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How to Look Good on a Budget

By Tiffany Moore

Today’s economic situation is getting more sluggish than ever. Job losses are on the rise, stock market indexes are heading south, and money becomes increasingly tight for the average working woman. Splurging on expensive skin care products and personal grooming services is a dirty word in this new era of downsizing.

However, with reduced employment opportunities and pressure to remain competitive in the workplace, it is highly important that you put some effort into your appearance and look good everyday. Now the question is, how do you go about putting your best face forward without pulling out a large wad of cold hard cash?

How You Can Look Fabulous on a Budget

The first thing you have to do is, take a quick estimate of your overall ensemble starting from your hair and makeup to clothes and shoes. Write down what percentage of your monthly budget goes into purchases such as cosmetics and accessories. The main reason for doing so is this helps you identify where you may have overstretched and bought unnecessary things or duplicate items.

More often than not, women tend to make purchases on impulse than men. They are tempted to buy (usually fragrances and makeup) because it comes with a thrown in freebie, or too-good-a-deal-to-miss discounts, or simply because a smiling sweet-talking salesperson pushed them into it. The shocking truth about the free stuff that comes with purchases is many retailers do a mark up on them. You are actually not scoring yourself a juicy bargain when you pay for things you don’t need. Moreover, having too many unwanted items clutters up your drawers and contribute to your morning rush.

Interestingly, some expensive prestige names have lower price lines minus fancy packaging (and aggressive advertisements) manufactured under the same cosmetic laboratory. For example, L’Oreal and Lancome. So why fork out hundreds of dollars for a face cream when the cheaper counterpart contains similar active ingredients and produces almost identical results? I would also suggest you buy a tube squeezer that lets you squeeze every last drop out of your almost tube of body or hand lotion and minimize waste.

If you find that your expenses on beauty items are unreasonably high, maybe it’s time to make your own products at home. Common kitchen ingredients such as sugar or salt combined with a splash of extra virgin olive oil serve amazingly well as both a body and face scrub. Hydrating your skin with grapeseed oil several times a day leaves it feeling baby soft and silky smooth to the touch. Pure unrefined coconut oil is another favorite of mine because it is considerably cheaper than name-brand skincare products and has multiple purposes. It can be used as a gentle eye makeup remover, as a face moisturizer for dry mature skin, as a cuticle softener and also to improve the condition of brittle nails.

The other budget approach to looking beautiful is to know what colors match and flatter your skin tone. Not all colors are suitable for everyone. Which season do you belong to? Are you a summer or a winter, spring or autumn person? If you have naturally fair skin (winter skin tone), blue and black work wonders for you. For warm toned people, you won’t go wrong with yellow-based colors including mocha and bronze.

On a similar note, it is also a waste of money to buy a palette of eyeshadow colors when only one or two colors enhance your eyes and make them really pop. You are better off getting smaller individuals which are definitely more economical in the long run. You may also want to consider cheek color that can double up as blusher and eyeshadow.

Another thing to keep in mind when shopping is to buy staple clothing items such as blouses, knee-length skirts and jeans in safe neutral colors (white, black, beige and ivory) that allow you to mix and match with almost anything. In addition, invest in good quality T shirts of cotton and Lycra mix. They maintain shape well and will last for some time.

You also want to go for classic jewelry pieces and fashion accessories to add variety and versatility to the essential items you already have in the wardrobe. For example, a string of freshwater pearls with your little black dress for a romantic night out in town, or a pair of well-fitting dark gray super skinny jeans and a simple white shirt for an effortlessly chic look on a restrictive budget.

Scarves are also a great way to dress up any outfit and create various fabulously fashionable statement by tying in different styles. Spice up your loose maxi dress with a plaid scarf, or if you want a new twist on an old classic look, wear a loop scarf. Not only are scarves incredibly inexpensive to purchase, they are also available in wide range of colors, textures and prints. So stock up and you get an instant wardrobe update for less.

Getting a flattering hair color and hair cut can take years off your appearance and epitomizes your overall look. So it makes good sense to visit a reputable hair salon and let the professionals figure out what style is right for your face shape. But remember, never ever ask a stylist for shampoo recommendations. Chances are you may get swayed by smooth talk and buy whatever niche products they promote.

Also, it’s more budget-friendly to do your own manicure and pedicure at home. Elegant french manicure or one color polishes look as good as those over-priced nail art.

Before I go, here’s my last tip to the list of looking good on budget – always wear a smile wherever you go – it doesn’t cost a thing to smile and makes your face instantly radiant.

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