Beauty products are a significant part of a woman's artistic arsenal, but their ever-escalating cost can leave you feeling like you have to settle for second-rate choices. No matter how much personal financial planning we do, we still end up going overboard with our budgets. Even a quick browse of the best beauty tips on the Internet involves the purchase of expensive products or services. To the rescue are the following experts' money-saving tips that also give you fantastic alternatives to high-end beauty products: • Make your leave-in conditioner at home by mixing your regular conditioner with water. Store it in a spray bottle and use it whenever required. • Use Johnson's baby shampoo with the No More Tears formula as an eye makeup remover. It gently takes off even the most stubborn eye makeup. • Scrape remaining lipsticks out of their tubes, place inside a pill box or a small clean container and then place in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time (can take more than one try to melt properly) until they are all nice and formed to the new container. Place in fridge for about four minutes. • Instead of using expensive anti-frizz serums, massage a tablespoon of honey into damp hair after shampooing. Wait for five minutes and then rinse off with warm water. • Take old perfume bottles and add water to them, then shake them up to get a light body spray. • Use conditioner for shaving legs when you're out of shaving cream. • Store lip liner and eyeliner in the refrigerator to keep them from drying out. • Sharpen the edges of old tweezers with sandpaper. • Apply solid deodorant (not gel) to the shaved area; this helps combat ingrown hairs. • Use a little bit of Vaseline and then apply eye shadow, it'll look more vibrant and liquidly instead of powdery. You can also use Vaseline as a cuticle butter by using it on your cuticles daily before going to bed. • If you don't have time to wash your hair, put a little baby power in greasy areas, it absorbs the grease and your hair looks fresh. • Slice a potato up and simply apply the slices on your eyelids for about 15 minutes. This will reduce the darkness in your under-eye skin and remove any puffiness that you might have. • Soak the container of your dried out mascara in hot water or use a hair dryer on it to make it work again. • Add one or two small drops of polish remover to your nail polish bottle. Shake and you will then get a few more coats. • Save some money on clarifying shampoos by mixing two tablespoons of baking soda with one cup of water. Use this mixture after shampooing your hair. • Mix baking soda with water and apply this paste on your acne for about 2-3 minutes. Wash your face well with normal water. This anti-acne mask can be done twice daily. • When you shower, switch between hot and cold showers for about 15 seconds each, as you are just about to finish up. This will dramatically boost your skin's blood circulation and give you a great glow. • Mix a cup of brown sugar with some honey or olive oil. Scrub your body with this mixture instead of buying costly scrubbers or exfoliating creams. • Sprinkle some baking soda on a moist toothbrush and brush as normal to get whitened teeth without investing in exclusive whiteners. • Mix vinegar with equal parts of cold water. Use as a final rinse off to make your hair shiny without the pricey shine serums. • Apply a small amount of vegetable oil to dry hair; comb it through. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then wash and condition as usual instead of using a leave-in conditioner. • Use rose water as a facial toner. It is the most effective and inexpensive toner for your skin.
