Be a hottie on the cheap

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I know Ivy’s a total hottie. I’d like to know how she manages to have such fab hair and makeup when she claims to be so po’.

Signed,

Ivy fan

Ivy says:

Aww, shucks. This would have been so much better if I hadn’t written the question myself because I wanted to write about saving money on looking good. Oh, well.

At any rate, there are several things that I do that save a lot of money on hair and makeup. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be running a series on beauty on the cheap, but I have a few principles to start with this evening.

1. If you can do it yourself, don’t go to a pro. Chances are you can dye your hair successfully, especially once I’ve written my “How to dye your hair successfully” post. You CAN do your own nails and make them look fab. Same with waxing your eyebrows and legs.

2. Some things you really need to go to a pro for, and going the cheap way is not the best way. For example, your haircut. I get my major haircuts done by a really expensive, really good place, but for maintenence, I go to my regular, much cheaper chick. If you can find someone fab that is reasonably priced, all the better.

3. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and drinking enough water. These two things make a major difference in the way you look.

4. Know what items are worth spending lots of money for, and what items are not worth it. I’m going to write more in depth on this, but makeup items that expire quickly, like mascara, I don’t spend a lot of money on. Dry makeup items like eyeshadow and powder have much longer shelf lives, and it is worth it to spend a few extra bucks on them.

5. Read makeup reviews over at Makeup Alley to find out what other people think before you buy. This is how I have found many of my best buys on beauty items, like the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask.

Of course, the best money saver on hair products is having no hair.

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