I’m going to skip the ‘we’re all beautiful in unique ways’ and get straight to the practicalities of our beauty routines. They can get really expensive really quickly if you’re not watching your spending, usually as a result of a ‘it’s only X amount of dollars’ syndrome. Sure $10 for a new mascara isn’t expensive, but then you add a new lipliner, lipstick, foundation, concealer, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, hair cut/dye, mani/pedicure, shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, facial soap, styling product, styling tools, moisturizer…

1. Get pretty from the inside out. You’ll need less product on the outside if you’re healthy. Drink lots of water for healthy skin (and to avoid nasty dehydration headaches – which is what hangovers are). Get enough sleep and you’ll naturally minimize the bags under your eyes. Get enough exercise so you’re not piling the makeup on your eyes to draw attention away from a double chin. Eat properly so your nails, hair and skin get enough nutrients and you don’t need to buy fancy products to put them back in.
2. Adjust your ideals. The beauty ideal in the US is unrealistic unless you have a full-time styling team to spend 4 hours doing your hair end make-up in the morning and to follow you around all day for touch ups. Oh, and you would have to somehow Photoshop yourself in real life. Get a grip on reality and recognize that it’s our ‘flaws’ that make us look human and unique features can actually add to your face.
3. Know that you’re one hot lady. If you know you look fabulous, you will look fabulous. If you slouch and look like you think you’re an eyesore, you will be one. You can look ‘polished’ without makeup if you have the bearing and confident attitude of someone who spent hours in front of the mirror that morning.
4. Consolidate and Reduce. Do you REALLY need the entire new MAC eyeshadow palette or can you settle for just 3 or 4? Can you use one of the 3-in-1 blush/lipcolor/shadow products? Do you really need 5 kinds of soap in the shower? How many different fragrance lines from Bath and Body Works do you really need? A lot of the time we buy into the consumer frenzy and buy a million and one ‘new’ products that are really just the same thing in different packaging. Pigment is pigment and soap is soap.
5. Only use what you need. Don’t slather everything on. You only need a quarter sized amount of most hair products, and you don’t need half a cup of bodywash to make a satisfying lather.
6. Use every last bit. Dont’ waste the last 1/4 of a product because of poorly designed packaging. Scoop the last of the lipstick out and put it in an old lipgloss pot (this is also a fun way to combine multiple colors into a new one). Swish some water into your shampoo bottle and get that last wash out. Turn that lotion bottle upside down and shake, shake, shake.
7. Let your hair grow. No, I’m not advocating you stop shaving your legs. Longer hair styles need fewer maintenance cuts. A pixie cut needs work every 3-4 weeks, but long layers only need a trim every few months. Shorter styles also generally need more product to style.
8. Work with your hair. If your hair is naturally stick straight, don’t aim for a wavy or curly style for daily wear. Curly-haired ladies, don’t try to straighten your hair everyday. You’ll use less product, waste less time, and won’t require fancy heat styling tools or chemical treatments  in order to get what you want.
9. D.I.Y. There are plenty of salon treatments you can do at home, ranging from dyeing your hair to waxing to a manicure. A quick google search will bring up tons of tutorials and videos on how to do these yourself. (If you are bleaching blonde or going red, get your hair dyed at the salon, you don’t want to mess those up.)
10. Make your own. If it exists, someone has made a homemade (and possibly green) version of it. Try bathnbodyrecipes.com.

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The Tip Diva mentioned Frugal Urbanite in the latest Tipsy Tuesdays, which also mentions some other really great sites like Frugal Fashionista.

Edit: We have also been linked over at Fabulously Broke In the City. Go check out FB’s awesome link love post.

Maybe the Frugal Fashionista can help me with inspiration for my next project. This summer I will be sewing a few sundresses to wear and once I get my patterns and fabric set I’ll update get some updates and recommendations going.

Popularity: unranked [?]

A sewing machine can save you a ton of money! The initial investment can be pretty big (depending on how well you shop) but you can avoid alteration and repair costs for years to come.

I don’t know about you, but I need alterations on almost all of my ‘good’ clothes. At the very least, my pants need to be hemmed, and I used to get it done at the cleaners for $15 a pop. That doesn’t seem to bad at first, but over the months it begins to add up.

Even if you’re a perfect size 6, sewing machines are great for things like fixing that tear in the crotch in your sweatpants and sewing the lining in your pockets so your keys stop falling through.

Sewing machines are also incredibly useful for frugal decorating. You can make amazing placemats, tablecloths, curtains, throw pillows and other decorative touches for a fraction of the cost of buying them in a store. Most projects just require you to be able to sew in a relatively straight line.

If you do decide to take the plunge and buy a machine, keep these tips in mind:

• You need quality. When in doubt pay a little more because a machine that breaks down all the time won’t do you any good.
• You don’t need 57 stitches. As long as you’ve got a straight (running stitch) and zig-zag, you’re golden.
• If you want to buy new, look for Brothers or Janome brand.
• If you are buying used, look for vintage Singer. Try stores that specialize in sewing machine repairs for refurbished machines at a fraction of the new cost.
• Other great places for used machines are: Freecycle, Craigslist, Rummage Sales, Estate Sales.
• For instructions on how to start machine sewing, try looking for classes at your local library, community college, church or community center. Great online tutorials are only a quick Google search away.

And for those of you who already own a sewing machine and know how to use it, were you aware of all the great, free patterns online? Try BurdaStyle or Craftster to start off with.

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Some frugal urbanites bemoan the fact that they can’t continue keeping up with their foodie friends and feel like their budget will keep them from enjoying food. You can still eat delicious, fun, and exciting meals on a limited budget. You just have to know where you can splurge and where you should save.

• Urbanites have the advantage in obtaining exotic ingredients inexpensively. Most cities have tons of ethnic grocers and markets. Take advantage of them!
• Look for notices about farmer’s markets. You can get amazing fresh produce for a pittance and talk to the people growing your food.
• Know what is in season and only buy in season. Not only will this net you the best tasting fruits and veggies, but it will get you the best prices as well.
• Wine doesn’t need to cost $100s of dollars to be divine. Research American wines for budget options that still compete internationally. (Consider visiting a winery if you live in the area, it makes for a fun learning experience.)
• Invest in a good set of spices from a company like Penzeys. They may cost more than the supermarket kind, but you’ll taste the difference and they’ll last for months.
• Instead of buying cookbooks, borrow them from the library or use sites like Epicurious for ideas. And look up the original Frugal Gourmet.

You may not be able to afford white truffles for every meal, but there’s no reason you can’t still have fun with your food. A true foodie cares about the preparation, taste, presentation and story behind their meals, not just how much it cost.

stock image from stockxchng

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I was talking to a friend the other day who was complaining about not being able to save any money. I know what her salary looks like, so I was quite surprised. As she left to go to the nail salon, I realized I knew where a large chunk of her money was going.

Getting a manicure doesn’t seem like that big a splurge at first. At $25 (give or take) it feels like something you can afford. However, two manicures a month, every month, will set you back $600 a year. (If you go every week because you like dark polish, you could be looking at $1200.)

Now lets say you also get a pedicure twice a month. That’s another $600 right there.

Do you like to go to the tanning salon? If you go once a week at about $15 a shot, you could be spending $720 a year.

Do you get anything waxed? Prices range from $15 – $45 around here depending on that body part. For argument’s sake, let’s say you get your eyebrows done every three weeks. $255, not including tips.

All together that’s… $2175 by my calculation. And that’s with good prices. If you’re heading off to a ‘top quality’ salon, that number could be close to $4000. That’s a four with three zeros.

Can we really afford this?

So what’s a hot mama to do? Learn to do many of these things at home when possible. Even though you will have to spend money on the necessary supplies, they will last you for months and the savings will be significance.

Please don’t attempt a Brazilian at home. The hospital bills will eat up all of your savings. On the other hand, things like your nails and eyebrows can easily be done at home. As for tanning? Fake bake or stop frying your skin altogether. You don’t want to look like you’re 50 at 30, do you?

Learning Resources:

• French Manicures
• Manicure
• Pedicures
• Hair Removal: Shaving
• Self Tanning

Popularity: 5% [?]

How many ladies out there are like me and have a bathroom full of half-used hair care products for just about everything? How many of those products have been with you for years?

Buying all these products isn’t good for the wallet, so the first thing we need to do is wait until we’ve only got one or two uses left before we buy something else. Unless you’re actively allergic to that hairspray, it makes no money sense to buy something “better” when you’ve got a nearly bottle of what you’ve got. (And if your first purchase really isn’t working for you, save another lady friend some cash and let her try the old stuff out. Maybe it till work for her.)

Speaking of which, the internet is FULL of product reviews. Before you buy a new product, read a few reviews! Learn from other people’s mistakes and avoid buying that costly mousse that doesn’t work.

My personal favorite site of the moment is Total Beauty, which has some brutally honest reviews. They also have a great article on which cheap hair care products work as well as the expensive stuff. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean that it’s better!

And if you have gone ahead and splurged on a product, remember that you don’t need to use a ton of it at a time. I used to use a whole palmful of conditioner until my stylist explained I only need a quarter sized dollop. I thought she was crazy, but she was right. Now I go through a bottle in two months rather than two weeks.

If you have trouble rationing out the correct amount of product to use (and who doesn’t, since the bottles are designed to dump out a ton) then transfer the goop to a cheap pump dispenser bottle. You can also buy a larger bottle of the stuff (which is usually cheaper) and store it under the sink while the smaller dispenser bottle sits in your shower.

Popularity: 3% [?]