Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

Yes, I am totally showing my age, quoting a  Pantene commercial from the 80's. I was trying to think of a cute title for this entry, which is a smattering of beauty tips, as suggested by Chelo, a style icon in my office. So, in no particular order:

• Save your money on eye-makeup remover. Having used hotel bottles of hand cream for years as my makeup remover, I'm now "splurging" on Avon eye-makeup remover, which is currently on sale for $0.99/bottle from Peggy, my friendly neighbourhood Avon lady. Of course full price is around $3.00 so still not expensive. Steer clear of the $25 department store removers. Far too expensive. Either that, or if that's all that works for you, consider the cleaning products aisle in the grocery store instead. Just kidding. Don't do that but you get the point.
• More of a hair-saver than a money-saver - don't wash your hair every day unless it absolutely needs it. As a blonde who is processed within an inch of her life, if I were to shampoo frequently, I would be sporting a frizzy mop rather than my fairly healthy tresses. I'm not suggesting you walk around with dirty hair, but really consider whether the wash can wait another day. You can also cheat a bit with baby powder stroked through your roots to soak up excess oil, but make sure you don't leave streaks of white powder on your face or people will wonder about you.
• Never use soap on your face. Use a proper cleanser, or you will wind up spending way more than you need on anti-aging products and maybe cosmetic procedures down the road after you've dried out your face with soap.
• Shave your legs with baby oil rather than spending money on shaving lotions or shaving foam. And while you're at it, a good razor will do. There is no need for one of those quadruple blades with moisturizer heads in girly colours and goddess commercials on t.v.
• Buy your cotton balls at the dollar store.
• Spend your money on moisturizers, creams, etc. You can save using drugstore brands but don't feel too guilty splurging on moisturizing and protecting your skin.
• Wear sunscreen. Always. All year. I like to use a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen in it. Pretty much every cosmetic brand has this in their line, and you get a smooth look while protecting your face from sun damage. I like the Neutrogena ones, and the Sonia Kashuk ones.
• Alternate between nail shop manis/pedis, and DIY ones at home. While we all enjoy the relaxation and benefit from a good foot scraping, odds are you are quite capable to do it yourself and your nail polish collection may be nicer than at the nail shop.
• Don't wear cheap perfume. Ever.
• Eat properly, exercise, and get proper rest. You are only as beautiful on the outside as what you feed yourself on the inside. And be nice - mean people are ugly on the inside and on the outside.

So there's the quick and dirty list. And I'll leave you with another beauty quote from the past. In the early 90's, supermodel Linda Evangelista was quoted as saying, "I don't get out of bed for less than 10 thousand dollars." Now that's champagne taste!