How To Look Drop Dead Gorgeous: Part Two

Find out how to revitalise your skin and make-up collection for just £10.96.

In How To Look Drop Dead Gorgeous: Part One, I suggested how to spruce up your hair and nails for just £12.37.

Carrying on the transformation, here's how to sort out your skin and make-up - all for £10.96.

SKINCARE

Hair removal:

- Ladies might find that buying an epilator works out cheaper in the long run. They typically cost £30-40, but add up how much you usually spend on razors, creams etc, and see if you can save money by getting one.

- Men can also cut their shaving costs. Try using aqueous cream instead of shaving gel - it helps keep the skin in good condition and costs £3.05 for a big (500g) tub from Boots.

- You can also help wet razors stay sharp for longer by towel-drying them immediately after use.

Scrub, soothe and moisturise:

- Men's toiletries are generally a lot pricier than their female equivalents, and chaps can save a lot of money if they dare to buy products aimed at women. Lots of women's products are fragrance-free (so men don't need to worry about smelling `girly') and they often contain exactly the same ingredients, just differently packaged. - Contact your local fashion and beauty college and see if you can get cheap or free treatments. Facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, body wraps and various forms of hair removal are very often available at a fraction of the normal price if you're willing to be treated by a trainee.

- Pop a couple of teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda in the bath. It's great for soothing and softening skin affected by sunburn, windburn or central heating systems.

- Get that healthy glow for virtually nothing. A handful of sugar with a couple of teaspoons of fruit juice added makes a great antioxidant exfoliating body scrub (provided you don't have very sensitive skin).

- Mix a small pot of natural yoghurt with a tablespoon of honey. It makes a lovely revitalising face mask - just don't eat it first.

- Nappy rash cream Sudocrem is good for tackling sunburn, cuts, excema, spots and other skin blemishes. A 125g pot costs £2.29 in Superdrug and a little really does go a long way. It can make skin imperfections look noticeably better before a big night out, even if you only apply it the day before.

- Try using cocoa butter as an intensive, affordable moisturiser. It smells fantastic and is also good for toning skin and helping scars and stretch marks fade.

- Aqueous cream is actually very much like E45 without the big price tag, and is great for head-to-toe moisturising, especially if you have sensitive skin.

- And here's a good (and free) alternative to cucumber or posh eye cream for reducing puffiness: pop two teaspoons in the fridge. When they're nice and cold, lay the back of the spoons against your eye sockets. Just don't put them in the freezer or you'll end up with them stuck to your face.

I chose:

• Boots sensitive razors (ten pack) - 0.85
• Baking soda bath treatment - c. 0.10
• Sugar scrub - c. 0.10
• Honey and yoghurt face mask - c. 0.40
• Sudocrem - 125g from Superdrug - £2.29
• Superdrug cocoa butter - 100g - £2.49
• Teaspoon treatment - free
  

MAKE UP

- Get a free make-up consultation, available in most department stores and some big pharmacies. Find out what best suits your skin type and tone, and make a note of the products you particularly like. However, DON'T be harassed into buying them there and then...

Instead - use an online price comparison site like Price Runner. It will direct you to sites like Look Fantastic, Strawberry Net and Buy Cosmetics, where you can buy the products you like for a lot less than you pay on the high street.

- If you'd rather buy your make-up over the counter, take advantage of the free consultation anyway. Once you've got an idea of what colours and styles work for you, go and buy the cheaper, budget versions for yourself.

- To find affordable, good-quality make-up brushes, have a look in arts and crafts stores like Cass Art or Hobbycraft. They may be designed for applying paint, but are often made of exactly the same materials as their cosmetic equivalent for a fraction of the price.

- When your mascara starts drying up, stand it in very hot water for a couple of minutes and you should get a few more applications out of it. When it really has come to the end of the road, the washed applicator wand also makes a good eyebrow brush.

- Try cutting the corners off your tubes of foundation and other liquid make-up when they're running out. It's surprising how much can be lurking in those inaccessible places.

- Liquid foundation will last longer if you apply it with your fingers - rather than a sponge - because the sponge soaks a lot of it up.

- And if you have a broken cake of blusher or pressed powder, don't throw it away. Instead, scoop the contents out and wrap it loosely in kitchen foil. Give it a good going over with a rolling pin, transfer it to a lidded container and use it as loose blusher or powder instead.

- Instead of using lipstick, use your lip liner pencil to fill in your lips as well. The results tend to last for longer, and you can add a lovely gloss cheaply by dabbing a touch of Vaseline on top.

I chose:

• Small hog hair brush from Cass Art - £1.85 
• Re-used broken compact as loose powder blusher- free
• Revived old mascara in hot water - free 
• Cut corners off old foundation - free
• 17 Perfect Pout lip liner in Cinnamon Spice from Boots - £1.99
• Vaseline from Boots - 100g - £0.89

So there you have it. Root around in your kitchen cupboards before you spend a fortune on skin and hair care, take advantage of salon deals, and don't be afraid to walk away from a free consultation without buying anything.

Hopefully, you'll now be able to have a very glamorous Christmas season without breaking the bank.