The economists can talk about green shoots as much as they want - all we know is no matter how much we scrimp and save, we still can't afford Crème De La Mer eye balm.

So we've been rolling up our sleeves, and experimenting with ingredients we can source from our very own kitchens... avocado hair masque? Carrot cleanser? Peanut butter facial? You might smell like a sandwich, but you'll be glowing with the radiance of a girl who's saved her pennies.

1) Washing-up Liquid Detox Shampoo

Detox shampoos are one of those products we've never quite understood the point of - until we heard this tip. To strip away product build-up, pollution and the various other nasties that stop your hair shining, lather up with some good ol' washing up liquid once every few weeks. Make sure you follow with a good conditioner though, or your locks could turn slightly brillo pad to match.

2) Dairy-licious Bath Milk.

If you've ever fancied yourself as an Egyptian princess, take a leaf out of Cleopatra's book and add a carton of full cream to your bath water. According to experts, the dairy will calm skin's lipids while the milk proteins help maintain its elasticity. Asp optional.

3) Strawberry Exfoliant

Cut a strawberry in half and rub the juicy side all over your face, let it sit for a few minutes then rinse with warm water. The fruit acids work as a natural exfoliant, stripping away dead skin cells and giving your complexion a brightening zing. Whether you eat it afterwards is up to you (we won't tell anyone).

4) Talcum Powder Hair Refresh

Does anybody still use talcum powder? Its popularity may have waned sometime in the mid-90s (when people realised that using a towel then standing still for 30 seconds did more or less the same job), but we bet you still have some knocking around somewhere. It's a great low-budget dry shampoo for those days when a little extra time in bed is just more appealing than washing your hair. Work it into the roots, leave for a few minutes, then brush out and swish like a pro.

5) Oat and Honey Face Mask

Goldilocks had some issues. Perhaps if she had given up on trying to eat the porridge and dunked her face in it instead, the bears would have been wowed by her soft skin and not felt the nedd to chase her into the woods. Perhaps. Back in the real world, try mixing up oats, water and a dollop of honey, spread it on your face, leave for 10 minutes then rinse. Not to dry, not too greasy, but juuust right.

6) Lemon Tan Corrector

Here at ShinyStyle, we're still on a mission to convince you all that pale skin has the fashion edge. But if you must bust out the fake bake, avoid the congealed-gravy look by rubbing half a lemon over your knees and elbows after application. The acid is supposed to break down the tanning chemicals. You can also try whitening toothpaste, astringent toner, or just GOING EASY ON THE FAKE TAN IN THE FIRST PLACE.

7) Camomile Tea Rinse for Blondes

My mum used to use this one on me when I was about six. And once, Sean Deacon told me during PE that my hair looked really shiny. What more persuading do you need? Redheads can try cranberry juice, while beer and vinegar work well on everyone (the question is: pub or chip shop, which would you rather smell of?).

8) Haemorrhoid Cream on Under-Eye Circles

This one has been recommended by beauty editors and make up artists the world over, so it's worth trying out. The ingredients work to reduce capillaries in the skin, shrinking those telltale morning-after bags. Of course the price you pay is in embarrassment having to ask for it in Boots (we like to pretend it's for an aunt).

9) Toothbrush Exfoliator

An old toothbrush has a million beauty uses. Use it to brush away dry skin on your lips and face, or to groom your eyebrows into place with some Vaseline.

10) Beetroot Juice Lip Stain

This one reminds me of using red Smarties as a lipstick and nail varnish in primary school. Vampy purple lip stains have been all over the catwalks for the last few seasons, and while we can bet that the models at Dior hadn't been feasting on beetroots (though it's always nice to see them eating), nobody will know the difference on you. Unless you top it off with a mustard dressing, that is.

When's the last time you paid for a pedicure? What with the unfortunate combination of peep-toe boots being in fashion and a recession going on, more and more of us are opting for a home pedicure over going to a salon. Professional pedicures usually cost about £20, and since most of us have a lot of the items you need for one at home, or can buy it all for under £10, it seems a bit silly to waste your money. It's also a relaxing way to spend forty-five minutes - especially since you get a foot soak out of it.

Although you might not be planning to bare your toes in public much until the party season, it's always nice to get out of bed in the morning and admire your own feet. So here are some essential tips for a successful DIY pedicure. Follow these steps for feet to be proud of, even if you won't be showing them off during the day.

Tip 1: Make sure you get rid of any nail varnish left over from the summer holidays.
You need to start with a clean foot, so use a cotton wool pad soaked in nail polish remover and clean off all leftover polish really thoroughly.

Tip 2: Have a nice relaxing foot soak.
Fill up a bowl with warm water and some essential oil, like lavender or peppermint. You can soak your feet for just five minutes, but if you've had a long day, you'll probably want to leave them in there for more like half an hour. The more hard skin there is on your feet, the longer you'll need to soak them for.

Tip 3: Use cuticle oil, one foot at a time.
Take one of your feet out of the water, dry it off and cut the nails straight across with clippers. Then massage in some cuticle oil, pushing back your cuticles with a wooden cuticle stick (to get rid of any dead skin stuck to your nail). Put that foot back in the water, and do the same to the other foot.

Tip 4: Scrub away at the dead skin.
Use exfoliator, concentrating on the bits of your feet that have the most callouses. (Not pleasant, I know.) Then, after you've rinsed off all the little scratchy bits of exfoliator, use a foot file to get rid of any stubborn areas of hard skin. Make sure you file in one direction, like when you file your nails, and don't scrub too hard - we know you hate that dead skin, but if your foot goes red you're doing it wrong.

Tip 5: Apologise to your feet for all the exfoliating by massaging them with foot cream.
Try one that's intensively moisturising. If you really want to treat your feet, use a foot mask beforehand.

Tip 6: Add some festive nail polish.
Before painting your nails, go over them again with nail varnish remover to get rid of any oils leftover from the footbath. Then apply a basecoat, two coats of polish, and a topcoat (use toe separators if you want). Go for a dark nail varnish shade, like black, navy blue, grey or burgundy for toenails that go with everything, or try a brighter shade of pink or orange if you're planning on wearing a lot of black this winter.

Tip 7: Don't put your shoes on straight away.
Remember to let the varnish fully dry before getting dressed! Or you could end up with socks that are stuck to your toenails.

Tip 8: Enjoy your new, beautiful feet.
To keep your varnish looking as fresh as possible, you can apply a coating of clear varnish every three days (although this is optional). Most salons recommend having a pedicure once a month, and once you've got everything you need for a DIY pedicure, there's nothing stopping you from doing it that often at home, too.

You may be wondering why we've featured a fashionable umbrella gallery. We know what you're thinking; an umbrella is a an umbrella right? It doesn't matter what colour it is as long as it does the job. Well that's where you're wrong.

Many years ago, having an umbrella that matched your outfit, or had some fashionable connotations was just as important as having the right bag or shoes for an outfit.
Although this trend has simmered out over the years (unless you live in Japan, which has carried this trend on) many of us still find it important to do this.

We give you a few tips to ensure your umbrella makes as much as a statement as the rest of your outfit.

It's happened to nearly every one of us. We've gone to a salon for a hair colour expecting to come out with a gorgeous shade of brown only to find its more gothic black than the Eva Longoria colour we asked for.

And other times that shade of blonde is more straw than the strawberry blonde we were dreaming about. We don't t think this is anything to be ashamed of, after all, you have to have one colour mishap to ensure perfection.

However, once too many times and it's time to change your hairdresser, or look for a few simple tips on how to change this. We spoke to Schwarzkopf Colour Ambassador, Anita Cox McMillan to give you a few tips for achieving the perfect hair colour.

Unless you've been blessed with extremely fair and fine body hair, you'll know all about the trials and tribulations we girls have to go through to achieve baby smooth fuzz free bodies.

Unlike men, who mainly have the option of shaving and er, shaving, there is a whole new market dedicated to offering us girls a range of hair removal options, which are more painful, or long lasting than others.

We have a look at what's out there.

We touched on which brush styles achieved specific looks for a certain hair style but we think this advice is most definitely important enough for its own post.

After all, without the right tools, you may struggle to get the look you want.

Working again with Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador Aaron Blondell, Assistant Art Director at John Carne Hairdressing, we've put together detailed information about each brush type and what it can do for your locks.

We all want the hair we haven't been blessed with. Those who have poker straight locks envy those with curly tresses, donning curling tons and braving perms to get the look, while curly haired girls rush for their GHDs.

However, as any good hairdresser will tell you, these miracle inventions shouldn't be used regularly as they could damage your hair.

We take you back to blow drying basics with the help of Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador Aaron Blondell, Assistant Art Director at John Carne Hairdressing, giving you some tips to ensure you get the perfect blow dry.

Clothing and accessories all come and go as styles change, meaning you could be left with a pile of unwanted bits and pieces and having to shell out for a new wardrobe.

So what do you do when you want to accessorise that pair of jeans, without buying any more bits or revamp a wardrobe without having to pay over the odds for a whole new wardrobe?

Stick to a few classic styles of course.

We give you top some tips to ensure your wardrobe is packed with things that will never go out of fashion.

Girls have their certain style when it comes to make up. Some choose not to wear any or as little as possible, while others make up for these girls, wearing enough in one night to keep cosmetic brands in business for two years.

While neither of these are wrong (everyone has their own style) there are certain must haves that every girl needs to keep in her make-up bag.

We spoke to Barry M Cosmetics Celebrity Make-up Artist Amy Sachon to bring you a list of top tips.

We all like nice new clothes, but we can sometimes get carried away, buying more and discarding perfectly good items because they are no longer "new".

This has led to many high street stores opening up, offering disposable fashion pieces at a low price to the consumer, but at a cost to others. There have been many high profile cases over the past few years about such stores using sweat shops in third world countries to produce such clothes as cheaply and quickly as possible.

While were not telling you never to buy clothes again (we wouldn't be able to stick to that) we thought we'd give you some tips on how to make your current wardrobe, and future shopping trips as ethically friendly as possible.

Read on for our tips.

Like with fashion, popular hairstyles come and go. We've all had the "I want the Rachel" moment when we've come out of a salon feeling brilliant only to see a magazine with another "must have" hair do.

This isn't so bad if you've gone for something moderately sober, but what about all those hundreds of girls who went out and chopped off their locks a la Victoria Beckham, only to see her wearing extensions the week after.

It's hard keeping up with all these trends so we've put together a list of timeless styles and cuts, which will keep you looking fashionable without the outrageousness.

Bob Cut.
This short hairstyle falls between the ears and chin. But it's not a simple style as not all bobs look the same. They can be worn with or without a fringe and the hair can be cut evenly or angled to be longer in the front.

Straight.
If you're a girl who likes to just shake it and go straight, blown-out tresses are your best bet. This style is seasonless and looks great at almost every hair length.

Crop or Pixie Cut
This is a very short hairstyle for women (think Demi Moore in Ghost) where the hair is cut very close to the head. Again, there are many varieties of this classic cut. You can choose for a jagged, razor cut or a softer scissor-cut version, otherwise known as a pixie cut.

Shag
This should really be called the "Rachel" cut. It's one of the most flattering cuts as it has layers that frame the face, making it look slimmer. Again, you can have as many layers as you want with this style, but those with naturally curly hair should avoid going layer crazy. Too many of these and you'll have a nightmare blow drying your mop.

Pony Tail.
Although reminiscent of a five year old's style the classic ponytail still reigns as a timeless hairstyle. Grow your ponytail up by using extra hair pieces to give the ponytail more length and sexy appeal or by twisting hair around the hairband.

Curls.
We always want what we can't have when it comes to our hair, but it's good news for those of us who have curly hair because bouncy-styled tendrils are still a favorite classic.

The Wedge.
This is essentially a version of the classic bob in which the front is shorter than the back, and the back is tapered. However, you'll need patience for this cut as it needs to be styled properly in order to avoid looking as though it came from 1973. Wear their hair "messy" and texturized, rather than smooth and sleek for an up to date look.

Click on the gallery below to see the hairstyles

Picture the scene; you've spent hours getting dressed, painting your nails and doing your hair and make-up especially for your big night out.

But just as you reach to pull on those strappy shoes that nail polish, you so lovingly coated on a mere five hours ago, chips. Yes, we can see you getting as wound up as we are, just thinking about it.

Nail chipping is a very common problem that has happened to at least 99% of us unlucky ladies. So what can you do to minimise this and prevent your blood pressure from rising just before that big night out?

We've put together some tips and also spoken to nail expert Sue Shillum of Feel Fabulous to help ensure chipping doesn't happen.

Read on for our list of tips.

Denim has clung onto the cusp of the fashion world for a good few decades and we don't see it moving out of the stylish spotlight for a long time.

However, although denim itself has stuck, the styles have changed from season to season. This mean those pairs of skinny jeans you once loved, have been relegated to the back of the wardrobe and replaced with another seasonal favourite.

This not only costs money, but also means you have a wardrobe full of denim demons (yes we don't throw anything away either).

We've therefore had a look at some timeless denim styles that you can wear throughout the seasons without looking dated and put together a few tips to ensure you get the perfect fit.