Brilliant beauty freebies

Find out how to get free haircuts, free pampering, free cosmetics and free skincare products!

1. Free salon haircuts

For a free or mega cheap haircut book an appointment with a trainee hairdresser. They will be supervised so don't panic about having your locks hacked away, however, they tend to take a lot longer than the pros so be prepared for a numb bum!

Even top salons such as Vidal Sassoon and Toni & Guy offer the opportunity to sit as a hair model for its students. You'll usually have to visit the training academies on a specific day so give them a ring and ask. Here are the contact details for both Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon.

Salons and students also use Gumtree to advertise for models so it's worth checking the freebies section from time to time.  

2. Free pampering

Register with Salon Guinea Pig for free and discounted health and beauty treatments. Salons and colleges can then get in touch with 'guinea pigs' in their area if they need models for anything from spray tanning to theatrical make-up.

If you're feeling a bit stressed out check your local training college or university to see if they offer free acupuncture treatment. You can search for colleges on the British Acupuncture Council website.

3. Bargain beauty swaps

Swap beauty products you don't use on free swap site Beautyswapshop.co.uk and start trading with one of over 5,300 members.

You can swap pretty much anything beauty related; from makeup and skincare to perfume and haircare products. Simply list your items providing details of its size, condition and what you're willing to swap it for then wait for someone to get in touch. Alternatively, browse the swap list yourself and make a direct offer to one of the other members.

4. Have a beauty party

Hosting a beauty product party with friends and family is a bit of fun and a neat way to get an armful of products to try out for free - plus some exclusive offers just for being the hostess with the mostess!

With The Body Shop at Home hosts can get £25 of free products plus an exclusive Body Shop discount of 70% if party sales reach £230.

Virgin Vie offers product parties too, selling cosmetics, homeware and jewellery. Hosts receive £15 free to spend on products with every £100 sales achieved and if two of your guests go on to book a party in the future you get an extra £5.

5. Beauty samples in the post!

Don't splurge on a beauty product without trying it out first; nab some free samples online instead. There are lots of freebie sites to choose from but I like Free Beauty Samples and Bob's Free Stuff.

If you can't find the item you're looking for online, visit the larger department stores and ask for some samples to try at home. I've found that for perfume, Debenhams is quite generous and for make-up The Body Shop is a good bet.

You can also get your hands on free cosmetics through Cosmeticresearchonline.co.uk which will send all kinds of products for you to test, review and most importantly keep.

6. Make the most of what you've already got

One of the easiest ways to save money on beauty is to make the most of the products you've already got.

Don't fork out for expensive shaving cream; get a big bottle of the cheapest conditioner and use that instead. You'll get silky pins and a few quid extra in your pocket. Vaseline is another beauty must-have, which can be used for just about anything. I've used it as a brow smoother, a creamy eyeshadow (just mix it with some powder) and even a blusher (the new rose tinted one actually works well for that winter glow!).

Also, make sure all your products last as long as possible. One handy tip is to add moisturiser to your foundation. This works really well in the summer and will replace the need for a separate tinted moisturiser.

7. DIY beauty products

Okay, strictly this isn't quite a freebie because you will have had to buy the items in the first place but there are some super simple beauty recipes that you can make at home just from food and other household items.

Most recipes involve using only natural ingredients so you can also feel a bit smug that you're products are organic.

Face masks and scrubs are the easiest things to make at home; for oily skin, a mixture of oatmeal, milk and lemon juice works well and for an ultra basic but effective body scrub, simply mix oil and salt together, then massage into your skin (for a tastier alternative try honey and brown sugar).

Go online for more recipes then raid your kitchen cupboards to see what you can experiment with (remember to test a small patch of skin first in case you have a reaction).

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