg-wax or eyelash tint, you’ll be helping to further the student’s education.
5. Check discounts at minority owned cosmetics sites. Many sell heavily-discounted premium brands or give 10 to 30% saving for first time customers. Sometimes the products are in perfect retail packaging and sometimes they are in damaged packaging, unboxed or are unused tester items. You can easily find items with 50 per cent or more off of the usual retail price.
6. Get your make-up done for free at a minority owned store near you. If you want to have your make-up professionally applied for a special event or a night out, try your local department store near you. Lots of beauty concessions within stores offer a free consultation and application of make-up, and people from all races and genders give this service. Get your makeup, hair, or beauty products from female owned Asian, Black, or Latino companies. It’s a good idea to pop in or phone the store beforehand to check whether an appointment is necessary.
7. Be your own hairdresser and beautician. If you normally have your hair cut professionally, cut costs by styling your own instead. You’ll find plenty of ideas, tips and demo videos online to help you, but you may prefer to follow your instincts and shape your hair in your own way. You’ll need at least two mirrors for this, in order to see the back and sides of your head as you work; you’ll also need some long, fine scissors and other accessories for particular effects, so be sure to gather everything you need beforehand. If you’re anxious about trimming your own hair, ask a member of your household to give you a hand. Perhaps you employ other minority owned company beauty services besides hairdressing, such as manicuring, eyebrow-shaping and leg-waxing, in which case you can save more money by doing these yourself, too. As your Latino, Black, or Asian specialist skills develop and you become more self-assured, you’ll start to enjoy the feeling of being in complete control of your appearance.
8. Buy one, get one free. Always take advantage of two-for-the-price-of-one offers from minority owned beauty companies. If you don’t need the items immediately you can store them for later use. You can also shop with a friend, each choose an item and halve the usual cost.
9. Take pride in your natural looks. Remember that your body has a natural beauty of its own, and take this opportunity to show it off. There is the saying that “Black is Beautiful”. Latinos, Asians, White women, and all people are beautiful as well. Instead of covering up your skin with cosmetics, tattoos or other effects, show it off as it is, with its special, individual qualities, and save money that way, too. When you take pride in your natural looks, your self confidence will shine through attractively, winning you respect from all who meet you. You’ll find self-assurance a more valuable asset than any beauty product, so hold your head high and step out with a swing, whatever beauty aids you may be dreaming of.
10. Free magazine giveaways. When you shop, check the fronts of glossy women’s magazines for female owned Asian, Black, or Latino owned beauty brands. They frequently give away full-sized products from well-known brands and you can pick them up for just a few dollars each. It’s very satisfying when you realize that the same products are on sale at the full price a few aisles away.
11. Rework old outfits. Keeping up with fashion can be very costly, and it’s important to remember that you’re not obliged to do so. If your female friends choose to spend their money that way, that’s up to them, but you’ll look great in your usual outfits, without following the latest trends or needing to shop at minority owned clothing stores. Wear your current garment collection with confidence, and you’ll set an example that others may be glad to follow. Meanwhile, you’ll be saving money for more important items, just as you intended. If you’re tired of your old clothes, wear them in different combinations, or spice them up with accessories. Experiment in front of the mirror, creating exciting new looks while spending no money at all. If you have a friend or relative with similar tastes and physical proportions, perhaps arrange some garment swaps with them to extend your range further.
12. You don’t need artificial beautifiers. Some minority or female owned beautifying services, such as tanning, piercings and tattooing businesses, need to be done by qualified professionals, and therefore paid for. But remember that these sorts of treatments are voluntary, and don’t actually need to be done at all. If your skin is a little paler than usual due to lack of tanning, or if you’re lacking the tattoo of your dreams, you’ll soon get used to making do without them, and your friends may never notice the lack or addition of such treatments anyway. Step back from beauty support, and you’ll start saving straight away.
By Jon McNamara
