5 beauty investments that aren't beauty investments
2.9.2025
Translation: machine translated
As a cosmetics fan, I haven't always invested my money wisely. Looking back, I would even say that I made some really stupid purchases. My learning? There is a lot of savings potential, you just have to be honest with yourself.
I'm not exactly a thrifty person. I like to treat myself sometimes. Sometimes all it takes is pretty packaging, a cute name or a great fragrance and my money grows wings. This kind of Überfluss luxury can be a joy, especially if you have a heart for beauty. In my experience, however, a «I've earned it» phase is invariably followed by disillusionment: «Where has my money gone?»
That's why I got out the magnifying glass of reason, put on my detective hat and investigated the question: As a beauty lover, where do I see the greatest opportunities to save money? Or to put it another way: where are steep price tags of short-term benefit?
Luxury shower products
A shower gel that smells like your favourite perfume? An expensive bar of soap enriched with precious oils? Tempting, I know. But let's be honest: the fun ends in the drain. The olfactory pleasure rarely accompanies you beyond the bathroom threshold and the caring aspect is also limited. You can confidently tighten your belt a few holes here.
The suspects:
Wash gels with active ingredients
Active ingredients such as retinol, panthenol, fruit acids and the like are fantastic if you are pursuing specific goals with your skincare. And they often drive up the price of your product. In order for these active ingredients to be effective, they need to be absorbed into the skin (for example in the form of serums). With a cleansing gel that you only massage in for a few seconds and then immediately wash off your face (and the drain greets you again), the effect is likely to be minimal to non-existent. That's why I'm in favour of a no-frills product with no frills. Unless your dermatologist has specifically recommended something else.
The scent is still fresh. The piggy bank can't be far away:
Face cleansers
Quantity discount
CHF11.40 per piece for 2 units CHF228.–/1l
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
Make-up remover, 50 ml
Gepty make-up
Trends come with an expiry date. And yes, the entire make-up industry thrives on them. But trends can also reflect your preferences. Or they can make you believe they do. The tricky thing is to work out which of the two is true. Let's assume that warm eyeshadow colours are in. Ask yourself the question: Do these colours suit me at all? Or do I just like them on other people? On TikTok, products go viral every second. You can afford to let the majority of them pass you by. The next temptation is just a swipe away anyway.
Caught red-handed: The Wonderskin hype has made me lose my principles. Because I don't like lip stains at all:
Beauty gadgets
As part of my job, I'm always testing technical gadgets that the beauty world comes up with. And yes, some of them are actually quite useful. But what a miracle none of these tools have worked so far: Not to eventually go stale in the corner of my mirror cabinet. Especially electric face brushes. I find that cleaning is just as cheap with your fingers and without the hassle of recharging.
Convinced! Even the expert says you can do without:
Beauty organiser
If you spend a lot of time on social media, you quickly get the feeling: I need that too! That's what happened to me with the transparent acrylic containers and organisers especially for make-up. In the end, I could never fit everything in the compartments, so I had to fall back on organisers that I already had. For example, a plastic basket or a cup as a brush holder. I now find it much cooler when the storage system stands out visually from the uniformity of the clean-girl aesthetic.
These culprits are easy to spot:
What things do you find superfluous? Write it in the comments 💸
Header image: Foreo face brush. Source: Taffpixture via Shutterstock
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
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