stretch your beauty dollar

For many women it's difficult to justify spending a small fotune at the hair salon, local beauty store or luxury day spa and frankly, that’s a shame considering the benefits of a beauty treatment (bot inside and out) but, as I always say, looking well groomed, polished and just plain gorgeous doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t) cost the bomb.

So here’s 10 money-saving products and treatments, fool-proof strategies for making the most of what you already have and ways to save money on your everyday beauty staples to help stretch your beauty dollar for all its worth.

1. Many beauty retailers offer customer loyalty cards that can yield some amazing rewards. Sephora’s Beauty Insider program (free membership), offers a point for every dollar you spend and when you reach 100 points, you receive a free sample. Boots Advantage Card offers 4 points for every £1 you spend, just to name a few.

2. Don't let that too-oily face lotion go to waste. Repurpose it as a moisturising body or hand cream.

3. If your perfume's too pungent lighten it up by mixing it with an unscented body oil or lotion. Just dispense into your hand and add a drop of fragrance, then apply.

4. Everyday staples often have multiple uses. Good old vaseline serves as a fab lip gloss, makeup remover, and foot moisturizer. Johnson’s No More Tears Baby Shampoo can be used to remove eye makeup and clean your makeup brushes, while any hair conditioner can double as shaving cream (we've all done it, right?)

5. Never bin that lipstick that doesn't do what it says on the 'tin'. Layering it over another lip colour (one of my personal fave tricke) will not only help it last longer, but will also create a completely different hue. If the colour is too light, darken it up with your lip liner first and it it's too dark, smooth a clear lip balm over it.

6. Instead of applying your primer, foundation and concealer with a sponge, which will absorbs precious product, use your fingers.

7. Not many women use them, so I've learned but this simple tip is a personal fave of mine. A lip brush allows you to get every last smidgen out of your fave tube of lipstick.

8. Rather than tossing those broken bronzers and blushes, turn them into loose powders. Dump them onto wax paper, cut the powder and flatten it until the mixture is completely smooth and loose, then pour into an empty powder jar with a sifter.

9. Purchasing a product that does double (and even triple) duty will save you some serious dough. Body lotions with SPF, tinted moisturizers, BB and CC creams, and anti-aging lip colours and stains are all an easy way to economize. Two-sided eye pencils and cosmetic brushes can also save you money.

10. Try a skin clearing-concealer that treats your blemishes as you camouflage them to cover up those spots.