Fight back against over-priced cosmetics! Post your cheap but outstanding discoveries

newmommyjen

sugarspunsister wrote: »

Coconut oil is brilliant for taming the frizz.... needs to unrefined coconut oil, I bought mine off eBay - but I'm gonna search holland & barratts for some if it's not too expensive :rolleyes:

Stick the jar in the basin with some hot water in (it's solid at room temp) - when it starts to melt put a little bit in the palm of your hands - just a little otherwise it just makes your hair greasy. Massage it from root to end and you can either wait 20 mins and wash out (you won't need conditioner) or I like to sleep with it in my hair and wash out in the morning.

Takes a little practice to get the right amount for your hair, but once you do it's worth it. I swear my hair is also breaking less since I've been using it. :j

They sell little jars or coconut oil(solid form) at Boots its for the body. I think its about £1.80 its to be used for the body, i guess it can be used for hair. Its beside all the body lotions.

Bargain_Rzl

Thanks sugarspunsister for the info on Pantene - that's very interesting :T

By the way, can anybody tell me when the 3 for 2 offer ends on the Tesco Bnatural range? They don't seem to sell it in my local big Tesco (even though it sells clothes and everything, it's got four measly shelves of all skincare products ) nor in my nearest small Tesco - it's a matter of when I will next be passing a branch that actually sells the stuff.

harryharp

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Thanks sugarspunsister for the info on Pantene - that's very interesting :T

By the way, can anybody tell me when the 3 for 2 offer ends on the Tesco Bnatural range? They don't seem to sell it in my local big Tesco (even though it sells clothes and everything, it's got four measly shelves of all skincare products ) nor in my nearest small Tesco - it's a matter of when I will next be passing a branch that actually sells the stuff.

On Tesco.com it says the offer is until 6/5/08 for home delivery- I'm assuming it'll be the same in store.

Unity

angel81uk wrote: »

Foundation - Boots 17 Super Wear (for those who buy an expensive foundation because the range offers just the right colour STOP! Switch to a cheaper brand and mix two colours to get the right shade. I could spend £30 on a premium brand to find the right shade or just go to boots and buy two for less than £11 and last me twice as long as well as change with my skin throughout the seasons.)

I've been using Revlon's Colorstay - although I buy it from Saveonmake-up.co.uk at £6.99 . My main reason for this is that I often find other foundations 'slide' off when I'm hot. Having said this I have problems with shade and need to use both the 'Buff' and 'Sand Beige'. I'd also be interested to hear what you think about mineral foundations as I've tried i.d. Bare Minerals and find them great but cheaper to get from the U.S. than here.

So my question is - does the 17 range include something oil free that would give me good coverage, or is there a way to stop foundation from sliding? That makes me sound like Vincent Price as Dr. Phibes - but I think it's my age .

Thanks,
Unity

harryharp

I've used Smashbox foundation primer (another of those cult products!) which seems to help make-up stay put for longer. However it's hugely over-priced and therefore not something I'd buy again.

Does anyone know of a similar but much cheaper product (under a fiver would be nice!) Maybe you'd know, Angel81uk?

Bargain_Rzl

Next week in Lidl, the "specials" are focussing on beauty and pampering products.

Have they done these before, and if so, can anybody recommend any of the products?

http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20080422.index.ar1

harryharp

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Next week in Lidl, the "specials" are focussing on beauty and pampering products.

Have they done these before, and if so, can anybody recommend any of the products?

http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20080422.index.ar1

Mmmm...that all looks very interesting- thanks for the good spot! I'm definitely going to try some of these, and would also be interested in what anyone else thinks.

angel81uk

I've tried smashbox photo finish primer on myself in the past, although it minimizes the look of pores and fine lines beautifully I haven't found it helps with oily skin problems.

As I've said I found the 17 Super Wear (used to be called advanced wear) foundation to be long lasting even on relatively oily skin. They used to do an oil control type foundation but I found it to be too thick and hard to blend. I believe they now have a "balancing" foundation for combination skin but I've not tried it as yet.

However as with most things it's generally better to try and treat the cause of a problem rather than deal with the symptoms. Skincare isn't my specialty I'm afraid but I do have some tips. Try to avoid skincare products containing alcohol as they strip the skin of the natural oils. That means your skin goes into overdrive trying to replace those oils and you end up out of balance. This is where the oil cleansing technique comes in as it removes all the make up and grime without stripping your skin of the oils it needs. Follow up with rosewater as a gentle toner and moisturise. Try to apply moisturiser at least 15 mins before applying make up to let it absorb into the skin and then blot off any excess with a tissue. It takes a while for the skin to settle down but it does help most people in the long run. In the meantime you might need to use blotting papers during the day. Steer clear of papier poudre or any other powdered paper as it can clog the pores, the best cheap facial blotting papers I've found are part of the tescos make up range. They come in a black metal holder and you can buy refills.

As for mineral foundation I've used them in the past with much success. I personally used the Lily Lolo minerals and they were great. I'm not sure about the big brand ones you can get in boots etc though. I've not looked into them in much detail but many of them appear to say mineral enhanced or something similar which leads me to believe the base is still cheaper products and they just put a few minerals in it and call it a mineral foundation. Much like a juice drink only contains a small amount of juice but lots of water and sugar etc. I'd say for personal use mineral foundations are great, the only reason I don't have them in my kit is because it's quicker and easier to mix a custom colour when using a liquid foundation. I'd much rather carry around 4 liquid foundations which can quickly be mixed to match any skin tone rather than having to carry round a bag full of minerals.

bridgetdunstable

to elaine28, I have a friend who uses the Olay Total Effects body moisturiser and she has had the same problem finding any. We were told in Boots that it has been discontinued and is going to be relaunched in about 6 months time so if you manage to find any it will probably be old stock.

harryharp

Thank you very much for your helpful advice Angel81. I'm really glad that you're subscribed to the thread- as I suspect we'll be needing to pick your brain again many times in the future!!