Budget Beauty- When to Save, when to Splurge

In these lean and mean times, a girl still has gotta look good. It's a good think that a few awesome products and pretty tricks separate the hotties from the...uh...homely. Don't feel like your pay cut means a trip back to the dollar store.

Splurge

The general rule of thumb when it comes to purchases is that you want to invest the most in what is going to be with you the longest. A classic pair of black pumps will run you more than seasonal flip flops. Same thing with beauty. You need to be investing in what's going to be with you the longest, and that's your skin. Cut back whatever it takes for you to afford good skin care. Keep to the trifecta: Cleanse, Exfoliate, Moisturize. Nope, don't bother with toner. I haven't found any toner that was really needed. But the other three are must haves. Not saying you have to run out and drop a few hundred on Chanel. There are amazing lines available that work even better than department store brands, you just need to do a little research. When you do find the best for your skin, buy it and do without your weekly lip gloss purchase if that's what it takes.

Save

Get rid of the fake tan. You shouldn't be spraying your body with synthetic dye's anyways, and the good-for-you stuff ain't cheap. You can be fair for a while. You'll live.

Splurge

Continue to get the eyebrows done. Now that we have all those awesome little threading joints popping up, you can spring the 15 bucks to get cleaned up every few weeks. It's just good housekeeping, and totally worth the money.

Save

No more highlights. It's summer, so you can let them grow out sufer-girl style. If you've been darkening your hair all over either from gray's or just preference, find out how you can stretch out the space between appointments. If you've been with your stylist for a while, you can probably level with her.

Splurge

Don't cheap out on the foundation. If your a girl who wears foundation every day, your going to look silly if the cheap foundation you got doesn't quite match your skin tone. If you can't afford the right color and formula for your skin type, just skip it. But, if you need to have it, continue to get the correct color with the best forumla.

Save

Resist the urge to pick up a new gloss at the register. Those sneaky little devils in their pretty display right at check out, those pretty color's glistening under the store light... no. You must remain strong. That $4 purchase 3 times a month will pay for those brows to get fixed, and trust me when I say no one is going to be looking at your lips if your eyebrows look like Robin Hood and his Merry Men are going to come running out any second.

It's not going to be easy. Being on a budget never is. But, with a little self discipline and a firm grasp of what's important, you'll literally save face till we pull out of this. Then, if you go back to your wicked ways... well, that's OK.

Amelia's Top Tips for Lookin' Good

Consider this entry your guide to Amelia's Commandments. There's no perfect solution or magic combination of things that can be applied to every woman. If you have ever done a friends makeup just like your own and had horrible results, you know this to be true. I get asked alot what my number one beauty tip is, so here's what I'm saying:

Groom them eyebrows!

Nothing will pull your face together faster than well groomed, properly filled in eyebrows. Think about it like a kitchen- if it's cluttered and messy, it doesn't matter how good that dish tastes because the space itself is too distracting. Clean those suckers up and make sure you tidy them with brow fill-in if they are sparse.

Wear sunscreen. Every day. Period.

Especially around your eyes. I wear an SPF 50 every single day. It's true that everyone needs about 10 minutes a day of pure sunshine, it's good for our moods and bodies. But you can get that when your watering your garden. Sun damage is going to age you fast, protect your skin and slow up those wrinkles.

Heat up your lash curler.

Hold your blow dryer about 6 inches from your metal lash curler and blast it for about 15 seconds. Make sure you test the heat of the curler with your hand before using it on your eyes. Your lashes never had it so good. Top off with a paraben free mascara.

Exfoliate, hydrate, repeat.

Dry skin can cause makeup to drag. What happens is those dry patches will grab onto and suck up anything applied, so you end up with these spots of deeper, darker color (foundation, eyeshadow, blush) and try as you might your not going to blend that out. Once a week, exfoliate your skin to get rid of what you can, then follow up with a hearty dose of your daily moisturizer. And don't even think about using some chemical laden, fragrance filled, dye soaked soap on your face.

Look Amazing in Holiday Photos

We have all had that experience. We spend a little extra time on our makeup and hair, go out of our way to make sure we look exceptionally good, only to see photo's later that just don't do our efforts justice. We look shiny, pale, or flat out un-made up. Even I, as a professional makeup artist, have fallen victim to this casual catastrophe from time to time. Our perception of our faces in the mirror is never reflected the same way in the camera, and while you may not be hiring a professional you can still look fabulous. This year, you are going to look amazing in those family-gathering photos, and here is how you are going to do it.

1. Bring your foundation ALL THE WAY down your neck. Many women are choosing to wear mineral foundations, or foundations with sunscreen, which are highly reflective. It's these reflective properties that cause your face to be so much paler than your body in flash-photography. By bringing it further down your neck, you're at least assuring that your face doesn't stand out so harshly in comparison to the rest of your natural, un-made up body.
   
2. Use a warm blush and don't get stingy with it. This isn't really a time for shimmer or overly bright colors, so use a warmer tone more on the neutral rose side as opposed to the coral tinged ones. You also want a matte blush, as the flush from all that holiday cheer-in-a-bottle can make slightly shimmery blushes go from subtle to sweaty. Also, our fair faces need a pick-me-up during the cold months were our precious sun is limited. It's safe to say most women do not apply enough blush in general, so if you're in doubt add a touch more. Don't worry, even if you give it a few more strokes you still won't be able to compete with Grandma.
   
3. Deepen your shadow, even if it's only one color. I prefer to spend my morning routine on my body care versus a complex make-up routine, and usually stick with one great eye-shadow. During the winter, I darken up my eyes a bit by either moving to a darker shadow or applying it a bit more intensely. Smokey blacks and purples look particularly alluring in dimly lit dinner parties. (Note: Not vibrant, spring purple. Go for the more muted shades that are just a hint of color.)