If paying for a bi-weekly manicure isn't in your budget, why not indulge in a professional polish change instead? No matter how well you're able to paint your own nails, a pro can out do you -- there's just something about a professional job that looks, well, professional. And, at an average of $7-$10 it's not cost-prohibitive. Added bonus? It's a great way to try that latest color trend without laying out the cash for a whole bottle when odds are you're only going to wear it once anyway. Go on, get one. You know you want to.
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Reach for a minty-fresh gloss
CoverGirl Wetslicks Amazement Lip Gloss, $5.99 is a rare (un-gooey) gloss that adds shine and color effectively, plus the added peppermint oil (courtesy of Crest) gives it a delightful tingle that also works to keep breath minty fresh.
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Sip a smoothie
Next time you're craving a sumptuous treat, why not indulge in something that's as good for you as it is delicious? While making a smoothie at home can guarantee that it contains nothing but healthy ingredients, some retail establishments, like Jamba Juice, also serve up real fruit drinks. But, as David Zinczenko, "Men's Health" editor and author of the very popular (and fun/shocking to read) "Eat This, Not That!" books points out, "Jamba Juice makes plenty of real-deal smoothies, but their menu is sullied with more than a few faux-fruit blends." The trick, as Zinczenko says, is to "Just make sure you choose the right one." When it comes to tasting great and offering up the best beauty-boosting ingredients, any of the "all fruit" options, which boast "just fruit and juice" and fewer than 250 calories in a 16 oz. cup -- are a good bet. In particular, the "Five Fruit Frenzy" and "Pomegranate Paradise" pack a good antioxidant punch that (among other benefits) is great for helping your skin fight free radicals. And, at just $3.85, it's healthy for your wallet too.
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Treat your bod to a delicious oil
The light sesame-infused formula of Neutrogena Body Oil, $9.99 not only smells divine but is so weightless and sheer that it seems to vanish the moment you rub it on, leaving behind soft, silky, luminous skin. Tip: Apply immediately after the shower while skin is still moist or pour a capful into your bath for a peerless skin-smoothing soak.
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Indulge your hair
Proving that you really don't have to spend a million to feel like a million is the perennial hair care fave, the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner, $3.25. When it comes to heavy-duty conditioning, this yummy smelling Aussie product has no equal. As one All Star Total Beauty reviewer says, it "Doesn't leave a build up. Doesn't weigh hair down. Makes hair soft but manageable." All for less than $5. Doesn't really get much better than that.
Reading women's magazines can be depressing. Not only do the pages showcase impossibly beautiful (and thin) models, most of the featured clothes and makeup products are cost prohibitive for the majority of us. Sure, it'd be nice to be able to drop $200 on a neck cream or $1,200 on a cute dress for work, but given the state of the economy (and most of our less-than-robust checking account balances) such exorbitant splurges likely aren't in the cards.
Of course, fashion and lifestyle magazines are meant to be aspirational, to be glossy representations of what life would be like "if" -- (the "if" being "if" you had unlimited funds, no job to show up for, a 5'10" 120 lb. frame, George Clooney on your arm and, why not, a pied a terre on St. Barth's) and that's why we read them -- to escape from our real lives for a brief moment in time. (And, yes, to glean a makeup, hair and fashion tip or two.)
But then, if we can't plunk down a black Amex at Prada or drop a bundle at Sephora, what's a girl (with limited means) to do when we're craving a little glamour, when we have a hankering for a "pick me up" of the beauty persuasion?
