Slaying on a Shoestring: Budget Beauty Tips for Hair, Nails and Brows
Stay suitably groomed on a budget by tackling your hair, nails, and brows with savvy style. Grab affordable products, trim, and colour those locks like a pro, and keep your brows on fleek without emptying your wallet. Here’s some money-saving tips from the experts-in-the-know….
Hair
Zoe Irwin @zoeirwinhair, hair colourist, styling trend forecaster and creative director at John Frieda Salons shares easy ways to maintain great hair when short of £££.
Use a more permanent colour. If you’re brunette swap to something that gives you less of a grow-out line six weeks later. Change from semi-permanent to permanent, it’s as simple as that.
Parting highlights. This is highlighting around the face frame (sides of the face and through the top straight through where the parting is and onto the crown) the highlights are put in on a herringbone angle and then they blend out really well. This colouring technique is a trick that colourists use often to keep colour looking fresh for up to eight weeks.
Step up your home care routine. Want to keep your haircut looking great for longer? The answer is nourishing your hair. I always recommend Virtue Healing Oil, £42, which is incredible for treating split ends and sealing the hair, so you get fewer.
….And use a hair mask twice a week. The more your hair is dry and sensitised, the faster your hair loses richness and depth. By using a mask twice a week it will seal mid-lengths and ends – I can’t emphasise this enough.
Consider changing your hairstyle. It’s a game-changing tip for being budget-conscious. Something layered won’t last as long. Think about a strong shape, if you are going to have a fringe cut in, can you get just the fringe trimmed or do you grow it out, so you don’t have the upkeep? Small details that have a big impact on your purse.
Practice your up-do’s. It’s time to get creative with your hair e.g., spend time learning how to add movement with a tong, or learn how to twist hair when putting it up, it will mean you can make your colour last longer as it will look good. When hair is down you can see regrowth more.
Accessorise! A fabulous accessory can hide a multitude of sins – a hairclip or hairband. I love hair powders (try Color Wow Root Cover Up, £29.50) They’re so versatile. And don’t forget there’s loads of online hair tutorials helping you get the most out of your hair accessories.
Try a coloured hair mask. Brilliant additions to the hair category. These are fantastic especially if you want to experiment with your colour. Ask your colourist to colour match you to something you can buy in-store, so you never get to the stage where your hair looks washed out and in desperate need of a salon appointment.
Nails
Charlotte Knight, nail technician, founder, and CEO of Ciate London shares her top tips for talons on a budget.
Perfect your home mani. Great nails need a great manicure routine. Natural nails should receive a quick weekly DIY manicure which will optimise your nail health, avoiding snags and breaks. Begin by trimming your nails to your ideal length and shape before filing the edge to ensure it’s smooth. Then use a cuticle pusher to push your cuticles back slightly to make the shape as uniform as possible. Follow with a clear coat on top of the nails to protect them even when they’re unpainted.
Practice your painting. The key to differentiating between nails done at home and at the salon so the cleaner the finish, the more expensive the nails look. Start with a thin layer of your chosen polish, using steady strokes from the base to the tip of the nail. Allow each layer to dry completely before applying the next to prevent smudging or streaking. For precision, use a small brush dipped in nail polish remover to clean up any mistakes around the cuticles. Finish with a glossy topcoat to seal in the colour, this also adds a professional touch. It’s much easier than it sounds. Promise.
Plan ahead. The best way to look like you get your nails done by a professional is to set aside time each week to maintain your nails before they show signs of wear. Rather than waiting until your nail varnish is worn or chipped, remove your polish and reapply before this happens to always upkeep a salon-fresh mani. It’s important to fully remove your polish with an acetone-free remover so your base always starts smooth.
Create a regular routine of nail maintenance. Apply a cuticle oil to the base of your nails and under your nail beds daily. You’ll be adding days to the life of your mani in just one simple sweep.
Brows
Brow expert Anu Khapung @anu_khapung swears you’ll only need professional brow threading 6-8 times a year by following these three simple tips.
Allow your eyebrows to grow. Following an eyebrow threading (or tinting session), it takes some time for the hairs to reappear. So, it’s advisable to allow them to grow before considering any further grooming. When the hairs start to lengthen, focus only on plucking the thicker ones. There’s no need to remove the smaller ones, as doing so can lead to an irregular appearance of growth. By focusing solely on the larger hairs, the smaller ones could grow thicker over time. By the time four weeks have passed, or even six weeks depending on growth pattern and budget considerations, it’s typically appropriate to schedule another threading session with a brow expert, while continuing maintenance at home. Often, this approach results in a more natural look.
Pluck from underneath. When plucking your eyebrows, it’s important to avoid crossing above the brow ridge, which is the crest of bone underneath the eyebrows. Instead, focus on plucking only underneath it, targeting any very straight hairs from both brows and avoiding the area above or from the top.
Invest in a great brow product. To maintain the colour and shape of your eyebrows, I highly recommend using the Victoria Beckham BabyBlade Brow Pencil, £32 which comes in 6 shades. It’s both luxurious and budget-friendly. Additionally, you can enhance your brows with the Trish McEvoy Brow Mascara, £28 which makes a great alternative to a brow tint.
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