The Cheap Diva

Go With the Flow

There is nothing like a long hot shower to wash the stress away.  Unfortunately it's not only your stress being washed down the drain, your cash is also disappearing with every gallon of water you use. 

To save water while still coming clean, try replacing your regular shower head with a specially design water and energy saving low flow or adjustable shower head.  This Delta Fluidics Adjustable Showerhead for $25.00 has two settings.  One setting uses the standard 2.5 gallons per minute while the other setting uses 1.85 gallons per minute.  If one person took four 15 minute showers a week at the 1.85 gallons setting, that alone would save 39 gallons of water a week, or over 150 gallons of water a month!  No matter what kind of shower head you have you should never spend more than 15 minutes taking a shower.  All that water beating down on you for an extended period of time strips skin of its' natural oils.

If you are going to wash your face and take a shower, get in the shower and splash some water on your face to apply facial cleanser while the water is still warming up.  Gently massage the facial cleanser into your skin.  In the short time it takes to apply cleanser the shower should have warmed up.  Now that the water is warm you can rinse off your facial cleanser then proceed to take your shower.

There are other ways your beauty routine  can cut your water bill.  Do not have water running while you are brushing your teeth.  When you are ready to rinse out your mouth then turn on the water.  When you are ready to open your water bill at the end of the month, turn on a smile! 

Haircolor Helper

At some point even the best hair dye job is going to fade.  Frequent washings and sun exposure can take your hair from rich brunette to just plain blah pretty fast.  That's why I love colored hair glazes.  A colored hair glaze deposits a sheer layer of color on top of your own color.  The effect is subtle, certainly not a substitute for a dye job, but the color does gradually build and become a bit more obvious with repeated use.  A color glaze can slightly darken brunettes, add some richness to reds and keep blond tresses shiny.  If you are dying your hair a lighter color than your natural hair color keep in mind that color glazes can not lighten hair or make dark roots less noticeable.  My glaze of choice is Ulta Color Restoring Glaze for $9.99 (for a better price check out their coupons and specials).  The glaze left my hair softer and conditioned without weighing it down.  I use the Ultimate Brunette shade to tone down some of the redness in my hair.  It's one thing to be a natural redhead, but I believe my dull mousy red tint comes from mineral deposits in my shower water, not my genes.  My strategy is to start using color glazes shortly after dying my hair and stop using them a few days before I dye my hair. This way I can shampoo away the buildup of glaze product so it does not interfere with how my permanent or semipermanent hair color dye absorbs.

The Kindest Cut

The only thing worse than getting a bad haircut is paying top dollar for that horrifying hair style.  I do occassionally get less than stellar haircut, but at less than $10.00 for a cut, wash and  blow dry I can at least take comfort in the fact that at least I didn't break the bank to look bad.  I always get my hair done at the local beauty school.  Beauty schools are great for a lot of reasons besides their low price.  You hair is usually done by students who are so afraid of cutting too much off they trim off a little at a time until you are satisfied instead of carelessly wacking off more than you wanted.  Because students are learning they tend to ask a lot of questions and really pay attention to what they are doing.  Haircuts are checked by a trained professional who polishes up anything the student might have overlooked.  Schools usually don't allow tipping the students.  In the end you pay for a haircut what you would have paid in tips at a fancy salon.  You probably have to pay cash for your cut, but you won't have to pay much. 

Save a Few Bucks with the Right Beauty Brushes

The right cosmetic brush is not only a great tool for making you look fabulous, it's a great tool for saving money too!  Take lip brushes for example.  Using a lip brush allows for a more precise application of lipstick than just swiping the lipstick tube across your lips.  It also allows you access to the lipstick at the bottom of the tube that would be difficult to get at with your fingers.  With a lip brush not a drop of of you favorite colored lipstick goes to waste.

Sephora Brand Professional Platinum Square Retractable Lip Brush #60 for $12.00

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A foundation brush used for applying liquid or cream foundation is more precise than using your fingers and ultimately cheaper than using sponges.  Disposable cosmetic sponges absorb foundation resulting in product running out faster.  Since sponges are rarely washed and reused like a cosmetic brush they have to be replaced regularly.  A quality foundation brush has synthetic bristles do not absorb product and it does not have to be replaced regularly.

Kashuk Tools Foundation Brush $14.99

Save Money with aBeauty Mitt

Various beauty articles have emphasized the importance of gently exfoliate the skin at least twice a week.  Shedding dead skin cell make the application of self tanner, sun screen or moisturizer more effective.   While I get the logic behind exfoliating, I don't like watching my money literally go down the drain with traditional wash off lotion based exfoliants.  Microfiber face and body mitts, like the one by Aquis pictured here,  use a terrycloth like texture to exfoliate with no other product needed.  The cloths can be washed repeatedly so they don't have to be replaced regularly like an empty bottles of lotion.  So now I can save money while prepping my skin for self tanning products that I hope will make me resemble a bronzed goddess, not a pumpkin.

Facing the Sun

While there are sunscreens for the face that can fake a tan and make up products that contain SPF's of 15 or more, sometimes all I want from a sunscreen is that it protects me from the sun!   Coppertone Oil Free Sunsceen Lotion for faces offers UVA and UVB protection with a SPF of 30.  It's not greasy, it won't clog pores and it can be found at mass ratailers.  When I go outside I can face the sun without feeling like I have anything at all on my face, except a smug smile that comes from knowing I won't look like a shriveled old prune before my time.

Naturally Clean Hair

Regular shampoos have all sorts of chemicals, including sulfates that may ultimately do more damage than good for your hair and the planet.   I recently purchased Bio Infusion Organics Brilliant Shine Shampoo at Wallgreens as part of an effort to have cleaner hair and a cleaner planet. 

The organic shampoo is infused with celendula and lemongrass and has a subtle citrus/herbal scent to it.  In spite of the name, my hair did not have a blindingly brilliant shine to it after using the product.  This is a good thing.  If my hair had been shiny that would have meant the shampoo was depositing a layer of  conditioner or some other product that I don't want deposited on my hair every time I wash it.  I  would rather condition my hair once in a while as it needs it than have a continual build up of product every time I wash my hair.  The shampoo simply did what shampoo is supposed to do,  clean hair without stripping it of its natural oils and without leaving anything behind except healthy hair.

Lipsticks that Last

While I love to pamper my pout with lip sticks and glosses that plump, shimmer, shine and do just about everything else a lip gloss can do,  sometimes all I want from my lip color is that is lasts.  L'Oreal has a line of products called HIP that last like crazy.  While nothing lasts forever, the liquid lipcolor lasts a lot longer than an ordinary lip gloss and it's not as shiny as a regular lip gloss either.  So you get the texture of a gloss with the longer lasting effects of a lip stick.  The price for the HIP gloss is about $12.00 at mass retailers so wait for a sale on this one.

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Covergirl Tru Shine lip stick actually does stick around for a while.  The formula doesn't feel dry like other lip sticks so that's another plus.  On the minus side, the color selection is limited and the colors that are available include shades very few women look good in.  Tru Shine can be found at mass retailers for about $7.00.

Message in a Bottle

Kimora Lee Simmons has just come out with a perfume called Fabulosity that comes in a bottle shaped like a giant solitaire diamond!  While other perfume bottles bore me with their predictable ball or box shaped silhouettes, this one practically screams glamour!   For better deals on perfume, shop Scentiment.com or wait until the holidays when gift sets are being promoted.  If you love the bottle more that the perfume inside,  you can buy empty perfume bottles on eBay for a fraction of the cost of a filled one.

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Jean Paul Gaultier Classique eau de toilette comes in the original style shown her along with hand painted limited edition more expensive versions.  For those crafty gals out there, you can create your own one of a kind bottle for a lot less with glass paint, or glue on beads, lace or fabric .

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A bottle of Rapture Purse Spray for $19.50 is far to pretty to be hidden away in a purse.  The small rounded bottle fits in the palm of the hand like a smooth stone so it is as much a pleasure to hold as it is to look at.  The warm rich scent is wonderful also.

   

Shed Some Light on Your Beauty Routine

The only nice thing I can say about the harsh overhead lighting in my bathroom is that I can always tell if my wrinkle cream is working because the lighting highlights even the smallest creases.  If I had a choice I would apply makeup in natural light which is bright enough to apply makeup but not bright enough to exaggerate every flaw.  My second choice would be a mirror that is lighted on the sides for balanced even lighting without the shadows.   

The clever folks at Conair designed the Conair BE18LC Chrome Double Sided 5x Lighted Makeup Mirror for $57.99 with adjustable light settings to simulate day, evening, home or office lighting.  This is a great idea because makeup that looks understated for day can simply look washed out at night.  A word to the wise,  if you have a chance to look at yourself in a magnified mirror don't!  Your pores will look like pot holes and the rest of your face won't fare much better.

For the glamour gal on the go there is the Lentek Travel Vanity with Light for $29.99.  This portable vanity has lights on both sides of the mirror, a removable makeup case, places to store your makeup while traveling and it all folds together for easier packing.  Thus proving it is possible to be beautiful and practical at the same time.

Beauty Kits Take the Guesswork Out of Skincare

My highly unscientific approach to skin care up until now has been to buy whatever budget friendly beauty product happened to look appealing at the time.  I decided to change my haphazard approach and buy the Patricia Wexler M.D. Anti-Aging Starter Kit for $49.50 sold in store at Bath and Body Works only.  I happen to have a $10.00 store coupon with me and it came with a small bonus jar of regenerating serum which sweetened the deal for me.  I haven't tried it yet, so I can't rave about my results.  What I am going to talk about are the benefits of buying skin care sampler sets.

Products in the same skin care line take into account and complement what other products in the line are designed to do.  For example, if you buy an exfoliating cleanser from one brand and a moisturizer designed renew the skin by removing dead skin cells from another brand, this might be too much exfoliation.      

Another benefit of buying a starter set is that is usually contains a 30 day supply of beauty products.  This is enough time for the products to show results.  Some of the products I will probably end up liking more than others and I would rather buy a 30 day supply of something I might not like than a bottle with six months worth of product in it.  After the 30 days I will have a much better idea of the products I am interested in buying in their full size versions.

So the next time you are checking out at a new beauty lotion, see if that skin care line has some sort of starter set.  The price for a set multiple smaller bottles of different products can be about the same as one full size bottle of lotion.  You might buy the set for the moisturizer and find out the cleanser is the real stand out product.  That's the beauty starter sets.

Aromatherapy Body Washes for Stimulation or Relaxation

Aromafloria has a line of aromatherapy body washes designed to either stimulate or reduce stress or just make you feel pampered head to toe.  The line of body washes list real essential oils as some of their main ingredients, so they don't have that wierd artificial smell some other body washes do.    

The Muscle Soak Body Wash for $8.50 (see online coupons and deals at Ulta.com to get a better price) contains eucalyptus to relieve the aches and pains that comes from intense shopping,  peppermint soothes muscle fatigue and lemongrass combats exhaustion.  This would be the bath wash to use as a morning eye opener or after an exercise workout.

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To wash away stress try the Stress Less Body Wash for $8.50 with soothing lavender, chamomile and sage.  According to the packaging, lavender soothes and relaxes, chamomile calms and rejuvenates and the sage relieves mental fatigue.  So the next time you are feeling overwhelmed, head to the shower, lather up some aromatherapy body wash and take a few moments to breath in the benefits of aromatherapy.

Earth-Friendly Beauty Tools

This earth friendly beauty collection by Ecotools is designed to have a small impact on the environment but a big impact on the way you think about beauty tools.  The entire set of brushes is made with easily sustainable bamboo handles.  The metal part of the brushes is made from recycled aluminum, the bristles on the brush are animal friendly animal hair and the packaging, printed with plant based ink includes tips on helping the environment. 

Sure it feels good to help the environment, but the real question for real beauty junkies is how do they feel to work with?   The super soft bristles apply powder and foundation evenly and feel like cashmere caressing the skin so I get to feel a little pampered while I'm primping.   

Another thing to feel great about are the prices.  Because you are reading a blog called The Cheap Diva I assume you are concerned about the impact of these beauty tools on  your wallet as well as the environment.  Good news, the brushes range in price from $2.99 for the Lash and Brow Groomer to $7.99 for the Powder Brush, allowing you to save some cash as well as saving the environment.

Ecotools also has other reasonably priced beauty tools available, like a bath shower mitt and loofah sponges.    Ecotools can be found at select Walgreens, Kmart and Ulta stores or go to parispresents.com for a store located near you.  Saving the earth is a beautiful thing.

Sonia Kashuk Trio is a Beauty of a Bargain

Sonia Kashuk's coordinated three piece colllection simplifies the makeup process by including a face powder, blush and concealer in one neat little stack of containers that screw together.  After applying the concealer I noticed there were yellowish undertones in the concealer to counteract the bluish tones of undereye circles.  The overall effect looked natural, not like I had light patches under my eyes.  The face powder and blush are made out of a finely ground power that goes on sheer.  When I bought the light porcelain palette I had concerns that the pink blush would make me look rosy cheeked in a sunburned or had one too many beers kind of way, but the powder is so sheer, I didn't feel overly made up after applying it.  The Sonia Kashuk  sells for $14.99 and is sold exclusively at Target stores.

Lippin Large Lip Plumper

There are only two things I ask of a lip gloss, that it gives me some serious shine, and that it lasts for more than five minutes.  Lippin' Large by N.Y.C. does both of these things and it's less than $5.00!     The gloss goes on sheer enough to let some of your natural lip color show through.  As for it's plumping abilities, the cinnamon and ginger ingredients created a pleasant tingling sensation on my lips for a little while, and there might have been a slight increase in volume, but I would recommend this more as a gloss than a lip plumper.  Look for it as mass retailers like Ulta. 

Banish Bad Hair Days with the Click of a Mouse

Anyone who has been on the receiving end of a bad haircut knows that there is little comfort in the fact that in 6 months your hair will have grown out and look considerably less horrid.  For any woman who want to find out that a pixie cut is sooo wrong for her before subjecting her hair to a stylist scissors, Makeover-matic from ivillage.com lets you try hundreds of different styles for free.  You can choose a virtual model to do the dirty work of modeling some of the most regretable styles around just for laughs, or you can scan your own picture into the program for more serious research on what lengths and colors are the most flattering for you.

I'm sure StyleBell Blog isn't the only hair related blog around, it's just that after reading this well rounded well written blog, I didn't feel the need to check out any other hair blogs.  The authors are passionate and knowledgable about their subject, covering everything from celebrity styles, helpful tips, tools and products to video demonstrations of techniques.  If you somehow manage to have a hair related question that is not addressed among the staggering array of subjects covered, they accept questions from readers.

One thing I like about the hair styling instructional videos at totalbeauty.com is that they don't sound like infomercials.  The stylist explains briefly what type of product to use but no brand names are mentioned.  In some of the videos the hair stylist demonstrates a technique, like flat ironing a section of hair, then the model repeats what the stylist has done, thus proving that the style can be achieved without a personal stylist standing by to fluff and spritz you with hair spray.

Alluring Coupons

Someone once said something to the effect that a woman's best cosmetic is happiness.  For some of us happiness can come in the form of getting great deals on cosmetics.  In the March issue of Allure beauty magazine there are three great coupons.  There is a $10.00 off coupon for an Patricia Wexler M.D. Dermatology purchase at Bath & Body Works.  Some of the products run upwards of $40.00 so getting $10.00 off is about the only was this bargain hunter is going to try out her line.  Another coupon worth clipping is the $5.00 off any $10.00 purchase coupon good at Ulta beauty stores or Ulta.com.  The $1.00 off any Rimmel cosmetic purchase in the magazine may not sound like that great of a deal until you take into consideration that a lot of Rimmel products retail for around five to seven dollars.  For budget beauty junkies like me, reading the fine print on a beauty coupon is just as much fun as reading beauty related articles.      

Dramatize Your Eyes with H.I.P Eyeliner

When I want to add a little drama to my eye makeup without looking like a drag queen I apply a thin line of brilliant colored eye liner. Right now I am loving L'Oreal's Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Eggplant.  The long lasting cream formula comes with the small brush that allows you paint on in a fine line along the lids or you can smudge the cream a little with your finger for a softer effect.  The long lasting cream formula also comes in popular neutrals such as black, brown and navy.  Look for it at mass retailers for about $12.00.  I read some reviews for this product on a beauty web site and the one complaint that kept coming up was that it was too long lasting and hard to take off.  My solution to this is to apply eye makeup remover and let set for a few minutes while you wash your face then try removing your eye makeup.

Bacteria isn't Beautiful

Friendship is about sharing. You share so much with your friends, it seems only natural to want share beauty products with them.  Don't do it!  When your skin comes in contact with beauty products that interaction introduces bacteria into the beauty product that can be transferred t0 the next person t0 come in contact with the product.  It's possible to give someone an eye infection from borrowed eye product or transfer germs from a borrowed lipstick.  As much as I hate waste, I would rather throw out a beauty product that is fine except that it is the wrong color or isn't quite right for me.  If a friend expresses an interest in a certain beauty product I use I will tell here what it is and where to get it.  If it's a fun pr0duct like a lip gloss or shimmery body cream I make a mental note to include a new package  of it in her next birthday or Christmas gift.  The only products I would consider sharing would be something that uses a pump spray to deliver the product and never comes in contact with my skin.  Even then I would be sure the product was one that hadn't been sitting around so long it might be expired.  Sometimes being a good friend means not sharing.       

Wake Me up Before You Go, Go!

A bracing cup of caffeine fueled coffee in the morning may be more a effective eye opener than your alarm, but coffee isn't the only way to wake up in the morning. 

Try some simple stretching exercises to get the blood flowing and the brain focused.  This is also a healthy way to release some stress before facing a day that might make you wish you would have stayed in bed.

Burt's Bees Citrus & Ginger Root Body Wash $7.59

Choose a body wash with a stimulating scent for your morning shower.  Look for citrus scents or the word energizing on the label and inhale deeply from the bottle before applying it.  Adjust your shower temperature to a slightly cooler temperature for the last few minutes of your shower.

Play some pop music so upbeat it could be prescribed as an antidepressant.  I recommend "Wake Me up Before You Go, Go!" by Wham.  It's perky to the point of annoying and there is the serious risk that the song may be stuck in your head all day, but hey at least you're up. 

A Common Scents Guide to Shopping for Perfume

The traditional way to sample new fragrances is to spritz different perfumes from department store testers on the wrist until you find one that delights your nose or you get a headache. A more strategic approach would save you a few headaches.  If you are heading to the mall don't wear perfume or strongly scented body lotion that would make it hard to distinguish new scents from the one you are wearing. 

Versace Crystal Noir $36.99

Instead of decending on shoppers and spraying they with the latest scent, perfume salespeople are now decending on shoppers and handing them pieces of paper with the scent spritzed on it.  While a perfume will smell different on paper paper than it will on skin, this is still a good way to get a general feel for the overall scent of the perfume, floral, musky,fruity, etc.  It's best to limit yourself to a few scents when spraying them on yourself  and perfume scented paper saves you from having to apply several scents.

After you have spritzed perfume on your wrists, wait at least 20 minutes before deciding if you like the perfume.  It takes time for the perfume to react to your bodies chemistry.  Do not rub your wrists together, this breaks down the perfume.  After a scent that makes you swoon with pleasure, make a note of the name so you can buy it online at a cheaper prices than the department store price.  My personal pick for price and selection is scentiments.com.

What are commonly called perfumes in the department stores are usually alchohol based scents more accurately known as cologne.  Real perfume is oil based and usually very expensive.  To enjoy the rich more complex scent of perfume in sample form,  Luckyscent.com sells small glass vials of perfume for under $5.00.  The samples are perfect for a special occasion when you want the more complex longer lasting oil based perfume but you don't want to invest in a whole bottle.

Colorful Cosmetic Bags

In the dark abyss that is the interior of my conservative black handbag there is one bright spot.  It's my cosmetics bag.  My brightly colored cosmetics bag reminds me that makeup is supposed to be fun.  Unlike a handbag, a cosmetic bag usually remains hidden thus freeing the beauty junkie in all of us to indulge in something a little wilder or flashier than our more public accessories.   

Fushia Lotus Cosmetic Carla $24.99

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Beauty Cosmetic Bag $15.95

The caption reads - Beauty, It's not just a job, it's an adventure.

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Cris Notti Blue Parade Cosmetic Dome $25.00

Cheap Eye Makeup Removers You Already Have

I like using petroleum jelly as an eye makeup remover because it's cheap and can be used for everything from lip gloss to shining shoes.  The ability to be shine shoes is probably not the criteria most women use when picking out an eye makeup remover, but versatility is something to consider when deciding on what to use.  Why buy a product that only does one thing when you can buy a product that eliminates the need for other products by doing multiple things?  Extra virgin olive oil or baby oil can be used in a pinch to remove eye makeup and some gentle face cleansers are safe to use for removing eye makeup.  Read the instructions on the bottle to see if it can safely remove eye makeup.    Fewer beauty products in your medicine cabinet means more money in your wallet.      

Salon Treatments Change with the Seasons

Changes in the season should not only bring about changes in your daily skincare routine, but also changes in the kinds of treatments you receive at salons.  Winter facial treatments rejuvenate the skin and repair damage done by outdoor exposure during the summer and spring.  Hydrating and moisturizing facials counteract the drying effects of cold winter air.  A facial using chemical exfoliation, where acids solutions of varying strengths are applied to the face, increase cell turnover and improve skin texture can brighten up dull winter skin. 

Summer facial treatments should be geared towards feeding and protecting skin from the sun.  Do not have facials that involve chemical exfoliation or dermabrasion done.  Facials that involve chemical exfoliation or dermabrasion  peel away the outer layers of the skin leaving the skin more vulnerable to the aging effects of sun exposure.  Some salons offer services that allow you to get a fake summer tan without the aging effects of a tanning bed.  Usually this tanning treatment involves a gentle body exfoliation followed by an application of tanning lotion that adds a subtle summer glow to the body.

In the spring and fall skincare treatments revolve around maintenance of healthy skin based more on your personal needs than the season.  If regular trips to the salon aren't in your budget, check out your local beauty schools for beauty treatments to fit any budget.

Beauty Sleep as a Cheap Beauty Treatment

Beauty sleep is one of those rare beautifying treatments that appeals to both my sense of thrift and my inherent laziness.  It's certainly more appealing than spending money on fancy eye creams that promise to eliminate morning puffiness, undereye circles and some of my spare cash.   The Sweetest Softest Cuddle Pillow on Earth set for $29.75 from Bath and Body Works is a three piece set with each piece designed to encourage beauty sleep.  Being blissfully unaware of the fact that I have to get up soon makes it easier for me to sleep, so I  like to idea of an eye mask that blocks out sunlight and the sight of the alarm clock.  The pillow keeps the head elevated so there is less retention of fluids on the face around the eye area, meaning eyes that look less bloated and puffy in the morning.  A bottle of lavender mist to spray on the pillow is included.  Lavender is a popular aromatherapy choice for encouraging relaxation and makes getting to sleep easier.  So the next time a salesperson tries to sell you one of their depuffing miracle eye creams just say "I'll have to sleep on that".          

Delicious Beauty Buys

Popular beauty products for the holiday season usually include such sweet scents as candy canes, sugar cookies and peppermints.  The idea is that you can indulge all you want without worrying about calories.   Some indulgences are even sweeter when thay are shared, so here are some of my favorite scrumptious smelling beauty gift ideas.

.The Gingerbread Man Gift Set for $35.00 by Philosophy includes one bottle of multitasking gel that works as a shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath, a bottle of shimmer body lotion, lip shine and the hatbox pictured.

The Candy Cane Gift Set for $35.00 by Philosophy includes one bottle of multitasking gel that works as a shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath, a jar of exfoliating shower scrub, lip shine and the hatbox pictured.  The peppermint scent is a nice pick me up after a long day of holiday shopping.

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These stocking stuffers are as cute as they are cheap.  The Holiday Lip Balms from Avon are 69 cents each. They come in different flavors such as  candy cane and sugar cookie so you can always have something sweet on your lips. 

Tis the Season to Shine

The holidays provide the perfect excuse for divas to indulge in all things shimmery.  But the wrong types of shimmer can leave you with a case of glitter face.  Glitter face happens when bits of glitter from shimmery lip gloss travel to areas on the face around the lips, making it look like your idea of getting into the holiday spirit means impersonating an ornament.  A more subtle approach to shimmer on the face allows your sparkling personality to outshine your makeup.

Sporting a giant rock on you fingers isn't the only way to add diamonds to your digits.  The OPI Designer Series (check out www.opi.com for stores) is infused with real diamond dust.

With a satin like texture, Rimmel Cool Touch shadow (available at ULTA stores and Target) in champagne reflects light in a way that creates a more glamorous looking eye without the unwanted disco effect of obvious glitter on the eyes.

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Winter months spent sporting layers of heavy dull fabrics and fashions that emphasize protection over glamour, only increases this diva's desire to smell delicious and  shimmer all over.  Slathering on Bath and Body Works Sensual Amber shimmer body lotion (gift set $30.00) before layering on anything else keeps me in touch with my inner glamour girl no matter what the wind chill factor.

Portable Perfume

Perfume, by it's very nature is supposed to travel with you, but lugging around a large bottle of your favorite celebrity perfume is impractical when you want to refresh your scent.  As a true Cheap Diva the only thing I love more than glamour, is glamour when it's practical and reasonably priced, so here are some my favorite portable perfume options.

Pocket atomizers are usually about the size of a tube of lipstick.  They can be filled with the perfume of your choice and carried in the smallest of evening bags.

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The Body Shop Purple Metallic Atomizer $8.00.

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Red Pocket Perfume Atomizer $8.95.

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Leave it to Victoria's Secret to not only bottle sexiness, but also make it as easy to take and carry with you as their racy lingerie. 

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Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Fragrance Pen $18.00.

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This pendant filled with Cashmere Mist Solid Perfume by Donna Karan for $30.00 could be worn as a locket filled with favorite photos long after the perfume is gone.

Hair Color to Dye for

While colder weather brings with it a return to deeper colors like deep plum, for the lips, eyes and nails,  even the most ardent beauty queen will often overlook the one place where an application of rich color has potential to dramatically improve her look.  I am talking about hair color.  Dramatic eye and lip colors make dull faded hair color even more obvious.  Hair color can be given a boost by deepening hair color to a rich chocolate shade, adding a little spice with red undertones or brightening up your blond then following up the color treatment  by keeping hair properly conditioned and shiny.      

For those of you concerned about potential hair color horrors, like the time I dyed my hair too frequently and it turned bright a bright scary orange, try a non-permanent color formula within a few shades of your natural color.  I like Natural Instincts from Clairol for it's price (less than $8.00 at mass retailers) and the natural looking (no bright orange) results.  This ammonia free hair color adds a layer of color to your hair that gradually washes out in about 28 shampoos so the color disappears in a gradual less obvious way than permanent hair color.  In other words, you won't have the skunk stripe thing going on where your hair is parted a few weeks after applying the color.   To keep your new hair color in your hair only, dab petroleum jelly around hairline and ears to prevent any hair dye absorping into the skin before applying any kind of hair color.

Oil and Water together Naturally

As editor of this blog and chief beauty junkie, I have tried my share of lotions and beauty potions.  One thing that I have noticed is that with regular cream moisturizers is that it takes a lot of lotion to provide head to toe coverage and even with cheap lotion that can get expensive.      

Booth's Original Bath & Body Oil for $6.99 is full of all kinds of natural ingredients like sunflower oil and jojoba oil.  It's light scent and the fact that I don't have to have a degree in science to read and understand the main ingredients makes this a must have beauty product.  It also acts as a bath oil for all of you bathing beauties out there.  One of the drawbacks with body oil is that they tend to be messy to apply and applying too much makes you feel like you have  been dipped in grease.  I solved this problem by emptying out a spray bottle that used to hold a body splash and filling it with the body oil.  Putting body oil in a spray bottle allows it to come out in a mist covering more area, instead of applying it a few drops at a time by hand.