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| flickr/cc - mijori |
At Home Hair Care
An easy way to save money in the beauty budget is to color your own hair at home. While this sounds daunting, it's not as hard as you think. When choosing a hair color, pick a highlighting cap for soft highlights that blend well with the rest of your hair. These caps have self seals around their perimeter and a rounded rod to pull hair through small pinholes, which allows you to control the amount of hair you want highlighted. Also, root touch-up kits, sold with a small applicator brush, can keep you well colored in between salon appointments. Averaging under $10, these kits are an excellent buy.
Beauty Products
If you're like me, you hate having several semi-full shampoo and conditioner bottles in your shower. More than likely we get close to the bottom and throw the entire bottle away out of sheer inconvenience. Before this happens and we waste several ounces of perfectly good products, try combining all your shampoos to fill one larger bottle, and the same with the conditioners. This simple trick can save you more money than you think. Also, if you're looking to save even dough, try using your shampoo or conditioner while shaving. Products that are thick and creamy, or lather easily could work just as well as traditional shaving gels, lotions, and creams. When it comes to make-up, consider purchasing multi-use products that can serve double duty. For example, a pencil that serves as blush, eye shadow and lip stick simultaneously. Not only will this handy tool save money, it will also save you time.
Nail Care
Getting a manicure regularly can put a burden on your beauty budget. Instead, purchase an at home nail care kit and do the grunt work yourself, like trimming your nails and pushing the cuticles back. These kits can generally run around $10 at any grocery store or pharmacy. After that, head to the salon for a simple polish change. At under $10, this could save you big bucks and still give you the professional "just-manicured" look you love.
Unexpected Remedies
Some of the best kept beauty secrets come from the most unbelievable products. Olive oil and Vaseline, for example, can calm hair frizz, take off makeup, and moisturize dry skin. Also, paper napkins and toilette seat covers are great skin blotters to remove excess oil midday. To rid stinky smells from your favorite pair of shoes, try sprinkling in some baking soda, letting it sit and then vacuuming it out. And to combat cellulite, combine coffee grounds with body lotion and apply it to skin for thirty minutes. This increases circulation and tightens skin.
Armed with these helpful tips and tricks, I hope you can use them to keep your monthly budget and beauty regime in harmony and on track.
Special thanks to those filling in while I am on vacation - This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who writes on the topics of online colleges.
Awesome tips!
I've given up shampoo and conditioner entirely (the "No Poo" method), don't wear makeup or nail polish so that saves a TON of money over the years.. I do occasionally use henna on my hair for a pick me up and deep condition. Costs about 7$ and on my hair, lasts about 2 months. Since it fades slowly, roots don't need touch ups unless you go for a very dramatic change of color and have fast growing hair.
I read somewhere that Crisco does a better job at moistening skin than most beauty creams. Though I can't imagine too many women wanting to smear Crisco on their face, arms or legs... or feeling very glamorous after they've done it.
I love all of these tips, especially since I do not want to spend hundreds of dollars on things that can cost considerably less. Plus, you opened my eyes to some things I never knew about. I always wonder how people figure things out. Do they just randomly try it and then oh great it works. Thanks again.
This is why I started making my own jewelry. I don't wear much jewelry, and could never find pieces that I liked or that fit correctly, etc. I wanted a glasses lanyard made out of gemstones, and have been able to do it much more affordably than buying someone else's design and using the stones I want.
And the offshoot is, I have managed to start a little side business out of it, and I LOVE cutting out the middlemen that make things so expensive. Of course, jewelry is a luxury item, but I feel good wearing it and helping others have affordable and unique gifts. :)
Thanks for the great blog! I've been frugal all my life and sometimes even criticized for it, but I have always enjoyed saving resources.