frugal beauty tips thread?

[IAmBooyhoo]

i was reading the 'how to be groomed' thread and while all the products mentioned sound like they work wonders, i could never afford to buy the things recommended. my budget is very tight (as is the same for alot of people) and so i thought we could have a thread full of frugal beauty tips, that mean we can all still look our best without breaking the bank. i personally prefer not to use lots of chemicals on my skin or hair, and even less so the cheaper products on the market. (i have done in the past and they just made my skin worse) but if that's what works for you then post your tips and hopefully someone can get the benefit of your experience.

i'll start with a few of my current beauty practices.

1. oil cleansing method. i have just started this again after attempting it about a year ago ( i was using it aswell as my normal facewash and it just wasn't working so i went back to facewash. will do it properly this time)

2. no poo method for curly hair. i was using bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar. i did this for about 6 months and my hair was in the best condition of it's life. i only stopped because i started dying my hair pink and it required doing weekly so i started buying colour protect shampoos and conditioners. once my pink dye runs out (i stocked up) i will go back to brown and start no poo again. unless anyone knows of a way to keep my colour whilst doing no poo?

3)bicarb whitens teeth. dip a dampened toothbrush into bicarb and brush teeth once a week to remove staining.

4)sweet almond oil for moisturising body.

5)witch hazel for toner.

i would be really interested in hearing any tips on make-up and how i can look good without spending a fortune on different products.

looking forward to hearing lots more tips and hopefully saving some money!

the old used tea bag thing for eyes.
or cold tea as toner in the summer
I keep my used tea bags in the fringe over the day and use them on skin.

What about anti-aging? I've just ordered a No 7 Protect and Perfect Intense package, but I'm considering sending it back if I can find something good and cheap.

I do OCM with castor and jojoba. Any recommendations for a moisturising oil for combination skin?

Oats are good for soothing dry sore sensitive skin - in a muslin bag in the bath or shower, as a paste for a face mask or as a mild exfoliant. Mixed with warm oil to cleanse and exfoliate and soften hands and feet

Any branded products you want check on mysupermarket.com and it tells you the price in the supermarkets plus boots and superdrug.

Aldi do an anti wrinkle cream with snake venom in it, I use it around my eyes and the skins so much better, smooth and no fine lines. It's about £5 in a plastic syringe dispenser.

Their Q10 creams are good too, I use them and the serum and my skin looks more nourished. They are very perfumed but it still works well.

They also do a foundation in transparent I've been very pleased with. I used to use the pressed powder too but superdrug MUA powder is only £1 so I switched.

LOVE this thread! Marking my place. So far I'm going to put the bicarb on toothbrush and dispersible aspirin face mask into action immediately! BTW, what does the aspirin actually do to your skin?

Found this about Aspirin face masks, it's a bit long but should answer all your questions:
"Aspirin is one of the best sources for Salicylic Acid plus when you purchase an economy size bottle of the generic or store brand, it's dirt cheap! Salicylic Acid is great for a number of different beauty woes. First and foremost is for acne-sufferers. Unlike Benzoyl Peroxide (which is used to actually kill the bacteria that brews inside of a pimple), Salicylic Acid dissolves dead skin cells. This is great for acne as it helps to keep pores unclogged. It also helps with the VISIBLE appearance of pores, and it makes skin SUPER soft. Salicylic Acid CAN be drying and irritating, so I recommend using it in small doses, using it every couple of days and using an oil-free moisturizer afterward. These are especially important points to remember for acne sufferers who are also dry or have sensitive skin. I recommend starting by using only 4-5 aspirin pills (crushed to a fine powder) and mixing it with soothing ingredients like honey, as other members have pointed out. However, if you are like me and have very oily skin and skin that is about as sensitive as stainless steel, then by all means, use more pills (about 7) and mix with other drying ingredients such as lemon juice. I will actually mix my aspirin with other pre-made masks that already contain salicylic acid (such as Clinique Total Turnaround Instant Facial Mask) and leave it on for about 45 minutes. This is NOT what I recommend for beginners or for Sensitive Sally's. :0)
Another great purpose/effect of Salicylic Acid is anti-aging. Why Spend HUNDREDS of dollars on Anti-Aging Skincare just to put it on top of dead skin cells??? It doesn't soak in as well, and the benefits are not penetrating the live skin.
When it comes to Aspirin Masks and Salicylic Acid, start "slow and low" so that you don't have adverse reactions. You will know if your skin can handle more and you really don't have to feel bad about taking your time with figuring out the "dosage" you need since the cost of the product is soooo affordable!
A word to the wise, per another review, aspirin masks (when used frequently) can and will thin your blood as some will be absorbed into your bloodstream through your skin. Remember, your skin IS an organ, afterall!! Also, protect your "new" skin with oil-free hydration, antioxidants and SPF!! You may or may not be sensitive to fragrance or dyes after an aspirin mask.

• From a Former Clinique, Elizabeth Arden and Mary Kay Beauty Advisor"

If just add that you shouldn't use aspirin face masks if you're pregnant of course (same reasoning you're not supposed to use any beauty products with salycilic acid).

I have an issue with oil control method I LOVED it at first, felt great, revolutionised my skin care regime etc but then I started getting spots. I thought the OCM would clear them so I carried on (being extra careful with the guidelines) but actually it just made it worse!

In the end I developed acne on my cheeks and had to see a GP for benzoyl peroxide which worked amazingly well, very quickly. Well... that and getting pregnant! Not sure about anyone else but my skin never looked better than when I was pregnant! I fell pregnant while planning my wedding and can thank DD1 for my glowing bridal look

Thanks for the Aldi tip Fluffy! Will look into that ASAP. What is the Superdrug product you prefer? A face powder or foundation?

Any tips for making polish last longer? Which brand of polish does everyone think lasts longest? Sick of buying polish which I have to reapply almost daily so go through at a rate of knots! I've got two very little ones and am always washing my hands which doesn't help.

Water, water, water. But all the above tips look good. I'll definitely try some out.