Recession-ista

The aforementioned chapter 2: "The Dollarless Diva" really got me thinking...

It seems, even with every degree or honor or sorority status, jobs are just hard(er) to come by than they were, even four or five years ago. We know that its a cyclic economy, and it will get better.

So, until the economy starts to turn around, what's a smart, stylish and very savvy girl to do?

NOT being stylish, as far as I'm concerned, is not an option. Recession or no. I've managed to pick up a few tips and tricks over the past few years--Having swiped my AMEX so many times in a day there was smoke coming out of it--And for the rest, I've been reading up on what will help my financial future.

We all like to shop, of course, but my personal pitfall is over-spending on beauty products. (The counter girls at M.A.C. know me by name)

Who doesn't like to look pretty?

I know I do. I also know from hard experience that taking care of our appearances CAN get pricey--highlights, brow waxes, facials, fills, pedicures, you see where I'm going with this. So, here are my DIY beauty tips for you to enjoy!

1. For baby soft skin-I actually got this little concoction from a girl at the gym who was prepping for a body building competition and needed to exfoliate completely before getting a super dark tan. I swear, it's the best advice I ever took!

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1/2 cup ground coffee

-1 cup baby oil

-mix together, add baby oil as needed and literally scrub your skin with it (make sure you're doing this in the shower and be careful, the tub gets slippery!) rub in circular motions, especially around your knees, elbows and feet/shins, the places where skin tends to be driest.

-rinse and you will feel and smell so sweet and soft you'll never buy an exfoliating product again!

*side note: the caffeine in the coffee stimulates blood flow and is actually shown to decrease the appearance of cellulite!

2. At-home Facial

I found this one on wittyliving.com

I have combination skin, but when I tend toward getting oily, this is by far the simplest and the BEST!

Egg Whites and Lemon Facial Mask Ingredients: 2 egg whites 1 teaspoon of lemon juice Instructions: Combine the lemon juice and egg white in a bowl. Beat until fluffy. Apply to your face, avoid getting too close to your eyes. Wait for 10-20 minutes and rinse off with warm water. 3. D.I.Y. manicure -First, arm yourself with the following: 1 large (heavy) bowl, warm water and soap, nail clippers, nail polish remover, cotton balls, a towel, a nail file and buffer, a cuticle stick (CVS or Walgreens) and some thick moisturizing or cuticle cream Step One. After washing your hands with soap and water to remove all lotions and oils, you will then remove all of the old nail polish from your fingernails for a fresh start. Once the old polishes removed wash your hands once again to remove the finger nail polish remover. Step Two. Shape your nails using the nail clippers or the fingernail file depending on whether you need to reduce the length or just smooth rough edges. When using your fingernail file he will start at the outer edge and smooth across the middle in one motion. Never saw a back-and-forth as this will weaken your nails and make them prone to splitting. Step Three. Soak your hands in your bowl of warm water for around five minutes. Step Four. After soaking, dry your hands with a cotton towel. Step Five. Place a small amount of cuticle cream on each of your fingernails and massage it into your cuticles Step Six. It’s not a good idea to clip your cuticles because of the danger of infection. Instead use your Orange wood cuticle stick to gently push your cuticles back and shape them. *Another way to save, if you're short on time and don't want to get nail polish everywhere, smudge it, fix it, re-do it, and then wait for it to dry... Just go to your local nail place and request a color change. It's $5 almost anywhere you go, whereas your average manicure is around $12-$15 (or more, depending on additional services)