Blog Sale Shopping Tips

I love a good blog sale; it's great to find a product that's no longer available or something I've wanted to try for ages at a bargain price. I try to control myself a bit more these days but I still think blog sales are worth checking out, especially when you're on a budget. This post is just some advice based on my experience of making purchases from blog sales.

Find A Sale

At any one time there are plenty of blog sales going on and there are a few ways to find them. I get daily emails from muablogsales which is a list of blogs being held by members of Makeupalley. Another great way of finding blog sales is via Twitter. Check out the #blogsale or #bbloggers hashtags and keep an eye on your timeline if you follow a lot of bloggers. Obviously most blog sales will come up as blog posts so if you read a lot of blogs regularly you're sure to come across a few that way. If you're looking for particular brands or products, try doing an advanced search on Google, looking particularly for sales posted within the last few weeks.

Check International Sales

There are a lot more blog sales going on in the US than there are here in the UK so definitely don't rule those out. Shipping from the US to the UK isn't all that expensive and it doesn't take too long for your parcel to get here. Make sure the seller uses Air Mail, though as Surface Mail can take up to three months! I usually find Air Mail parcels get here within ten days. US sales often have better prices as most make up there is cheaper than it is here. In addition, you can pick up products from brands that aren't available here in the UK. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for US blog sales with a UK shipping option. 

Be Aware of Pricing

Sometimes an item in a sale might seem like a good deal but remember to take into account the shipping costs and the original price of the item. Some sellers charge crazy prices for limited edition products but I refuse to pay more than what the product originally cost, especially if it's been used. Remember if you're looking at an international sale to convert the prices before requesting them and read the information the seller has posted to make sure you know about any additional charges. It's easy to get carried away if you spot a blog sale with lots of nice products are good prices!

Don't Get Duped

I hate to put this in here as in my experience I've never had anyone take my money and not send the products but I've heard some horror stories in the past so I feel it's necessary to mention. I would advise always using Paypal as a payment method and preferably pay via an invoice sent by the seller. A lot of sellers out there ask to be sent payment as a gift to avoid fees, which is fine, but just be careful of who you're buying from in that case because if the parcel doesn't show up, you'll not get your money back. If the seller has a reasonably established blog I'd like to think they wouldn't do anything untoward and if you find a sale via muablogsales you can check out a seller's Makeupalley feedback before making a purchase.

I hope that was useful; if you have any blog sale tips, please post them below!

Stace xx