How To: Budget Beauty Pampering

There's tons of DIY tips & tricks on beauty out there, especially since Pinterest came along.  Although I don't do everything myself, I've figured out some pampering pointers to help you stay on a beauty routine budget.

*The biggest tip I can give is to spread out when you have your services/treatments done.  Although it might be easier to have a "you" day, get yourself on a schedule where you switch out the extra spending.

Example:
1st week of the month - spray tan/products + eyebrows
2nd week of the month - toes/nails
3rd week of the month - massage + eyebrows (if needed)
4th week of the month - hair color, treatment or facial

Below, I've outlined 5 ways to budget my favorite beauty services:

1. Manis/Pedis
There's nothing I enjoyed better after a long hard day at my serving job than treating myself to a pedicure.  These days, Scott and I both are in need of them with all of the running we're doing, so I've been skipping the manicures.

To make nails/toes fit in your budget:
Stick to the basics.  Go for the standard (or basic) pedicure, which usually lasts about 30 minutes for under $30.  French polish is usually an additional $5, so when you get there opt for the first color you're drawn to.  Instead of going every 2 weeks, treat yourself once or month or once every six weeks, kind of like getting your hair done.

2. Massages/Facials
The health benefits of a full body massage are often overlooked.  Going in to relax is an obvious one, but loosening up muscles, helping circulation and releasing toxins are even better ones.

*TIP: When scheduling a massage, be sure to include what you're looking for.  Tell them what kind of pressure you need, and if you have areas you need extra time spent.

Massages and facials can be extremely expensive, especially at high end hotels or salons & spas.  If you can't justify spending money on either ask for them as a Holiday, Anniversay or Birthday gift.  That's the only time I get facials, and instead focus more on working out the muscles in my body.

To fit massages into your budget:
Look for companies that specialize in massage services.  They tend to run specials and affordable monthly memberships.  Both Scott and I are members of Massage Envy, paying $40 each a month, which includes a massage and $40 for each additional one.  Whatever we don't use rolls over into the next month, and you can go to any location all over the country! 

3. Eyebrows
I am a huge advocate for eyebrow maintenance and I'm the last person to want to shape my own.  I've been getting my eyebrows threaded since college and haven't really turned back.  If you don't have threading near you, try to shop around for an affordable place that does waxing.

To make sure you get your eyebrows in:
Really do some research.  It may be convenient to get your brows done at your hair salon, but know that good eyebrow shaping can be found other places.  Try out different shops and see where getting yours done makes the most sense.  When I wasn't getting threaded (which only costs $9), I had a few friends in the field that offered to do mine at a discount.

Also, try tweezing the strays between waxing/threading.  You can extend the need to go a week or so with a little at-home grooming.

*TIP: While grooming at home, keep the shape the professional started and only grab the strays.

4. Spray Tans/Products
I haven't gone into this yet on my blog, but I am an avid artificial tanner... and no, I don't mean going to "fake bake."  Tanning beds are horrible for your skin, not to mention your health.  If you care to have an extra glow or need to darken up for a light outfit, get a spray tan or invest in your own personal line of tanning products.

To save on a spray:
Leave the $30 a spray tan for only a few times a year.  In between those "sprays" I lean on my Loreal Sublime.

This stuff is a Godsend.  It comes in all types of shades, as well as an Instant Action intense color and when I found out about it a few years back, I swore I would never visit a tanning bed again.

The darkest "self-spray tan" I've seen is Sunbrushed, and it's a liquid solution you wipe on with a wash cloth.

 I'll go into all of my favorites DIY tans in another post, but for now know there's other alternatives out there.

*TIP: Love these products? Order online from sites like Amazon.com for a fraction of the price!  

5.  Hair coloring/Treatments/Products
If there's one beauty regime I know I'll be stuck with for the rest of my life, it's hair coloring.  I just don't see myself in the mousey-brown hue I was born with.  With coloring, comes a much needed Hair Care & Products routine to keep your locks healthy.

To avoid spending your paycheck at the hair salon:
Invest in quality hair products, but don't get them all at once.  Aim to spread out re-stocking your products between a few months, or even a year.  Every time I get my hair done I am tempted to buy the new "it" product my stylist shows me.
Don't do it.

Take time to research, or even ask your stylist what you really need.  Get on a product line that works best for your hair and only by a product at a time.  Eventually, you will get everything and the products will usually run out in the same order you purchased them.

I hope these tips help you to plan out your beauty days and budget.  If you have any questions, comments or additional tips feel free to comment below or message me personally.

Happy Pampering! :)

New Years Dateiversary

New Years Weekend 2012 was exactly what I had hoped for...ANYTHING other than 2011.

Don't get me wrong: I love where we are and how we got here, but holy cannoli did we get tried this year.  Besides a trip to Italy and our Wedding Day, this year has been nothing but challenges for Scott and me.  Instead of going through what was horrible about it, I'll save you all the negativity and just say we are truly looking forward to a New Year, a new start and a new life in 2012.

Scott and I started dating 4 years ago and our "date"iversary is officially New Years Day.  Every year we like to celebrate it by going out with friends NYE and hanging low at home on NYD. 

Saturday, New Years Eve:

Our weekend started with a 4-mile run around our neighborhood.  In case you missed it, I posted Week 1 of my half-marathon training and you can catch up on how it's going every Saturday until the race.

When we got upstairs we ate a quick lunch and started getting ready for the night's festivities.  Scott and I were excited to open one of the bottles of champagne he brought back from his recent trip to Paris.  Ohhh la la!

This picture taken from my Instagram gallery.

While Scott did some stuff around the house, I got my beauty primping on.

Like I said, we have been looking forward to 2012 for quite some time now.  I took advantage of getting ready for it in every way including a new sequin dress from Express, new Steve Madden nude pumps, a new necklace from Aldo Accessories and of course, two of my go-to Fashion Favorites: Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Glitz Blitz + Pink (or Coral) Lips.

Pictured above is MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Full Speed.

A group of us got together for something different this year.  Instead of just going downtown like every NYE, we went to the James Bond 007 Party at the Enzian Theater.  

If you live in Orlando, I would recommend checking Enzian out for dinner and a movie.  It's the only place I know of that you actually get dinner served while you're watching a movie inside a theater.  

The theater inside and outside bar make it a great venue for low key date night, or a fun night out for a Holiday.

3...2...1...

*HAPPY NEW YEAR!*

Sunday, New Years Day:

We spent our Dateiversary doing exactly what I envision as the perfect day.  We slept in without an alarm, stayed in our pajamas until 4pm, and had cinnamon rolls for lunch:

We like to "go big or go home" at the Hesington household, and to be honest with you I feel perfectly okay about eating two rolls, with the 4 training days ahead of us this week.

"Lunch" was followed by lots of lounging, watching the Season Finale of The X-Factor, and comfy slippers.

Eventually we got dressed to celebrate our Dateiversary by going to a great restaurant by the house called Agave Azul.  It's some of the best Mexican we've ever had, and has a great atmosphere.  

It also doesn't hurt that they're serving dishes are adorable...

The guacamole appetizer was sooooo yummy!

When we got back to the house we continued our annual Dateiversary tradition of giving sale ornaments as presents.  Scott forgot to get an ornament this year, but I think he got distracted by all of the ridiculous Stocking Stuffers he got me.

Good thing I got a set of four ornaments for him instead!

I found these guys at Kirklands for under $3 each!
I hope your New Year is starting off just as wonderful as ours has.

Questions:

What do you normally like to do for New Years Eve?

Do any of you who are married celebrate your Dativersary?

Fashion Favorites

Fashion can seem intimidating to the everyday woman.

Don't let magazines, designer boutiques or pricey department stores fool you...having a good fashion sense can be affordable to people outside of the industry.  I have spent countless hours browsing magazines, websites and personal blogs with my ultimate goal of creating designer looks on an affordable budget.

My first rule of glamming up your wardrobe is accessories.  I'm not suggesting that you own jewelery, headbands and a watch for every outfit, but instead that you have a few staple accessories to mix-and-match with a variety of outfits.

Here are my staple (and seemingly favorite) accessories that will dress up any outfit I own:

1. Skinny Belts

I have always enjoyed the look of belts, but have fallen in love with the skinny belt.  They come in almost any color and are a quick fix for baggier tops or dresses that seem to be missing a waistline.  I found all of these at Forever21 ranging $3.80 - $5.80.

*TIP: The loose end of a skinny belt has a tendency of flapping forward if you're not wearing it in belt loops.  Try a tiny piece of fashion tape to connect the end of the belt to the piece behind it to avoid "flapping".

I got mine at Stein Mart, but you can find tape at any major beauty merchandiser.

2. Leggings

I adore leggings and would wear a pair every day if I could.  They are affordable, interchangeable throughout your wardrobe and come in handy if a top or dress gets accidentally thrown in the dryer on High.  Pictured are some of my favorite pairs, purchased from a variety of stores including Forever21, H&M and Nordstrom Rack in NYC.

3. Nail Strips

Nail color can be classy, fun and even make a statement with the right color or design.  If there's a special occasion, or traveling in my future, I turn to Sally Hansen Nail Strips for a long-lasting look.  I've tried all different combinations, using a nail color with a strip on my ring finger only, as well as jazzing up my look with a strip on every finger (pictured).  

You can find Nail Strips at any major beauty supply store as well as most convenient stores for under $10.

Pictured above is Sally Hansen Nail Strips in Misbehaved.

4. Pink Lips

 

Lipsticks are from MAC. Pictured above from left to right:

Sheen Supreme-Full Speed, Amplified-Full Fuchsia, Amplified-Impassioned, Satin-Pink Nouveau, Matte-Pink Plaid, Cremesheen-Creme Cup and lip liner is Process Magenta.

I love pink lips, but occasionally enjoy bright reds, corals, or even a nude lip depending on the outfit.  A fun lip color can dress up your going-out look, and depending on the outfit become the focal point of color. I am a MAC fanatic, especially for lips and eye shadows. Most shades go for $14.50, but prove to be worth every penny.

*TIP: Finish your lips with a sheer, shiny gloss.

Pictured above is the 316 MAC lip brush and gloss pot in Shine.

5. Ankle Boots

The great thing about living in Florida is getting to wear ankle boots at any time of the year.  If you live somewhere where seasons actually exist, you can still pull off the ankle boot by adding a pair of leggings or skinny jeans.  Every boot pictured above came from Forever21 and cost no more than $25.

Put my Fashion Favorites together, (just missing the skinny belt) and you'll get an outfit like this one:

Question:

What are some of your Fashion Favorites?

Hair, Skin & Nails Vitamins

Q: "Why won't my hair grow?"
I blow dry it, straighten it, curl it, tease it, color it....oh.

Q: "What can take to clear up my skin?"
There's a lot more solutions than not sleeping in your make-up.

 Q: "How can I strengthen & lengthen my nails?"
There's more than just kicking your nervous habit of biting them.

Let's start with hair.  I will be the first to admit that I was NOT blessed with beautiful locks, but instead fight with it every day to be curly, straight, or somewhere in-between.  Since this isn't ever really going to change I finally accepted the fact that I will have to harm work with it whenever I want to wear it down.

To make up for the damage I'm putting into it I decided to finally take my hairdresser's advice: 

Take Hair, Skin & Nails Vitamins. seriously.

While preparing for my wedding day, I wanted to do everything I could to get my skin it's clearest, my hair it's shiniest and my nails their thickest...even though I ended up using acrylics. ;)

I was on a mission to find what Hair, Skin & Nails supplements would work the best for me and I found my daily vitamin routine after asking a helpful worker at my neighborhood Chamberlins.  Cha-what?! Think of the Vitamin Shoppe or GNC as a grocery store and that's what makes up the Chamberlins Market & Cafe.  You can find great HS&N supplements at any of the stores I just listed, online, or even some at your local grocery store if it has a big pharmacy.

So you're saying you're blessed with long, un-breakable nails or thick, dye-free, "I don't need to straighten it" hair?
I'm not sure we can be friends.
There are still tons of benefits of taking hair, skin & nail vitamins.

First, nail vitamins can prevent hangnails and also thickens nails to prevent them from breaking.  Have you ever seen those crazy looking white stripes or bands on your nail beds?

 
These vitamins can also prevent whatever those are.

As for your locks, vitamins can transform your hair from dull to shiny, prevent breakage and thicken it in no time...not to mention give you radiant, even glowing skin:

Oh, hi perfection.

Vitamins do wonders, but you can always do other things to improve your skin, hair and nail health as well.  *TIP: Don’t leave nail polish on for too long, wash your face on a regular basis and use quality hair products.

In case you missed it, I shared my Everyday Skincare & Everyday Hair Care & Products routines earlier this month.  Maintaining healthy everyday routines produces healthy skin, hair and nails.

Now that I've sold you *fingers crossed* on HS&N Vitamins, here's a quick breakdown on my daily supplement routine:

I start every morning (after coffee of course) with a One a Day Women's.

Don't worry, guys...there's a One a Day Men's, or you can always stick with any other One a Day Vitamin.  The point of taking this is to make sure my body is getting all of the essential vitamins & minerals it needs, every day.

After my One a Day, I put 10 drops of Jarrosil in 4-8 oz. of water or juice.

I was torn between which all over HS&N supplement to choose, and my friend at Chamberlin's recommended this one the most.  It's main ingredient is silicon and it not only beautifies HS&N, it strengthens bones, joints and collagen.  After being on it for about 4 months now, I can already tell a  difference, mostly that my hair is stronger and looks shinier. *GO JARROW!*

The last component of my daily vitamin regimen is Omega 3 Natural Fish Body Oils.

Fish Oil Supplements improve the look and feel of your skin, and can even play a role in clearing up your complexion.  *BONUS: Not only is this great for your skin, but fish oil is great for your overall body's health, brain & eyes.

It's recommended to take 2 or more pills a day, but in my case I take 3 (directed again by Chamberlin's) because I never very rarely eat fish.

I'm pretty good about taking giant horse pills, but for those of you that get intimidated by them, you can also find the Omega 3 Liquid Supplement.

There it is: my best effort towards having Barbie hair, skin & nails.

Just kidding (kind of)...I'm a big fan of taking vitamins because they do a great deal to restore your health.  HS&N vitamins are very important to your general well being, and you will quickly see the benefits after you begin taking them.

Question:
What are some of your staple supplements?

Sally Hansen Nail Strips

I am a big fan of manicures, all different colors of nail polish and trying out new designs on my fingers.  I love the look of acrylic nails, but hate the time and money spent on the up-keep on them...not to mention the horrible damage they leave on your nails when you take them off.

These days, I rarely have the motivation or money to go to the nail salon for manicures.  Instead I do my best at home to keep clean, trimmed, buffed and sometimes painted nails.  I say sometimes because I have rarely kept up with nail color on my fingers the last few years because my job as a server.  When I happen to have a few days off in a row I love to take advantage of not having to wash my hands 400 times a day by applying a fresh coat of nail polish or using my new favorite find,
Sally Hansen Nail Strips.

For this post, I decided to stick to the basic every day nail color of Cry Baby to show that not all of the strip shades are crazy, fashion forward.  After trying the strips for myself, I've decided that I the solid every day colors are great, but I would love to experiment more with fun prints next time...

The nail strips come in 3 different collections.
 Shiny Neons: screams every day, but "notice me" colors including Cry Baby.

High-Shine Metallics: shine, sparkle & shimmer with colors like Bling It On.

High-Fashion Patterns: wild & fun stripes, shapes and animal prints like Laced Up.

cost: $9.99, unless you can find it cheaper online.
where to buy: any chain drug store, food store, or mass merchandiser.

Each box comes with 16 nail strips in different sizes, a wooden cuticle stick and a nail file/softener.

To apply nail strips: First you need to prep your nails.  Push back cuticles with the wooden stick.

Shape the edge of your nail with the hot pink side of file.

Gently smooth surface of nails with white side of file.

Give nails one last swipe of nail polish remover to remove any excess dirt & oil.  (This step is the most important to make sure your manicure last as long as possible!)  Make sure there is no nail polish creamy or oily residue left behind.  I used a Beauty Secrets Non-Acetone nail polish remover I got at Sally's Beauty Supply a while ago...it's almost gone but I'll probably replace it with the same bottle, it works great!

Now that your nails are prepped its time to apply the color.
STEP 1: SELECT.  Select the best-fitting strip for each nail.

STEP 2: PEEL.  Remove clear protective plastic cover, then peel nail polish strip from backing paper.

3.  BREAK.  Choose the side of the strip that best fits the shape of your cuticles, then break the silver tab from strip.

4.  APPLY.  Place strip against cuticle line, and hold strip at the center for maximum control.

Press strip to nail.  Gently stretch strip for a perfect fit.
*TIP:  Avoid over-stretching patterns. 
Firmly smooth over entire nail.  Run flat side of cuticle stick along edge of strip to firmly bond strip to nail.

5. SHAPE.  Smooth excess over nail edge, forming a crease around the edge of the nail.  Gently file away excess from nail edge using light pink side of file.  *TIP:  This step is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for metallic designs.

Repeat steps 2-5 for each nail, applying the thumb strip last.

*TIP: To remove strips, use nail polish remover.

It may seem like a lot of steps when you're reading this...but I promise you that this process takes less than 10 minutes!  I like using these strips for when I going out of town because the color lasts longer than normal nail polish.  I love that there's really not much room for error and that the strips result in clean lines on every nail.

But next time, I'm anxious to try out some of the more fashionable colors.  Here are some of my favs:

Color: Glitz Blitz

Color: Cut It Out

Color: Misbehaved

More Sally Hansen Nail Strips posts to come!!! :)