Lack of the readies need not mean doing without in the beauty arena, according to beauty writers Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley in their new book, Beauty Bible: Beauty Steals. Instead, with a little know-how and a modicum of time and effort, you can look as high maintenance as any woman who lunches.

Make-up: Book in at a department store for a free make-up or a new look. If you time it right, you can get all glammed up for a date - for nothing!

Fragrance: Float into your favourite perfume hall — and spritz! But beware you don’t end up too much of a cocktail; three is plenty. If you’re going out, stick to your favourite.

Skincare samples: If you’re looking for something specific — day moisturiser, say, or night cream/serum — talk to a brand consultant and ask for a free sample of something suitable to try before you buy. Always keep an eye out for product launches, when companies tend to sample heavily on lots of ranges, from skin and suncare to fragrance.

Upkeep: Ask your favourite hair salon, spa or beauty salon if they need models for training. You might get a free cut, colour (results not guaranteed!), facial, manicure or even a Brazilian bikini wax.

NB: you’ll probably need to be flexible timewise. Loyalty cards: Sign up for all these and remember to bring them with you every time you buy — you can end up with lots of useful things for free.

Gifts with purchase (GWP): Keep a beady eye on your favourite brand counters, ads in magazines and beauty websites, but remember — only buy products you really want!

Barter: Organise swap shops for products. Everyone gets to clear out the products that don’t suit them and try a whole range of new ones.

Girls’ night in: Give each other a mani/pedi, miniback/ neck/shoulder massage, or even a facial or blow-dry. If you can’t recruit a friendly beauty therapist to guide you through your paces (you could barter instruction for a meal, say, or shopping), take along a how-to beauty book. Be diligent and you could even find that you have a money-spinner on your hands (and face, and feet…)

DIY facial oil

It's incredibly simple to make your own facial oils. You need a base oil (or blend of base oils) and some essential oils, which have different skin-enhancing properties. For each 30ml of base oil, add around 25 drops of essential oil in all. The least expensive way is to choose oils from the recipes below (you may already have some or all of them in your kit). We recommend Neal's Yard Remedies essential oils.

Base oils for normal skin: Jojoba, borage seed, evening primrose, carrot.

Add two or three of these: German camomile, geranium, lavender, rose, neroli, palmarosa, fennel, lemon.

Add two or three of these: German camomile, juniper, geranium, lavender, cypress, palmarosa, lemon, rosemary, frankincense, marjoram.

Add two or three of these: German camomile, calendula, lavender, sandalwood, patchouli, rose, calendula, geranium, neroli.

Beauty tips:

1 Sticky, cheap glosses can be a pig to remove. A make-up artist's tip is to wipe lips with a damp washcloth dipped in olive oil. (Great for eradicating any lip product, too.)

2 If you can't wait 15 minutes between applying moisturiser and foundation, dry your face with a hairdryer on a cool setting.

3 If you use a product with a wand-style applicator, wash it at least once a week to keep it clean and free from bacteria. (Yes, there are lots of antibacterials in these products, but good hygiene is so important with problem skins). Use the same technique as for washing any brush or sponge: smoosh a mild shampoo or hand cleanser into the sponge tip and rinse well, then repeat it until it's 100pc clean. Leave it to dry thoroughly somewhere warm.

4 To enhance the eye-opening power of your eyelash curlers, you can blast with a hairdryer on hot for five seconds (no more) before using, to mimic the effect of the (pricier) heated ones now on the market.

5 In winter, give hands and arms a treat by applying a heavy moisturiser, then wrapping them in clingfilm. After 20 minutes, discard the clingfilm and rub in excess cream.

Beauty Bible: Beauty Steals, by Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley, is published by Kyle Cathie Limited and priced at around €11.99

- Suzy Belton