Beauty on a Budget

This is a Guest Post in association with Moneysupermarket.com 

5 Beauty Problems Solved on a Budget

Beauty products can be expensive and women can spend thousands of pounds on make-up, lotions and potions to take care of their hair, skin and nails. There are some cheaper alternatives to beauty products, however, as well as ways to solve common beauty problems if you are on a budget. Here's a look at some of the options available.

Dull, Lifeless Hair

One way to get shiny, healthier hair is to use an oil-based treatment once in a while. You can buy these in little sachets which don't cost much or, if you plan to use treatments more often, invest in a larger bottle. Another great tip for shiny hair is to use beer. Soak your hair in beer or buy a sachet of beer shampoo before washing with your regular shampoo.

Dry Lips

Lips can often become dry and look flaky when you apply lipstick. This is particularly the case in extremely cold or hot weather. For dry, flaky lips, dab on some chapstick or Vaseline first then lightly rub a little sugar over your chapped lips. This should take away the dryness and you can apply your lip gloss or lipstick afterwards.

Dry or Oily Skin

For dry skin, forget about expensive creams and oils. A good tip is to rub a little olive oil on your face. For oily skin, dab your face with blotting paper, particularly the t-zone where it is most likely to gather. An alcohol-free toner used after cleansing can also help reduce the shine and control oily skin.

Split Nails

Flaking or splitting nails are both common beauty problems. Using a smooth glass file can prevent this. Try to file only in one direction as filing back and forth is often the cause of nails splitting.

Discoloured Nails

Another common beauty woe is yellow or discoloured nails. This can occur for any number of reasons but if you wear a lot of nail varnish or smoke then it is more likely you will come across this problem. Apply an undercoat to your nails before using nail varnish to prevent discolouration. This can be bought cheaply from any pharmacy or supermarket. If smoking is the problem, rub your fingers vigorously with a pumice stone or rub half a lemon on your fingers for a cheap method of nicotine-stain removal.

Shop Wisely

Some websites and stores give away freebies when you make a purchase. Most of the time it is samples of their products that are given away but this provides you the option to try them out before you fork out for the larger, more expensive versions. There are also plenty of supermarkets and pharmacies which sell small samples of their products.

Sam is a journalist who writes for Money Supermarket and other sites about personal finance. She has a special interest in helping consumers to save money.

This is a Guest Post in association with moneysupermarket.com

Thank you for reading.