Money Saving Beauty Tricks

Like most women, I not only spend a lot of time and effort on my beauty regimen, but a great deal of money as well. Over the course of my life, I have learned quite a few ways to stretch out my beauty budget.

Never throw away lip gloss pots, moisturizer containers, or other small containers that have secure lids. These little items can come in handy for travel purposes, a day at the beach, and as you will see, they can also help to make your beauty products last. Simply wash the containers thoroughly with an antibacterial soap, dry, and store them for later use.

Just because you can't apply your lipstick from the tube anymore because you have worn it down, does not mean that it is time to toss it and shell out more cash for more of your favorite shade. This is a great use for those lip gloss pots. Use a clean utensil to remove the lipstick from the reservoir in the tube and transfer it to the clean container. Use a lip brush to apply. This can extend the life of your lipstick for up to a month, it is also an excellent way to mix colors to come up with a new color, just mix the leftovers from two or more almost-empty lipstick tubes.

When it is time to touch up your roots in an at-home coloring session, try using only one half of the product. Using a plastic bowl as a mixing container, pour half of each one of the bottles into it. Use a hair color applicator brush like the ones available at www.sally.com to mix and apply. Recap the bottles and store them for next time. This is more than enough hair color for most of us to touch up our roots. Be sure to never mix the developer and toner before you store it because it will be ineffective, and could explode before the next use.

Wait just a minute before you throw out those tubes of mascara that you think are dried up or empty. By storing them in direct sunlight, or leaving them (closed) in a cup of very hot water for a few minutes, you can use every last bit of that mascara. The heat melts the waxes that mascara is composed of, so not only will your product last a few more weeks, you will also get a much smoother application.

Always store shampoo, conditioner, lotions, and body washes in an upside down position. Some brands like Pantene are designed for this method of storage (www.pantene.com). This will ensure that you are able to use all of the product, and not toss out one or two more applications.

For an inexpensive alternative to makeup removing wipes, try purchasing baby wipes instead. Fifty to one hundred of these wipes can be purchased for about $1.00, and they are made for sensitive baby skin. The baby wipes not only serve the same purpose as the much more expensive makeup remover wipes, but they are a larger size, so you don't have to use as many to get the job done.

To maximize the longevity of your latest haircut, take care of split ends at home. Twist locks of your hair, and you will see the split ends sticking out from the twist. Using a pair of manicure scissors, or other small scissors, carefully trim the split ends. This will help keep your hair looking healthy in between visits to the salon.

If you are tired of spending hundreds of dollars at the salon for hair and nail care, check out your local beauty schools. The students are well trained, and supervised by Master Cosmetologists. The only thing that they lack are the hours on the floor to complete their degree. The services offered at these cosmetology schools are less expensive than a salon visit, and often less crowded.