Bobs and Pixies

First, Victoria Beckham introduced her friend Katie Holmes to the bob, the hairstyle that she worn for long time (I think). The style became very popular; as my hairdresser said, 1/3 of her clients wanted either the cut or to know if it was a good haircut for them.

Katie recently changed her style to a pixie cut; she looks cute, but I think she was more sophisticated with the bob. Now Victoria followed in Katie's steps and she also got a pixie.

Which one do you prefer?

Beauty in the times of recession

Lately there is a lot of bad news about the economy and it looks like many people are trying to save money. But do not worry, your looks do not have to suffer for a shortage of cash.

Beauty products. According to many studies most beauty products give similar results; price does not determine their effectiveness. Some drugstore products perform as well as some of the most expensive beauty products. What is important is to read the ingredient list carefully before buying a product.

Moisturizers. The moisturizers from Olay Total Effects and Avon Anew gave as good results as Lancome and better results than pricier La Praire in a survey by Consumer Reports. There are many other great moisturizers at reasonable prices.

Cleansers. Avoid the expensive new cleansing wipes; they just add to your budget and are a big waste for the environment. You can get the same results just by using your hands, a hand towel or a marine sponge with your cleanser. Choose a gentle cleanser even if you have very oily skin.

Exfoliate. There are great products for exfoliation at reasonable prices. This is a step in your beauty routine you should not skip; you will see the difference. Although you can use sponges or home made products such as oats and yogurt, if you are past 30, perhaps, in addition to those you may to try microdermabrasion alternated with a peeling. My favorite peeling is "Peel and Reveal" by Elizabeth Arden.

Hair cuts. The shorter you keep your hair the more often you will need to go to the beauty salon. Geometrical haircuts such as the hair cut of the moment, the bob, require more visits to the salon. If you are short on cash choose less structured haircuts or longer lengths.

Color. Color is the money maker in beauty salons, especially highlights. It is easy to understand why, color treatments require frequent visits, and generally speaking, they are more expensive than haircuts. If you color your hair to cover grays, try at home color kits. Highlights and radical color changes are best to leave to the experts.

Manicures and pedicures. If you love to have them done professionally, try to space them out by maintaining them at home by repainting the nails and toes and exfoliating the feet. The cheapest alternative is to do them yourself.

Massages. They are great, not only for relaxation, they are also healthy because of increasing circulation and controlling stress. Try a massage school instead of a spa; they offer good quality massages at lower cost. Other alternative is to try spas like Massage Envy. They require membership and the client has to commit to one massage a month, but usually it is not a long term commitment and it can be broken with one month's notice. In my area the massage is only $38 and no tipping is required.

Styling your hair. There are salons that have hair boot camps to teach you how to straighten your hair. You can see pictures and try to imitate the styles. It is a rewarding experience to do your own hair. For special occasions, it is not a bad idea to get your girlfriends together to get ready.

Shop around and get creative for beauty products and services to fit your budget without sacrificing quality.

We have a lot of natural beauty recipes, that we have tried, in our Spa at Home section in the website.