We all know there’s nothing better than knowing you smell great, whether you’re intending to chill around the house, or you’ve got a big night out planned. Often the cost of maintaining a great scent feels too much to ask on a student budget. But fear not! Here are three of my best tips and tricks to keep you smelling and feeling great, even on the tightest of budgets.
1. Get a points card
Lots of health and beauty retailers offer free cards which allow you to receive points every time you spend money in their store or online. At first, it can seem a little pointless as they are quite stingy with the money-to-points exchange rate, but it’s worth it when you start building up a good bank of points. These will then turn into credit you can spend.The points card that I tend to use most often is the Body Shop ‘Love Your Body Club’ card, which gives you ten points for every £1 you spend in store and online (that’s a £5 voucher for every £50 you spend.) The Body Shop not only have a huge range of great-smelling products, but they are also 100% vegan and against animal testing, so you can enjoy them guilt-free!
The Superdrug Health & Beauty Card is also great for everyday smellies, and they often have extra points and other deals for their members. Another quick tip– no matter how tempting it is, let your points keep building up, rather than taking a pound off a needless shop. You can then save up for a self-care treat when you really need it!
2. Perfume dupes
There is nothing worse than finding a perfume you absolutely love, that is perfectly ‘you,’ only to look down and see ‘£89.99’ stuck on the box. It just isn’t justifiable on a student budget. We enter, then, the world of perfume dupes. Although there are some not-so-great options, there are plenty of perfumes that smell equally as good and stay on for just as long as your favourite brands, and don’t break the bank. It’s just a case of finding them!
Si by Giorgio Armani > Next Rouge Absolue
Si by Giorgio Armani is a very popular scent, and my favourite perfume. So, when I discovered Rouge Absolue in Next, I was blown away. Not only is the scent just as gorgeous, Rouge stays on just as long, and for a cool £14 per 100ml bottle, you really can’t go wrong.
3. Don’t rely on one source of scent
It’s really easy to rely on just a few squirts of perfume in the morning, but even the best perfumes rarely last the whole day. What really works for smelling good long-term, and on a student budget, is sourcing scent elsewhere in your morning and evening routines. Scented moisturisers, shower gels, shampoo and conditioner, and even deodorants, can be the most effective ways of ensuring you smell great all day, every day. Superdrug offer a wide range of more luxurious shampoos and conditioners (your hair holds scent extremely well) at a more appealing price, many of which are also cruelty-free, including their own-brand products. But always remember to check your labels!