My Cheap Beauty fixes

Hi Beauties, since I am a student once again, it means I am on a budget and I can't afford the luxuries of a working citizen any more. :( So I have to find cheap alternatives for my beauty addictions. I pretty much do a lot of my beauty routines on my own so I don't have to worry about cutting back on services like my eyebrows or my hair but I do have to find cheaper alternatives for beauty products. Here are a few of my favourite cheap beauty fixes.


1. Using rice powder instead of translucent powder. Because I have oily skin, I use oil blotting powder from MAC or Makeup Forever HD Invisible Powder which costs about $34 CAD but I have been hooked on using rice powder as a setting or translucent powder or oil absorbing powder. I bought a sample size from coastalscents.com for less than $10 almost a year ago and I still have a lot left to use.


2. Do you have a liquid foundation that is too light for you? If you do, try using it as a concealer. I have tons of foundations that I bought and ended up being too light, I don't throw them away I use them as a concealer if they are just about two shades lighter.


3. Getting rid of zits. A dab of toothpaste or lemon juice should dry the pimple right up. I used to even use Neosporin on my zits to effectively kill bacteria instead of spending money on acne creams or spot treatments that to me don't always work.


4. A great lip exfoliant. Coarse salt or sugar on your toothbrush and scrub away the dry skin. This should give you nice smooth lips every time.


5. If you tweeze your own eyebrows like I do but averse to pain, try putting some Ambesol on the area or taking a pain killer before you tweeze or wax.


6. Drying your wet nails. Dip wet nails into ice cold water for quick drying or spray with a pan oil like Pam.


7. Getting rid of tired looking Eyes. Steep two bags of green tea in 1 cup of water. Chill (make sure it is cool to touch, so you don’t burn your eyelids) and place on eyes for 15 minutes. You can also use chilled cucumbers placed on eyes for 15 minutes. I am an undereye cream junkie. I always go look for the next thing when it comes to getting rid of dark circles or puffiness.


8. Buying baby wipes to remove makeup. Baby wipes are so much cheaper than makeup remover wipes and they are just as effective. I buy a 72 pack of non scented hypoallergenic baby wipes for 2.99 on sale versus a pack of Olay or Neutrogena makeup remover wipes for about $8.


9. If you have sparse eyebrows. LEAVE THEM ALONE!!! Put the tweezer down and walk away for about two weeks. Rub olive oil into your brows every day sometimes twice a day to help with the blood circulation which will help stimulate your hair follicle to grow hair (if the follicle is alive and healthy).


10. If you get razor bumps after shaving. Take a lemon, cut it in half, and squeeze the juice on to a small bowl. Immerse a cotton ball into the juice and dab it over the razor bumps. Let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water. If you do this every time you shave, you will no longer need to worry about razor bumps.As black women, we tend to get ingrown hairs which cause razor bumps so this is a good tip to save money when you do have to treat razor bumps.


11. An extra one I learnt in class. Makeup brush cleaners are a bit pricey. I get an afforable one from ELF for about $5 from winners. But I learnt in class you can use 99% alcohol to clean your makeup brushes which you can find at walmart or any drugstore. A huge bottle of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol from walmart for about $8 should last you a very long time.


Hope these tips help you to save some money.