OS beauty/make up ideas

lisa_75 · 26 July 2006 at 10:35PM

I am trying to make some serious cutbacks in our budget. At the moment I use Clinique 3 step, which is expensive and this will have to stop. I have very oily skin with large pores and have found this is the only thing that helps. I use Neutrogena Visibly Clear body wash to help combat spots on my back. I need a cheap alternative to this too. I did my shopping online at Asda today and could not find anything similar. I also use Clinique make up and need some cheaper alternatives, especially a good foundation for oily skin.

I have stopped having my highlights done and started dying my hair at home, which saves about £50 every 6 weeks.

Any advice on how to do beauty on a budget?

Pink. · 26 July 2006 at 10:52PM

Hi Lisa,

Have a look in the Makeup & Body Care section of the Mega Indexed thread for some ideas of how to cut back your budget.

Pink

melancholly · 26 July 2006 at 11:15PM

i use the boots own version of simple for cleanser and toner - it's called cucumber. that saves a fortune. i have problem skin so am very careful about moisturisers too. i buy clinique make-up at bonus time and sell all the stuff i don't want on ebay to cover some of the cost.
i use a powder rather than foundation, and the No7 versions are not bad compared to clinique, especailly when you consider the price difference!

mossstar · 27 July 2006 at 5:01AM

Omg! i love this subject (so sad, but what's a girl to do if she's money-saving AND high maintanence?!).

Anyway, firstly get yourself to the library and order one of this woman's books. It doesn't need to be a recent one, esp as you use clinique's 3 step which has been around for ages (and you know that step 1 is just bog standard soap, don't you

)

She now sells her own range of products, but for years she didn't and her advice and journalistic research still holds up. her books basically list the actual, statement of fact, ingredients of these 'super' products and it's scarey reading if like me in my teens you bought all the 'top of the range' rubbish that they peddle (esp. read her review of the creme de la mer stuff, it's so funny!).

Then get natural! your skin will love you. Back around the same time as I was using that rubbish i was also a catwalk model (v skinny, v tall, no boobs!

) I picked up lots and lots of tips and still use a lot of them:

good old bicarb is the best scrub exfolient you'll ever find - try it! mix it with a creamy wash off cleanser (like cetaphil if you can get it) or honey. I promise you won't find any difference to the ones you buy.

Crushed asprin mask. Crushed asprins work as an exfoliant in the same way as aha's, so mix some crushed asprins with again honey, or cleanser - anything to make a paste and apply to your face. For some reason as this mask dries it always makes me sneeze so i've stopped using it under my nose!

I did some research before using this as I was a bit concerned about somehow absorbing the asprin through my skin, but i was happy to discover it would be fine. Do some research though just to put your own mind at rest if that's a bother to you...

... um, what else?

Do you have curly hair? curly haired models i knew NEVER used shampoo - they'd use the american 'curly girl' method, which basically means 'washing' your hair with conditioner only - the cheaper the better. Conditioner actually contains gentle cleansers in the same way that shampoo does (compare the ingredients list) and it takes a little experimentation to get it right, but my gosh those girls had FAB hair (and no frizzies).

I always add honey to my conditioner and a touch of glycerine (from the chemist) and aloe gel (from my plant) for a deeper condition. Here's a pic:

...just so you know that it hasn't resulted in mad dreadlocks or anything (not that i wouldn't mind them actually...

)

Um... i can't think of any more at the moment, but if I do i'll post again.

Good luck!

Topher · 27 July 2006 at 7:04AM

Cured the back spots problem 5 years ago by completely giving up instant coffee. (Boo hoo, sob, sniff)
I since found that reintroducing freshly ground coffee (own grinder £1.50 Charity shop, beans £6.++ per KG from Costco) works well.
Advised my son of the same, and he too cured the problem the same way.

Make up:
Cheap cold cream or equivalent applied to face as if moisturising it, washed off immediately with muslin cloth and hot water. (Muslin very lightly abrasive) Toned with Superdrug Skin Essentials. Then Moisturised with a light moisturiser such as Oil of Olay... (Superdrug Skin essentials vary according to skin type, I also use their cleanser if I'm in too much of a hurry for the washing method)
I don't have overly sensitive skin, but as the Superdrug stuff is really inexpensive, perhaps you could try it without too much outlay for an experiment.
T

stilernin · 2 November 2006 at 9:58AM

Just noticed this thread and thought I would add advice from a doctor when I had loads of problems with my skin.

Hibiscrub............ bought in the chemist for a couple of quid for a bottle that could last you a year. It is the pink stuff that the medics use for washing their hands and is an antibacterial. I thought it would be really harsh but it isn't.

Just use the tiniest drop for washing your face morning and night, you'll soon find out how much you need. After this use your usual moisturiser, I was advised to use Simple, and carry on with any make up etc.

My son used it for acne and it worked like magic.

Would be interested to hear if anyone else tries it.

lady_fuschia · 2 November 2006 at 11:07AM

I'm a bit of a beauty addict myself but owing to huge debts (partly gained by NOT doing beauty on a budget!) I've come up with a few things that work:

-I get my hair done at the trainees night at my local hair salon. They do the cut for free and the colour just for the price of the materials used (about £6- if you have highlights it may be more but you probably won't need it done as often). To be honest I think they usually make a better job of it than a qualified hairdresser because they take more time and care over it (does take about twice as long I admit!) Do a round trip of all the local salons and see what they'll offer.
- If you have a local college with a health and beaty department they usually offer a variety of treatments very cheap or even free, so give them a call or check their website.
- Homemade facials are great- one that leaves your skin lovely, clean and soft (and seems to help prevent spots) is using egg yolk to cleanse, rinsing it off with rose water and pplying a mask made of natural yoghurt. As a make up cleanser I use Sweet Almond Oil- it cleans eye make up off fine just rub it on and wipe off with cotton wool.
-Try using Aqueaous cream as a moisturiser and body lotion - its great for oily skin and far better than any commercial lotion I've ever used, and about £3 for a 500g pot. (though I swear I'd still use it even if I wasn't on a tight budget, leaves your skin feeling lovely!).
- RE: the spots on your back. It sounds extreme, but have you seen a doctor about them? Sometimes they can do a lot to help and its definetly worth checking whether a hormone imbalance is responsible. Also, try cutting out white flour and other processed food- there's a theory that the reason people in more traditional communities don't suffer from acne as much as people in the west is because they don't eat refined foods. I certainly think it makes a difference. You can also try adding a little tea tree oil to a bath a few times a week, which may be helpful.
-Make up wise, you might need a bit of trial and error. I use L'Oreal foundations, which seem to be very good for oily/ combination skin. At about £9 a pot its not exactly cheap, but cheaper than Clinique and it does last a long time if you use it sparingly. Also, do you wear foundation every day? Do you need to? Sometimes I think it causes more problem than it solves skin-wise- could you try going a few days a week at least just with concealer and powder and saving foundation for going out and REALLY bad skin days?

Hope this helps.

cazziebo · 2 November 2006 at 11:16AM

You can sometimes get Neutrogena in Savers at a fraction of the price you'd pay anywhere else.

I've also given up on monthly hairdressers - I do need a cut but going to wait until I'm in town and go for a standby cut at a good place. I've just started using Boots own colour and get my 16 year old daughter to do my highlights - costs less than a fiver for both. I've got a bit of grey (just a wee bit, honest!) and found that even what the hairdresser used didn't cover it. No problem now.

I've also started doing Avon and don't make any money, but it does pay for my stuff. If you get the moisturiser and make up when it's on offer, it's really good value.

Salon waxing is something else I've given up - now just use the strips and after a couple of sessions it's quite easy and one packet has lasted me for about 4 months now.

however, when I'm back on my feet financially I'm treating myself to a manicure and pedicure!

:j

Cazzie
xxx

lady_fuschia · 2 November 2006 at 11:54AM

Forgot to mention Savers! You can pick up some really good bargains there. (I haven't got one in the town I live in so end up picking up about five pots of Cyclax facial scrub (89p!) every time I come across one somewhere else!)

Uniscots97 · 2 November 2006 at 1:29PM

Don't forget Milk of Magnesia. Once you've cleansed your face. Put some on a cotton wool pad and dab all over your face and leave it to dry (I leave mine overnight). The magnesium forms complexes (bonds with in other words) all the oil in your pores. Rinse off in the morning. Can't remember who originally posted this but been using this for a while and I've noticed a huge improvement in my skin.

Cazzdevil · 2 November 2006 at 2:02PM

Aqueous Cream - £1 for a half kilo tub and it's a fantastic moisturiser and cleanser. It's the base for a lot of the more expensive creams and is suitable for sensitive skin too.

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OS beauty/make up ideas

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