1. Keep pro-level nails ~on hand~ without the hefty bill by finishing at-home manis with a layer of Sally Hansen gel effect top coat. Basically, you'll get all the perks of a fancy gel mani straight from your couch — it's fast-dry, high-shine, and will make your hard work last (and last).
2. Nix oily T-zones from your life without disrupting your makeup routine. Etude House's sebum drying powder seamlessly blends with your foundation to create a matte finish that lasts alllll day, meaning you can say adieu to hourly blotting sheets. Not mention, your makeup will look and feel much more put-together and polished without dreaded shine.
3. Take skincare up a level by incorporating a microneedle roller into your routine. When combined with a serum, it essentially *boosts* the product's usual benefits to exfoliate, brighten, and repair irritated skin so that you're left with a dewy glow. Plus, you get to end the day with a soothing yet effective ritual.
4. Put your *foot down* on overpriced salon charges and learn the process of a quality pedicure yourself. An Amope electric foot file transforms rough soles into extra smooth and soft works of art so you'll feel fully refreshed right in your own bathroom. Add a little polish and voilà: your piggies are perfection.
5. Switch to an all-natural dry shampoo that's formulated to perfectly match brunette hair (so long, annoying white streaks) AND add major volume between washes so you start every morning with the feeling of fresh blowout — and the hairstyle to prove it.
6. Take your *glow up* into your own hands — or fingers that is. Just a dab of this lip and cheek palette allows you to maintain a rosy glow all day in the easiest way possible. It'll give you the same effects as both a designer creamy blush and lip tint, but lets you decide how much you'd like to build.
7. Compare popular makeup dupes to their more expensive versions before making any splurges. Chances are a highly-reviewed drugstore product does the exact same job and makes you feel just as ~sophisticated~!
A big winner: NYX Micro Brow ($6.99) vs. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz ($21). Both are great products, but if you're looking to save, NYX is for you!
8. Continue your newly luxe regimen even when you go to sleep! A Cosrx overnight mask plus a silky pillowcase will bring mornings of radiant skin and smooth hair *overnight*.
9. Keep your brushes clean to ensure a flawless makeup application. An easy-to-use scrubber will help you avoid breakouts (hello, bacteria) and apply makeup a whole lot better when there isn't icky residue in the way. Your eyeshadow deserves to SHINE — and you should start your day with nothing short of super soft, clean bristles.
10. Remove peach fuzz painlessly (and without paying for a wax) with a facial hair remover. It's gentle, precise, and won't leave irritation marks like most threading or razors. Aka your face will be as smooth as a baby's bottom and you'll never have to pay the price.
11. Dry your natural curls with a diffuser (and hold it at an upwards angle) instead of air drying so that your ringlets have more volume, yet a heck of a lot less frizz. Overpriced hair products? NOT ANYMORE. A future of deceptively sleek blowouts is calling.
Just 👏look👏 at 👏that👏 definition!
12. Apply makeup with a kabuki brush to a) pamper the heck out of your face with its incredibly soft bristles and b) evenly apply powder, mineral foundation, or bronzer. This simple technique helps give an airbrushed effect without any other products (or filters for that matter).
13. Treat eye bags with a healthy dose of luxury, aka 24K gold eye masks. They'll reduce puffiness, hydrate your skin, and add shine to dull skin so your complexion matches how rich you feel while wearing these.
14. Put an end to painful brushing with a Lily England rose gold detangling hair brush. Its ergonomic handle and extra-gentle flexible bristles ensure you have a glossy mane without getting ~tangled~ up in bills. So long, teary unknotting. Hello, Rapunzel treatment.
15. Research what foundation methods are best for *you*, especially if your current routine just isn't cutting it. If you have oily skin, maybe a powder foundation is actually better than liquid. Not getting enough coverage? Time to start with a primer! One small change will have your makeup feeling ~custom-made~.
The easiest yet most important tip to remember? Test foundation on your neck, instead of your arm so that your makeup seamlessly matches the rest of you! Your ~look~ will seem 10 times more expensive when properly shaded.
16. Upgrade your shower habits with nothing more than a little Rituals foaming shower gel, because spa days are expensive but that won't stop you from getting the extra smooth skin you deserve thanks to its rice milk and cherry blossom formula. Let's not forget its HEAVENLY scent that'll instantly help you release all your *steam*.
17. Trick people into thinking you take regular trips to the salon by going blonder with some John Frieda lightening spray. It'll brighten your hair up to ~two shades~ thanks to a blend of citrus and chamomile — and leave your mane damage-free. Feel free to tip yourself for your brand-new 'do.
18. Master the art of contouring — or so it seems. By applying a double-ended shading stick to highlight your features (aka your temples, cheekbones, etc.), you can easily create major definition with just a few swipes. Meaning you can look like you had your makeup professionally done every darn day with extremely little effort...or spending.
19. Bring costly blowouts right to your bathroom by creating sleek, frizz-free 'dos in half the time. How? This Revlon one-step hair styler and dryer has flexible tangle-free bristles to smooth and style your hair as you brush, while negative ions condition and reduce static as you dry. The result: an easy-peasy glossy mane.
20. Start a holistic vitamin regimen from Care/Of to enhance your beauty routine from the inside out. You can even tailor your subscription to meet specific goals, like shinier hair. Their Glow Trio option includes biotin, astaxanthin, and sea buckthorn to strengthen and maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails!
21. Transform your smile with a charcoal toothpaste that'll give you fresh pearly whites without costing you a lot of *green*, making a mess of your sink, OR requiring any more effort than just regularly brushing. Splurge-worthy whitening or cheap toothpaste? We'll let our admirers decide.
22. Amp up your glow for little with a highly-rated Maybelline metallic highlighter. Its SUPER-pigmented formula has won over thousands of typically high-end beauty shoppers thanks to its nearly identical ability to show 👏 off 👏 those 👏 cheekbones.
23. Tackle only ~seemingly~ difficult hairdos that you see all over Pinterest — it's time to stop *pinning* and actually try one out! Most really only require a few steps (and a lot of patience). The end result: a very chic-looking you.
Behold: the easiest of them all! The deceivingly complicated braid crown requires four simple steps: two thin hair ties and bobby pins. I will pass you some tissues if necessary, but I promise you won't need them!
24. Update your usual go-to makeup with something a little more glam. A double-sided Revlon liquid eyeshadow waves its wands and delivers whichever style you're in the mood for: a swipe of fun sparkle or a pigmented cream shadow. Either way, your new "skills" will be noted.
25. Toss dull, irritating blades in favor of a quality razor that takes close shaves to a whole new level. It has 🚨five blades🚨 to ensure comfort and precision, and even moisturizes your skin as you go. I do believe there will be a 100% chance of you singing in the shower while using this.
26. Turn your living room into your very own spa by subscripting to a monthly delivery of Facetory sheet masks with four monthly K-beauty masks. It's essentially the cheapest way to explore cutting-edge Korean skincare, because it gives your skin benefits usually reserved for high-end derm brands.
27. Lighten dark hair without paying big salon bucks for highlights by washing your tresses with John Frieda brightening shampoo and conditioner. They don't require $$$ bleaching — just a few lathers in the shower to enhance seemingly high-end highlights.
28. Enhance your makeup's radiance with some Physicians Formula illuminating primer. It won't cost you much money or time — it'll act as a concealer to reduce redness and blur pores, while also giving you a subtle *glow* (that works great under foundation!).
29. Expand your makeup collection for cheap with a Jacob & Eli eyeshadow palette. It has 18 super pigmented nude shades, because you don't need to drop $100 to achieve the perfect smokey eye. Though your skills may lead people to believe you did.
30. Discover which oil works best with your skin. Adding an all-natural oil to your routine is great, because they feel *super* soothing at the end of a long day, and quickly target specific problems. For example, jojoba oil tackles breakouts by neutralizing the pH levels of your skin. Translation: both you and your pimple will be left saying ahhh not AHHH.
31. Brighten your complexion from face wash alone with some Acure brightening facial scrub. This'll become your go-to to exfoliate away excess oil and treat breakouts — all while bringing out a clear, glowing complexion from underneath. Today is the day we all learned acne can't get in the way of making your routine feel high-end.
32. Bend your mascara wand to fully fan out your lashes (pricey Givenchy mascaras do the same thing!). The wand will be able to reach the base of your lash line and stamp the roots, instantly achieving full lashes and a widening effect. Drugstore beauty hacks > blowing all your money.
33. Drop a little bit of primer oil into your foundation for a dewier effect and to prevent pesky dry patches. Did I mention its ✨gold flakes✨that'll increase your complexion's radiance? Talk about luxe.
34. Amp up your lashes volume with extremely little effort, courtesy of L'Oréal double-sided mascara with both a conditioning primer and an ultra-lengthening topcoat. Pricey falsies or a few quick swipes of this? I'll keep your secret between us.
Trying to live the ~high life~ for $5 like:
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