Welcome!

I've been living the modest life of a student for about a year and a half now. If you've ever been a student, you're probably familiar with the consistent poverty, but over time you might have developed some tricks for coping with it. I want to share my tricks with you.

Before I decided to study psychology, I worked as a make up artist. Make up and clothes pretty much ate up 50% of my pay every fortnight. Cutting back on these was difficult for me. The first few months were pretty damn bleak, and I often pictured myself switching to burlap sacks for a cost effective dress (itchy... deliciously itchy!). However, humans adapt to new situations quickly. Before I knew it, I'd found ways around the money issue, and was able to buy 'luxury' items (read: things you don't eat, things that don't transport you places, and things you don't wipe with) on a regular basis.

For my first entry, I'd like to share some of my super fun budget happy times beauty/make up tips with you. I know there are a million "Beauty on a Budget" articles out there, but sometimes sacrificing Creme de la Mer for Clarins just doesn't cut it.

1. Olive oil. Olive oil olive oil olive oil for dry skin. I tried this before going out about a week ago, and it fixed my dry summer Adelaide skin (any other Adelaideans have that problem? It's so DRY here) in a jiffy. Mix a couple of drops with water, or mix with a cheap moisturiser to thicken it, then apply to face/legs/arms/hands. Because you only need a tiny amount, it's so damn cost effective, and you can use it to make delicious food. Great! Just a heads up: once or twice a week is enough for this ultra moisturising new best friend.

2. Discount Pharmacies are wonderful, and often stock good, cheap skincare products in bulk. Cetaphil cleanser is great for sensitive or acne prone skin, and costs about $15 for a bottle that will last you around three months. You can also use it as a bodywash. It has a semen-esque consistency, but don't let that stop you using it again.

3. If you're looking to buy some cheap make up, do your research! www.makeupalley.com has consumer reviews of nearly every product you can think of. I've found Natio blush and foundation for less than $12, and they're comparable to some of the more expensive cosmetics I used to use.

4. Here's one for people who have empty MAC containers lying around: bring six of those to a store and you'll get a free lipstick as part of their recycling program. Go to http://www.maccosmetics.com/giving_back/btm_return_packaging.tmpl for some more information.

5. Get every damn molecule you paid for out of the jar/bottle/tube. Cutting the end of a tube with scissors or a stanley knife lets you get all up in that container to scoop out the precious goo inside. Secure with a bulldog clip or glad wrap and a rubber band to stop it from drying out/other things getting in. It sounds like a little thing, but it can get you anywhere from a few days to a week of extra usage. This also works for toothpaste.

6. If you're clever, you can make most products multi-purpose. I frequently use blush for eyeshadow and vice versa. I find golden, peach, fawn or light pink tones work the best for me. White, shimmery eyeshadow is a great cheekbone highlight (used sparingly and blended with care).


I hope you enjoyed my first entry. I'll be posting cheap recipes, clothing tips and other odds and ends over the next couple of weeks.

xx

Joanna