Happy Friday! Here at Adventures in Polishland I am always focused on living a fabulous and affordable life. One of my favorite parts of each week is going through the Sunday paper and clipping coupons. I then match the coupons up with the weekly sales to score awesome deals at the drugstore. I like to buy beauty products regularly, not just for myself, but for blog reviews and giveaways. I’m able to purchase items at a fraction of the cost thanks to the time I spend planning out my purchases and using coupons. Today I want to share a quick drugstore haul and show you how I got over $35 worth of makeup for just $15. Let’s get started!
I went to my local CVS for this particular shopping trip. There were two deals that I wanted to check out, one from Maybelline and the other from L’Oreal. Each brand was having a sale where when you purchased two items, you got $5 in ExtraCare Bucks (“ECB”) back. CVS has an amazing rewards system called ExtraCare where you score tons of great coupons and can earn ECB, which work like free money. If you’re not a member yet, I highly recommend signing up HERE. Otherwise you won’t get exclusive sale prices and coupons! I’m going to break down the two deals I made during this purchase so you can see how I used my coupons.
MAYBELLINE DEAL – Buy 2 Products, Get $5.00 ECB
I really wanted to purchase the Maybelline Shine-Free Foundation from the Fit Me line because I used it in the past and really loved it. I always recommend you buy products that you either know you’ll use, or you really want to try. There is no use buying items just to use a coupon! I grabbed the mascara up for either a gift item or a future giveaway here.
Items Purchased:
Maybelline Great Lash Big in Blackest Black = $5.99
Maybelline Shine-Free Foundation in Classic Ivory = $9.79
Coupons Used:
$2.00 off Maybelline Mascara (manufacturer’s coupon)
$2.00 off Maybelline Fit Me Product (manufacturer’s coupon)
Money Spent: 5.99 + 9.79 = 15.78 – 4.00 = $11.78
ECB Earned: $5.00
L’OREAL DEAL – Buy 2 Products, Get $5.00 ECB
Next, I grabbed a couple items from L’Oreal. My favorite drugstore mascaras come from L’Oreal, so I figured I would try the Miss Manga because I’ve heard great things about it. Plus, I like to have mascara on back-up because it’s good to change up mascaras every three months. I was also on the hunt for a new blush for the fall, so I picked one up from the True Match line to try.
Items Purchased:
L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush in Baby Blossom = $11.49
L’Oreal Miss Manga Mascara in Black = $8.49
Coupons Used:
$3.00 off L’Oreal True Match Product (manufacturer’s coupon)
$1.00 off L’Oreal Eye Product (manufacturer’s coupon)
Money Spent: 11.49 + 8.49 = 19.98 – 4.00 = 15.98
ECB Earned: $5.00
I used one manufacturer’s coupon on each item, as I showed above in the deal breakdowns. CVS also allows you to use CVS coupons, too. For this particular purchase I had a $5.00 off any $15.00 purchase coupon that I received in my email. Sometimes I have specific coupons for beauty products, other times I will receive percentage off coupons, but it changes every week. What I can tell you is that CVS will always send me at least one CVS coupon that I can use on each purchase!
Money Spent: 11.78 (Maybelline) + 15.98 (L’Oreal) = 27.76 – 5.00 = $22.76
Now, $22.76 would be your total if all you had was the manufacturer’s coupons and CVS coupon. That is still an incredible savings! The retail price of all the items totals $35.76, so there is already a savings of $13.00, or 47%. But because I am a regular CVS shopper, I had $7.00 in ECB from my last purchase. That means I only spent $15.76! I saved $20 just by clipping some coupons and paying attention to sales. Plus, I earned a total of $10.00 in ECB to use on my next purchase! Every week I earn some ECB that I can use the next time. It makes saving so easy, and shopping really fun!
All in all, I hope you enjoyed this Drugstore Beauty Haul and found my couponing tips and tricks helpful. I go to the drugstore about once per week, so if you would like to see how I use coupons to save money on a regular basis, please let me know in the comments! I am not affiliated with nor am I sponsored by CVS, but it is definitely my drugstore of choice for beauty deals at the moment. Make sure you stop by for some new goodies, either for yourself, or for your friends – the holiday season is just around the corner!
What beauty products have you purchased from the drugstore lately? Let me know in the comments!