" The one thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that there are some things I can go frugal on, but other things, I get what I pay for. "

The things I listed are solutions I have found work as good as or better than store bought products. But this is not so for everyone. You have to go with what works for you.

Mary Kay has a nice tinted moisterizer. It is pricey but a little goes a long way. I have a friend who sells mary kay and I bought it to support her  but it is a nice product that I actually use :) most stuff I buy just sits there.

I often find great deals on many beauty products such as cotton swabs, cotton squares, or makeup sponges at dollar stores and other deep discount places.  Where I may pay 2.99 for a box of cotton swabs at the drugstore, I would pay .88 to .99 at these off price stores-- and I am getting the same product.

Dear TheLily, All I have to do is go to Walgreen's about one week out of 8, when they sell 100 cotton balls for 97cents. 

Walgreens & Rite-Aid both operate on a recurring pricing cycle.  I have Walgreen's down to a science -- 1 week out of 8.  At Rite-Aid's I buy the large box of  Tide detergent that goes on sale every 12th week (??) on deep discount as I buy it then.  (A smaller size also goes on sale, but I don't know  when that is eitherl) 

Walgreen's over-all prices are much better than those at Rite-Aid.  Except for Tide.

I'm chiming in kind of late, but I wanted to add something for those of you who, like me, were blond in their teens and twenties and who now, through staying out of the sun or pregnancy or heredity, have gotten that "dishwater" hair.  I've always been a little vain about my hair and had tried salon highlights.  But the cost of them is so outrageous, and I hated the chemical factor so much, that I researched and tried some home highlighting.

Last weekend, I threw two chamomile tea bags in a 15 oz mug and brewed them for a few hours.  Then I added about 1/4 cup lemon juice and had my husband work the whole mess through my hair.  I gardened with a neighbor outside for a couple of hours, then washed my hair at night.

While this didn't add new highlights, it definitely accentuated the blonde already in my hair.  My husband and neighbor verified that my hair looked blonder in the sun, especially around my face (where I really wanted it).  Cost: free, since I already had the stuff.

Don't add too much lemon juice and make sure to wash it off your skin as it will burn you otherwise in the sunlight. 

I plan to try honey in the wintertime--working it through my hair, wrapping it in plastic wrap, and letting it sit for several hours.  Apparently this produces a very weak peroxide reaction that will lighten your hair a bit.  I'll let you know how it works!

 I have the blonde hair turned kind of dirty or dull looking. I have used chemical dye but I am not sold on that being the best thing for me...I just hated looking drab so much I swallowed my concerns about the chemicals. Thanks for sharing some healthier and natural tips.

Brandy, I'll have to send you a bar of my goat's milk soap, it's the only kind I really enjoy these days.  I'm readjusting my recipes as we've moved to a higher altitude and it just doesn't seem the same. Also we don't raise goats currently so no fresh milk.  Just want to know how it compares to Dove, costs about 20cents a bar to make if you use essentials oils and render the tallow yourself.  

joan of ark 

I make melt and pour soap. While I like it for body soap and discovered it's fantastic on stains on our clothes, I haven't found it superior to Dove as a facial cleansing soap. I wonder how a soap made more from hand would compare.

Since we are on the subject of beauty here are some ideas of ways products can pull double duty:

Hair conditioner- Use to shave legs and under arms

Toothpaste-Crest can be used to clear up zits ( other brands may work too)

Vaseline-Rub on fingernails to moisten them and give them a nice sheen after a manicure

Lipstick-Use it for creme blush. I have been doing this for years

Mascara-Use it to touch up roots

Baby Shampoo or other gentle shampoo-Use as body soap

I never thought of lipstick as blush, thanks for the tip.