The Beauty Audit: How Many Products Did I Use Today And How Much They Cost

I was reading a past issue of InStyle UK a few weeks ago and stumbled upon this article:

Instyle UK Beauty Audit

When I saw how much these beauty editors were using per day and how much they cost altogether, I figured “surely I don’t use that much!”. So, for a bit of fun, I thought I’d do a beauty audit on myself too. I gathered the skincare items and makeup I used on a regular day, lined them up, wrote down the price of each item and calculated the total amount. Son of the gun, the final figure shocked me.

The Beauty Audit: How Many Products Did I Use Today And How Much They Cost

Skincare (Day & Evening):
Estee Lauder Cyber White EX Extra Brightening Moisture Lotion* ($75)
Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle Hydrating Gel* ($98)
Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator* ($105)
bLiv by Cellnique Off With Those Heads ($55.43)
Dr Lewinn’s Reversaderm Tri-Collagen Accelerating Serum* ($69.95)
Dr Lewinn’s Reversaderm Antioxidant Regenerative Cream* ($69.95)
SKII Skin Signature Eye Cream ($145)
Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Whitening Moisture Gel ($15)

Makeup:
Rimmel Match Perfection Light Perfection Radiance Foundation* ($17.95)
L’Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder* ($26.95)
Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze ($11.95)
L’Oreal Color Riche Le Sourcil Eyebrow Pencil* ($22.95)
Australis Voluptulash mascara ($10.95)
Dior Diorblush in Pink Happiness ($50)
Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Eyeliner ($48)

Total: $822.08

NO SHIT. Seriously? I use that much on me daily?! I didn’t even add the cost of makeup tools like my eyelash curler and makeup brushes! Granted, a lot of the products were sent for editorial consideration but even so, these are the items I would readily buy on my own. Some were repurchases too. Holy moly.

I find it interesting that my makeup cost a lot less than my skincare. It goes to show that taking good care of your skin first will provide a good canvas for makeup later. I’ve been using a lot of drugstore makeup the past number of months and I’ve been really impressed. I’ll be reviewing that Rimmel foundation very soon, but for now my verdict is that I love it.

Guess I now have to say I’m a pretty high maintenance girl. Didn’t think I was until I wrote it all down. I haven’t even included what I use to do my hair. Yeah, let’s not even go there. πŸ˜›

So, how many products did you use today and how much did they cost you? It might shock you how much (or how little) you actually use!

Note: Products marked with * were provided for editorial consideration.

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39 comments… add one
  1. Lilit

    LOL, here you were feeling all smug and yours cost almost as much as the UK beauty director! But I won’t laugh at you yet, I still need to work out how much mince cost before feeling smug about my own regime πŸ™‚
    Lilit recently posted..Quick Beauty Tip #2 – making lipstick last longer on the lipsMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Hahahaha I know, right? When I read that, I was like, hah hah typical beauty editors, of course their beauty regime is going to be expensive. And then I did a calculation on mine and almost spit my water out *_*

  2. M&L

    Omg that’s an insane amount of stuff for your lovely face.. Money wise that is haha
    Everything just adds up, I don’t even use that much on my face but I don’t even wan add it up :p
    M&L recently posted..Beauty Addition 004: A Small Hong Kong Haul..My Profile

    1. Tine

      I KNOW! One face, that much products. Cray-zaaayyy!

  3. Yishan

    I have a feeling mine is in the thousands…
    Yishan recently posted..LANCOME Rouge in Love – Midnight Rose #377My Profile

    1. Tine

      You just made me feel so much better about myself πŸ˜›

  4. Joyce (bronzerbunny)

    i think about this sometimes, but i’ve never added up products before. I’ve thought about it for clothes before, and sometimes that number isn’t pretty either! πŸ™‚
    Joyce (bronzerbunny) recently posted..New Haircut & Shopping AdventuresMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Hahaha I’ve seen this meme floating around beauty blogs but have never thought to do it. Saw the article on Instyle, got all smug and thought mine wouldn’t compare to a beauty editor’s. Whaddyaknow. Yikes!

  5. Amber

    What a great idea! Still, I think I won’t do it. It might make me feel guilty enough to stop buying…ok maybe not!
    Amber recently posted..Red Carpet Mani March Madness Contest!!My Profile

    1. Tine

      Hahaha err I don’t think it’s ever going to stop me buying either πŸ˜›

  6. Jess @ Miss J. Shopaholic

    Omg that sounds kinda fun to do an audit… except I don’t wanna know how much my face costs haha πŸ˜›
    Jess @ Miss J. Shopaholic recently posted..Evening Make Up Tutorial with Dior Spring 2013!My Profile

    1. Tine

      Do it! It’ll scare you for a second but it won’t stop you from buying. Don’t think it’s stopping me. Yikes! πŸ˜›

  7. rinnah

    I don’t think I wanna know how much my skincare is costing me (cos I don’t do makeup anyway, haha).

    That’s waaaaaaaaaaay scary. πŸ˜›

    But awesome idea! (I might just do it anyway. Hee!)
    rinnah recently posted..Vanity Trove February 2013 BoxMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Do it do it do it do it πŸ˜€

  8. Miss Kitty

    omg! I have to do this when I get home… it’ll be hectic!
    Miss Kitty recently posted..TAG: what’s in my makeup bag?My Profile

    1. Tine

      Do it! It’s fun! Scary, but fun πŸ˜›

  9. Angela @ The Unprofessional Beauty Blog

    Ah! I’m going to have to skip this because I’m afraid that when the numbers come out, my wallet won’t feel too happy. But I, too, think I spend a lot more on skincare than I do on makeups.
    Angela @ The Unprofessional Beauty Blog recently posted..AKB48 Tomomi Itano Dear J Inspired Makeup Tutorial|Count Down To Her GraduationMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Me too. Drugstore makeup are good too, not necessarily the expensive ones. I mean, sure, it’s nice to have a pretty one every once in a while, but there are plenty of good makeup staples that are a lot more affordable out there.

  10. Jessica W

    Lucky we don’t have a special beauty auditor team in the midst! After reading this, I’m glancing over to my table and shuddered. Think this beauty audit best left unaudited. LOL. Fun post you have! (but don’t let the auditors get to you, run!)

    1. Tine

      HAAHAHAHAHA I love your comment! A beauty audit best left unaudited. Damn. πŸ˜›

  11. Bugs

    Wow, when I saw what skincare you are using, I thought that’s pretty few products, must not cost a lot. But they all add up to cost more than $600 !! Small things does adds up. I don’t want to find out what’s my number. But I do have an “skincare inventory list”, where I record how much full size item are in my ‘warehouse’ + how much GWP is worth. Believe me, the GWP alone are worth more than Rm6k, so I won’t reveal how much full size items I had waiting for me to finish all on my face ( and I do aware I only have 1 face ). My shopping ban is on for the longest time but I do broke the ban twice coz the deal is too foolish to pass… Haha!! ( excuse excuse, I know )

    1. Tine

      I know, right? Honestly, I did not expect such high figures. Scared me for a while there. Oh yeah I know how much accummulated GWP is worth. Often I have enough for a full size product and then some. Gulp.

  12. BebeTaian

    Honestly, I couldn’t imagine having $800 total to spend on makeup + skincare. I think I spent maybe $5 on my astringent/toner, $15 on my face cream, $7 for sunscreen, and $5-15 of makeup (depending on whether or not I wear any). I’ve probably spent $200 on all of the makeup + skincare stuff I own right now, including brushes! How on earth do you do it? Not just the money, I mean remembering and making time for wearing everything in the day?
    BebeTaian recently posted..Book Review: Japanese Tales, by Royall TylerMy Profile

    1. Tine

      It’s a routine, I guess. I’ve been doing the same ol’ skincare routine for so many years that I just automatically know what to reach for. Mind you, I used Australian retail prices, which are actually a lot higher than most countries. If I purchased 80% of those in Asia, I would have cut the cost significantly by almost 40%. Sigh.

  13. Mandy

    My math is bad but my stomach churned when you mentioned what this beauty audit is. I am too scared to count hahaa.

    1. Tine

      Hehehehe it’s a scary one, isn’t it? Oh do it! πŸ˜›

  14. gio

    I’m kinda scared to do mine. It’s probably gonna end up being a ridiculously high number… lol
    gio recently posted..QOTW: Do You Use Facial Blotting Paper Regularly?My Profile

    1. Tine

      Hahaha do it and then erase the figures. Pretend it didn’t happen. La la laaaa πŸ˜›

  15. ponikuta

    Love it, god forbit I did an audit. πŸ™‚
    ponikuta recently posted..Post Laser Treatment Skincare RoutineMy Profile

    1. Tine

      HAHAHAHAHA I would LOVE to see how much yours cost πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜›

      1. ponikuta

        It wouldn’t be accurate anyway since I use two separate skincare routine for day and night and will be heavily skewed towards the pricier end…. 😑
        ponikuta recently posted..Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in #569 EmpriseMy Profile

  16. sataa

    very interesting post1 but it shows you take good care of your skin as you are spending more on skincare as compared to makeup products and that is A GREAT THING !! I also try to do that I spend most of my pocket money on skin care products but it’s still not too much as I use drugstore products πŸ™‚

    1. Tine

      Aww thanks Sataa! There are lots of drugstore brand skincare products that are really good too πŸ™‚

  17. beetrice

    I refuse to try this – because that one tub of “ooh LA la but pls have MERcy on my pocket” cream is enough to shove me past the Fashion Editor’s category without even trying. Once I add in the rest…..you get the idea. >.< Let's not even get started on makeup!
    beetrice recently posted..Happy Chinese New Year!My Profile

    1. Tine

      Hahahaha thank God I haven’t touched that tub yet. My wallet is very happy not to πŸ˜›

  18. Victoria

    This is such an interesting post. I did an audit on the skincare and makeup I use everyday and it came up to more than RM1,000. Hahahaha. Mind you, my main cost comes from skincare as I only use blush and lipstick to work daily and no other make up items. So imagine if I added foundation, loose powder, eyeliner and eye shadow. It would cost me much more than that. LOL.

    1. Tine

      Hahahaha phew! You just made me feel a lot better, thank you! πŸ˜€

  19. AdrienneL

    Wow it’s really interesting to find out how much people choose to invest on skincare/makeup. Though I do think that it’s quite unfair to look at the amount this way. If a product lasts a 2-3 months, then your daily cost should only be a fraction of the price you pay, no?

    πŸ™‚

    1. Tine

      Bahahahaha you how much better your comment made me feel? πŸ˜› πŸ˜› πŸ˜›

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