How to pay less for makeup without giving up what you like

The same foundation can cost several dollars more at one store than at another, on the same day. Cheaper makeup is often less about switching products and more about where and when you buy.

Updated October 30, 2026 · 5 min read

Compare stores, not just products

Big beauty retailers, department stores, drugstores and the brand’s own site often sell the same product at different prices, and their sales rarely line up. Checking two or three stores before you buy is the single easiest saving.

Prices for one foundation at six US stores in the app, from $29 to $39, per ounce, with Sephora’s sale at $29 instead of $39 and the date each price was seen. — Shadecubby shows every store’s price for a product side by side, per ounce too, with sales marked and the date each price was seen.

Use price per ounce

Sizes vary more than you’d think: 30 ml, 1 fl oz, 0.84 fl oz, minis and value sizes. A cheaper sticker price can be a smaller bottle. Divide the price by the size to compare fairly.

Time your buys around sales

Big seasonal events. The large beauty retailers run storewide sales a few times a year, often in spring, around Black Friday, and at the holidays.
Brand days. Single-brand or single-category discounts run all year.
Loyalty points and gifts. These add up, but only if you were going to buy the product anyway.

If you know what you want, keep it on a list and buy it when it drops, instead of buying whatever is on sale.

Is it a real deal?

A “sale” price can be the usual price at another store. Before you buy, compare the sale against the regular price elsewhere, not just the crossed-out price on the same page.

Consider a close alternative

For some products, especially complexion, there’s a close shade in a less expensive formula. Our guide to makeup dupes covers how to tell when an alternative is actually close.

Shadecubby compares store prices in the US and Canada, shows each price’s date, and marks sales. We don’t sell anything or earn anything when you buy, so the cheapest store is just the cheapest store.