Broke And Woke! Priceless At-Home Beauty Treatments That Will Make You Feel Like A Million Bucks!

Being broke in January does not preclude spa moments … we all need to relax and this can be done with some great products and smart budget moves! Check out these priceless at-home beauty treatments that will make you feel like a million bucks! 

January is rarely a joyful time of year because of  blah weather and large credit card bills. The idea of a spa day seems impossible  but this not necessarily true.  A daily spa ritual can cost mere pennies a day and a group gathering on monthly basis where participants split the costs, suddenly makes the unattainable instantly accessible.

AMBIANCE — ESSENTIAL FOR THE DAILY AND GROUP SPA RITUALS

The first step is ambiance and this can be achieved by turning off you phone (free), making a cup of chai (mere pennies and already stocked in all South Asian homes), and lighting a scented candle (a few dollars) in a safe place where fabric such as curtains and towels are kept at a safe distance.

The candle is important and I strongly recommend buying a higher end candle which uses natural oils and waxes. The candle will come with a quality wick which is easier to light even after multiple uses and after 30 minutes the room is scented so you can blow it out. Also very little of the wax is actually melted after 30 minutes so the product lasts a long time. My personal favourite is the Fresh Brown Sugar Scented Candle because it has a delightful  gourmand scent that reminds me of  lemon cakes drizzled with chocolate. This candle when lit will cost mere pennies per use, and probably will last for a good 18 months.

DAILY SPA RITUAL — QUALITY PRODUCTS AND MASSAGE

After the end of a long day during which you braved walking over sheets of black ice, faced office politics and missed the bus, coming home and setting aside 10 minutes alone in the bathroom is a necessity, not a luxury.

An effective mini-spa day should start with tying your hair up (only a few dollars for a pack of hair ties) and putting on head band (only a few dollars and it will last for years with regular washings).  Thereafter, wash your hands using a soap such as the softly-scented Beauty Counter Hand Wash in Citrus Mimosa, which effectively cleans the hands with a half pump of product.  It is a combination of tangerine extract, peppermint oil,  lemon peel oil, amongst others to deliver a clean that leaves the skin soft.  This products costs mere pennies per use and will last several months.

The trick is to relax the hands by taking the thumb from the right hand and massaging the palm of the left, and vice versa. After this step, hold you pointer and middle fingers together and massage in the hand wash on the backs of the opposite hand, and then end by gently squeezing the thumb and pointer finger at the base of the each finger (and thumb) from base to tip  of the opposite hand.

Once the hands are rinsed and relaxed they can caress the contours of the face with gentleness and care.

I am besotted with the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Cleansing Ritual because it is a two-step process that is gentle and encourages facial massage.

The first step is to squirt a dime-sized dollop (this duo needs only a small amount to have a big impact so each use will cost pennies) of the Ritual 1 Citrus Oil Radiance Cleanse which has vitamin C (brightens your skin), bacuri butter (reinforces your skin’s barrier) lemon oil (stress reducer) amongst others. The oil should be spread on the palms and then massaged into the face by following these ten super easy steps:

1. Cup the face from inner cheeks and gently press outward towards your ears.
2. Place your palms  down on forehead and make tiny circles.
3. Place the pad of your middle fingers on corresponding nostrils and run them taut along the sides of the nose.
4. Place pointer and middle fingers of both hands tip-to-tip at the centre of the chin, and run them along the jaw line in smooth mini strokes, making sure to tap gently on the area of hinges of the jaw.
5. Tap gently around the eye area using the left ring finger (don’t forget the eyelashes if you wear mascara).
6. Make upwards strokes from the base of the neck to the jaw line.
7. Wet the muslin cloth (Their’s is made in India).
8. Tap it all over the face until the oil and your make-up are removed.
9. Splash the face a few times with tepid water and finally…
10. Use a facecloth to tap dry.

Afterwards, breath in the scent of the candle and the essence of the cleanse, because scent is also part of the spa experience. The next step is to take a dime-sized dollop of the Ritual 2 Purifying Charcoal Cleanse which is composed of bamboo charcoal (great for detox), nordic beauty peat (it establishes the pH balance of your skin) and vitamin B3 (for skin clarity) and apply as as noted above in steps 1 through 6. Once the product turns white, remove it following steps 7 through 10.

After this ritual, I use an oil six time a week to hydrate and seal-in the softness.  Initially, I was skeptical about oils because I have combination skin and was afraid to clog my pores.  I am pleased to report that facial oils, unlike the villainous mineral oils of my teeny bopper years, enhance the skin rather than cause pimples.  I recommend the Beauty Counter Facial Oils which are offered in three formulations for brightening, balancing or plumping.  I like using two drops of the balancing one (one bottle can last for several months and again cost pennies per use) because of my combination skin, and I repeat the massage ritual outlined herein above.  I also make sure to breath in the oil because the ylang ylang is calming and ideal on a Canadian winter night.  I then blow out the candle and make my beloved chai, feeling proud that I went from frazzled to fabulous in 10 minutes flat!

On a weekly basis, I like to follow the ritual by applying a thin layer (a dime-sized dollop, so one jar will last easily 18 months with proper storage and cost pennies per use) of Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask which uses kombucha, black tea extract, blackberry leaf extract, and lychee seed to provide antioxidants protection and hyaluronic acid spheres to moisturize. I spread it all over my face and the neck making sure I avoid my eye area. As the masque soaks into my skin I blow out the candle, and go to  make my chai which is a 5-7 minute process. I then return to the bathroom while my chai cools down to splash my face with tepid water and then pat it dry. My skin is glowing, it is so easy to smile, and my chai leaves me feeling like champ.

THE GROUP SPA RITUAL — SPLIT THE COST AND MULTIPLY THE PLEASURE!

A fantastic way to relax is to be surrounded by people who love you — and it is true the best things in life are free!  To enhance the free, you can also split the cost on pricey products so that everyone can enjoy the glam life over chai and laughs (also free).

The following two products really impressed me and are ideal for splitting between a few close friends (ideally no more than 3 because beyond that point it becomes cumbersome to organize spa nights). First is the Nannette de Gaspé Essence Noir™ Polish which is contained in a pump dispenser and guarantees that no one’s fingers will be inserted into the communal product, an essential hygiene element for a group spa activity. The product itself is an effective combination of volcanic sand extracts, activated charcoal and glycolic acid. It also contains black tea ferment, black super fruits and black Tahitian peal extracts. You know that when you take three pumps, which is sufficient to exfoliate the face, neck and the upper décolleté, your skin is being smoothed and resurfaced with top of the line ingredients and being reinforced with antioxidants. This dove grey exfoliant is gentle and ideal for darker skin tones which are susceptible to hyper-pigmentation created by micro tears. After splashing the face, neck and upper décolleté with tepid water, and patting dry with a towel, the next step in the sheet masque.

I cannot bear sheet masques which are wet because they invariable feel cool to the touch, are sticky to apply and there is so much excess product in the package that you need to remove your pyjama top to massage it all the way to the navel.  I find these sheet masques to be annoying and produce the exact opposite effect of the ideal spa experience.

The Clé de beauté Illuminating Concentrate masques however deliver on luxury and beautiful skin without all the sliminess. The six-pack set comes with lotion and essence packets that are conveniently marked 1 and 2, to remove the guessing game as to how to start this luxurious experience. The lotion is a clear, lightweight liquid that is easily tapped into the face.  I like to pour it onto my palms and then tap them gently all over my face.  Once that is done, I follow with the Essence which is a bit thicker and needs to be massaged in (follow steps 1 through 4, inclusive).

The pièce de resistance is the two part sheet masque. It is dry to the touch and feels like a gel cushion heaven. The upper part which hugs the forehead and nose, and the lower part which hugs the cheeks, chin and jaw, attach to the face and stayed put. I was able to prepare chai while wearing this masque and nothing budged. The gel cushion caressed the contours of my face and it was an incredibly soothing experience.  I loved breathing in the candle and taking very small sips of tea (the mouth opening restricts the ability to drink chai). After 10 minutes, I sadly removed the sheet masque but that sentiment disappeared when I looked into the mirror and discovered a glowing complexion.   The quick results of this masque will transform a group spa night into an unforgettable one.

CHA CHING! 

Remember that a great spa experience is never out of reach, it’s all about thinking creatively with a budgetary flair. You do not need a plethora of items to create a great at-home spa experience, just select few products that have impactful ingredients and only require a small amount with each use. These products will last for a year or more and deliver great results when you use your hands and chai to enhance the experience.

Main Image Photo Credit: www.rd.com