Come closer to your screen! I have to tell you a little secret I've discovered after covering stars for over three decades.
Ready?
Celebrities are the cheapest people on earth! Who cares if they're making a gazillion dollars per movie, they still don't want to spend their own cash. This brings me to the idea that we should stop spending our money on big budget cosmetics and go for natural remedies. I asked the experts and one of our best star beauty role models for their cheap beauty tips!
Wrinkle Relief:
This comes directly from celebrity makeup artists who worked on me during a stint when I did Fox News as their entertainment reporter. They said to skip high priced eye creams and buy some over the counter vitamin E oil to combat fine lines and even scars. To wit: Hospitals put vitamin E oil on patients with scars to fade the marks. It works wonders on your skin. Go to GNC and buy the roll on vitamin E for easy application.
Adult Zits Are the Pits:
Yes, it's hard to have adult outbreaks of acne because it's basically not fair that you have to pay a mortgage and deal with pimples at this age. This fix came from a great interview I did with Lynda Carter, TV's Wonder Woman. She told me, "On Sunday mornings when I make eggs for the family, I'll crack an extra and put just the whites on my face to tighten and ward off any blemishes." Just paint it on with your whisk, allow it to set for 20 minutes and then rinse with your normal cleanser and cool water. A model told me her trick was to mix a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice with the egg whites. Paint this on as a mask and then rinse off. The lemons help reduce the oil on your skin that causes breakouts.
Fix a Bruise:
It's klutz central over here where I trip on the dog at least twice a day. (He's a 122-pound German Shepherd who thinks he's in charge -- because he is). Anyway, Dixie Lincoln-Nichols, who founded the amazing Dixie Bits bath and body line, suggests that you buy sunflower oil and keep it in your house because it smells nice and it's a light oil packed with vitamins A, B, D and E, and high in linoleic acid. It's been used to provide a protective barrier on the skin of preemie babies. Another benefit is you can use it on skin bruises to help fade them fast.
A Fast, Easy, Cheap Facial:
If you have the blahs and want a spa treatment without the expense of the spa, Dixie told me about her fast fix. "I love avocado and use the oil in my products. You can use it as a facial mask," she says. "Just mash the flesh of an avocado and rub it over your face. Leave for 20 minutes and rinse. It will tighten your skin."
Cindy Pearlman is the co-author of several beauty books including The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets, The Black Book of Hollywood Diet Secrets and The Beauty Cookbook.