Fashion/Beauty on a BUDGET

[Marie]

(I kind of think this would make a good sticky)

A lot of girls bank, true...but some might want to save a few bucks, or maybe need to (for those of us who are students, moms, etc).  Besides, frugal and green are the new "it things."  Even Vivien Westwood is doing it!  (Marie Claire UK, June...check it out).

Anyway share your tips to save money on girlie stuff like fashion and beauty.  Household tips work too!

My tip #1: Always dry off your razor after you shower.  Keeps it sharper longer! 

[Kaylee]

If this thread takes off, I'll sticky it.

Cheap conditioner works just as good as shaving cream, and is cheaper in the long run (just make sure your drain can handle it!).

[Marie]

That's a really good one! 

I like hair minimizing lotions too, because then you don't have to shave quite as much and it also helps extend the life of your razor blade.

[Bobbia]

I use baking soda for deodorant, I use apple cider vinegar and baking soda in place of shampoo and conditioner, I don't use any soap on my face.    Baking soda and ACV are cheap and one bottle/box lasts for weeks and weeks.   I use coconut oil for a lot; makeup remover, lotion, moisturizer....

[Marie]

I use olive oil a lot in the winter.  I use it as a hair mask (takes a couple of washes to get out but it works great) and on really dry parts of my skin (it works well too if you apply it, leave it for an hour or so, then scrub it off).  To keep it from smelling like salad I mix in a few drops of essential oils.

[Hannah]

If this thread takes off, I'll sticky it.

Cheap conditioner works just as good as shaving cream, and is cheaper in the long run (just make sure your drain can handle it!).

oh man, i've been using kid's tear free combo shampoo/conditioner for shaving my legs and it works SO well. mostly because it doesn't contain any harsh chemicals and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. which just about anything does lol so if you have sensitive skin, try this stuff!!

[Marie]

If you love magazines and have a tablet, iPhone or don't mind reading on a computer, and you're not really needing the physical thing, Zinio offers digital subscriptions to a lot of magazines for SUPER cheap.  10 issues of Nylon is $10 and Elle only cost me 4 Euro (so probably like $5 for an entire year.  It's great for me because I LOVE my glossies and I often shell out money to buy the American/UK editions (German magazines are pretty cheap so I buy those too), but I never keep them and I just end up tossing them when I'm done. 

It's legal too, btw...I got the link through Nylon's own website when I clicked on "digital subscription."

[Kaylee]

I really like my clothes to smell good; if you ever get subscription magazines and they have those perfume tester strips, sticking them in your drawers helps the smell transfer to the clothing!

[Kaylee]

Also, this one most girls here know and I actually learned on these forums - using Vagisil anti-itch cream works as a toner for your face. There is no scent or anything, and it has the same ingredients as a toner you'd see at a higher price.

[Marie]

I really like my clothes to smell good; if you ever get subscription magazines and they have those perfume tester strips, sticking them in your drawers helps the smell transfer to the clothing!

Ooo nifty! 

[Countess]

I put vinegar in with my dark clothes when I wash them - it keeps the colour from fading. Bicarb will work as a fabric softener too. Don't use fabric softeners, those things are poison and will actually make your towels more scratchy the more you use them.
I hang my clothes out on the line to dry them - I've never needed a dryer.
A lot of the time with clothes that have been worn for one day, all they really need is airing out or a rinse-off than a full on wash.
Baby powder works just as well as a dry-hair shampoo as actual dry hair shampoo
I put olive oil in my bath when I have really dry skin, you need almost none but its AMAZING. Also, it works well as a makeup remover (as does mineral oil, aka: baby oil).
If you have an overcoat that you'd like to use as a raincoat, there is a spray you can get that will make it waterproof! But it has to be certain fabrics.
It is cheaper to use condoms than birth control pills unless you and your partner have sex over 2.4 times a day.

[Marie]

I use an eco fabric softener...I wonder if that's what's in it?

I never use a dryer either!  Most people don't have them here due to space issues.  In the winter sometimes I wish I had one just for sheets, but having one JUST for that doesn't make any sense.  The rest of the year everything dries super fast, and if I really feel like I need something dry in an hour, I have one of those heated towel racks and I just put it on there (good for those times in winter where I wish I had a dryer!)

If you leave whites drying in the sun, the sun is actually a natural bleacher!  Just make sure that if you leave coloured things drying outside, that you leave them in the shade, otherwise their colours will eventually fade.

[Marie]

Some good tips here:
http://www.savvysugar.com/Experts-Tips-Transforming-Cheap-Threads-17092204

(also check out the links at the bottom)

[Marie]

I also don't toss my clothes very often.  The way fashion is these days, even though there are still clear trends it's more "anything goes" with hemlines and if something looks good, it's still workable with the right accessories.  And even if something was a major trend and is hard to wear after it passes, it usually comes back within a couple of years (Maxi dresses are big this summer, but they were also huge in 08!)  To save wardrobe space, I box that stuff up and keep it in my storage closet.

[Countess]

I just wear my out of fashion clothes bumming around the house. But I tend to just buy basics anyway. I dunno, I suck at shopping for clothes!!
In summer, I don't wear anything which saves clothes and washing!