How to... look great on a budget (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

How to... look great on a budget

8:32am Wednesday 3rd September 2008 in

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The UK beauty industry is worth an estimated £3.7 billion and expensive luxury products are big business. But beauty on a budget is not impossible.

1: Forget lining up the bathroom shelves with piles of products. Sometimes one product has multiple uses, meaning you save on space and money. Look out for multi-use products like The Body Shop Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask (£7.50), which cleanses, moisturises and polishes the body in one hit, or Neutrogena Visibly 2-in-1 Face Wash Mask (£3.79), which acts as an everyday facial wash or weekly mask for deep-down cleansing. Classics like Johnson’s Baby Oil, Vaseline, Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser and Nivea Creme also provide a multitude of daily beauty rescues including cleansing, moisturising and soothing.

2: Keep your eyes peeled for red-hot beauty offers. Superdrug and Boots are regularly rotating limited three-for-two or buy-one-get-one-free offers for bargain hunters, so check the websites at superdrug.co.uk or boots.com for the latest offers. It’s worth buying in bulk to get better deals with your favourite brands too.

3: We all love splurging every now and again, but if you’re cutting back your beauty budget, it’s worth trying out new, cheaper alternatives. If you’re experimenting with some new colours, it’s a great idea to try out daring new shades with less-pricey beauty buys first before you invest. If cheap and cheerful make-up products just don’t appeal, put your beauty budget towards basic ingredients and build up your very own line of cosmetics. Beauty journalist Carla Oates’s book, Feeding Your Skin (Vermilion, £9.99), suggest some nutritious, home-made, cosmetic recipes from the days when women successfully looked after their own skin. For instance, for untoned, devitalised skin, she suggests this fine mask that refines, tones, firms and brightens: One tsp lemon juice; one tsp strongly-brewed tea, cooled, 1½ tbsp skimmed milk powder, one tsp egg white, beaten until frothy. Add the lemon juice to the tea, then mix in the milk powder and egg white. If your skin is dry, add some cold-pressed vegetable oil.