Posted by The Budget Babe's Beauty Expert
Summer is almost here, and we all know what the means—skin, skin and more skin!!! Beautiful skin from head to toe is just a couple bucks away with these great products that I personally use for glowing, soft, and gorgeous skin!

For a beautiful fresh face I have a product that I think I would literally die without (actually I have several, I’m freakishly attached to my regimen). I’ve tried a lot of face washes, and never have I come across a product that has such obvious and consistent results. It’s the [1] St. Ives Swiss Formula Medicated Apricot Scrub with Salicylic Acid for Oily/Acne Prone Skin. Its not strong at all, never leaves my skin dry, and makes me feel clean not tight. It’s fabulous. It also comes in different formulas, sensitive and renew & firm. All really great (I’ve tried them all!) Each one only costs $3.79. Use it daily for best results.

In the summer, I love to follow up with a very light moisturizer that cools, refreshes and depuffs skin. Also creates a perfect base for any kind of makeup (I could go on about how great this stuff is for hours!) I adore the [2]St. Ives Swiss Formula Cucumber & Elastin Eye &Face Stress Gel for all skin types. So cheap ($3.99), and worth is weight in gold! Hard to find in stores, but readily available at Walgreens.com or Drugstore.com. Loves it!

For a soft, supple body from the neck down I recommend [3]Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Conditioning Cocoa Butter ($5.79). Not greasy, sticky, or too thick, you’ll get perfect moisture and beautiful skin. This is the first lotion I can honestly say I think has improved the quality of my skin (I’m talking about stretch mark repair), and considering I’ve tried them all, that’s saying a lot. Smells lovely, a definite bargain.

Hot summer tootsies bringing you down? Try [4]Burt’s Bees Peppermint Foot Lotion ($8.99). Its 100% natural, and 100% effective! Peppermint brings a tingly cool sensation to tired feet to soothe and calm, while softening Beeswax and Vitamin E prevent against roughness.

Posted by The Budget Babe's Beauty Expert

Like most women interested in fashion, I have a love/hate relationship with shoes. Love is the only word that can be used to describe the initial response to a glorious pair of heels. The sexy spike of the stiletto, the oomph of the wedge, the beauty of the boot—these are the things dreams are made of. Only difference is that in my dreams, I can wear them for longer then twenty minutes without cursing under my breath from the horrid pain they inflict on my poor feet.

That’s where the hate part of the relationship comes in. Just two weeks ago I found myself screaming at a pair of brown suede pumps in the subway, "WHY?!!!! Why must you be so tempting and then hurt me this way?!" Needless to say, my fellow riders gave me the you’re-the-reason-people-fear-public-transportation look.

That night at home while soaking my tootsies in a warm bath, I decided that the relationship between me and my shoes needed professional help...

We budget beauties have long-known that looking beautiful doesn't have to come at a high price. So we were eager to check out the May 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine, where readers share their picks of 60 budget-friendly moisturizers, sunscreens, shampoos, and more.

We took a gander at the complete list and have to agree with most of the suggested products. All were practical, effective and affordable (which is precisely what you'd expect from Real Simple's loyal readers).

Here, The Budget Babe's handpicked faves from the list:
[1] Best Moisturizing Bar Soap: Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Moisturizing Body Bar, $3.50

[2] Best Shampoo for Fine Hair: Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Shampoo, $3.99

[3] Best Body Wash with Lather: Burt’s Bees Citrus & Ginger Root Body Wash, $8

[4] Best Face Cleanser for Dry Skin: Vichy Oligo 25 Foaming Cleansing Face Wash, $12

I have been a self-proclaimed lip gloss addict since the early age of nine (yes, I have a problem). Through the years, I have tasted, puckered, and kissed my way through every kind of vial, tube, stick and tub available to (wo)man. Now that I think about it, I should really be in the lip gloss industry… ----dreaming---- or rehab… Anyway, since I've titled myself a lip-glossing expert I feel it's my duty to share my wisdom.

When it comes to the gloss, I personally don't think that cost and quality go hand in hand. If anything, the cheaper the stick the better the balm. For a high-quality, delicious, and super affordable pucker-pleaser, stick with the classics: Lip Smackers by Bonne Bell.

They come in all kinds of tempting and delish flavors, and are so super affordable at under two bucks a pop I can stock up and switch it up to make sure my lips (and my boyfriend) never get bored.

Keep in mind I'm talking about the classics—no glitter (too scratchy! Ouch!), but even that's fine because every year the brains at Lip Smacker come up with new flavors for the original formula.

They're creamy, have a perfect texture, and leave just the right sensation on your pucker. Most are sheer, some have a slight tint, but all are perfect alone or as a base/primer.

For summer, my personal fave is Tropical Punch. It comes in a sassy, hot-pink tube, has a slightly tangy scent, and leaves just a hint of vibrant pink/orange on your lips that looks so natural, it will have all your friends jealous of your genes!

These little sticks have never let me down throughout my love affair with glosses. I love trying and wearing all types of gloss (and will probably be passing on my tips on many), but in the end I've always got that little Lip Smacker in my bag as backup, and so should you!

Kisses from TBB Beauty Expert

Get the Bonne Bell Lip Smacker trio lip gloss with Kiwi, Tropical Punch and Mango flavors, $4.15 at drugstore.com.