CHEAP FRILLS

The gloom cast by the much hyped recession appears to be slowly dissipating and financial commentators the world over are encouraging an increase in recreational spending in a bid to boost the global economy.

Do your bit by buying cheap and cheerful beauty bargains....guaranteed to get you looking gorgeous and still leave plenty of loose change for stashing away in your piggy bank for a rainy day (or the next economic crisis). Any excuse for a mutually beneficial good deed I say!

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Extract is a bathroom cabinet essential. So good in fact, you should buy three and store one in your desk and handbag as well. The perfect product for those days when you press the snooze button one too many times and can't squeeze a wash and blow dry into your morning routine.

Simply pin up the top layer of hair and (gently) squeeze the bottle to disperse the talc like powder along the hairline where it will soak up any grease and add oomph and volume to the most lack-lustre of locks. Also great for adding a bit of grit and texture when your hair has that slippery, shiny, freshly washed feel and just won't do as it's told. Bad hair!

Klorane Dry Shampoo is also available in an aerosol spray formulation which works a treat as well. Its only downfall is that if you are like me and tend to get a tad trigger happy with anything in a spray formulation, it won't last as long as the powder.

Loreal Infallible Concealer is (brace yourselves) quite possibly the best concealer for covering up blemishes I have ever come across. It gets top marks for it natural colour options, excellent coverage, non-comedogenic ingredients and durability and it's handy stick formulation makes precision concealing a breeze.


For those of you in your teens or early twenties who have sensitive or oily skin which is prone to a pimple or few, Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser for Sensitive Skin is a must have. Recommended by dermatologists and beauty professionals alike, Neutrogena is the plain white t-shirt equivalent of the skin care world...simple, effective and fail safe. This moisturizer has a lovely, sheer texture and an oil free non-comedogenic formula (i.e won't clog pores or cause oil slicks) which gently moisturizes skin without irritating.

The Body Shop Eye Definer Pencil is a softly pigmented, medium intensity eyeliner which comes in range of gorgeous colours. The perfect consistency for creating smokey Bardot-esque eyes, it will smudge beautifully but never smear. My makeup bag essential is the pencil in Rich Brown - perfect for a naturally smouldering gaze.

The next time you are cruising the aisles of your local supermarket, pick up Olay Total Effects Touch of Foundation for a budget product that delivers like a pro. This multi-tasking tinted moisturiser provides sheer, seamless, glowing coverage while still delivering the skin care benefits the original Total Effects moisturizer is world famous for.

Any beauty buff worth their weight in lipstick is bound to have a tube of St Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub stowed away in their bathroom cabinet. An excellent basic scrub for people with acne or blackhead prone skin, it contains salicylic acid to decongest pores, kill bacteria and speed up the healing process. It can also be used as a body scrub on those parts prone to the odd spot or two or as an exfoliator for ingrown hairs.