From nail biter to nail care teacher - tips that work

I was a nail biter from a very young age. Now, I teach others how they can have beautiful nails, without spending a fortune. All you need is a little basic nail care. Soak your nails in oil for 10 minutes each day for one month. Whatever oil is in the kitchen pantry will do. Massage each nail in a circular motion (not back and forth) with the ball of the thumb. After the first month, this treatment is only needed once a month .

The next step is to treat nails weekly for the next six weeks . Cleanse them with a nail polish remover, again starting at the end of the nail bed and working down the nail to the tip. From here on, apply a simple protective barrier nail polish every day. In the beginning, the nail polish builds up as you are learning - do not worry or be concerned about that - just only do the nails once a week. Every week also file and buff the nails. Only do this once per week, as one can over process the nails (just as you can do with skin and so on).

I have ended up teaching nails care for 20 years and all of my clients who have followed handling correctly as well as the process are the proud owners of beautiful nails and hands!

Get every last cent out of your powder foundation

I have found an easy way to use up every last bit of make-up powder foundation. You know when you have almost got to the end of your powder compact, and all that is left is the powder on the rim? It's sad to waste, but so hard to use. Not any more, however! I've discovered it can easily be removed using a small spoon or lolly stick, then transferring it into another container. From there, you can simply apply it with a brush, like a loose powder! From now on, every time I buy a new compact, the left over bits first get mixed together and used. These days I never run out in between buying my more expensive foundation. Better still, I get to use the crushed foundation powder for 'everyday' and keep the new compact for special occasions, making it last even longer!

Homemade cake mix

We all know how convenient it is to grab a packet of cake mix off the supermarket shelf, but you can save a lot of money by making your own. This recipe is really easy to make and you can store it in the fridge for up to three months or for longer in the freezer.

Ingredients:

250g self raising flour
185g caster sugar
2tbsp milk powder, skimmed or full cream
125g butter

Method:

Sift or process all dry ingredients until combined, and then rub in or process the butter.

To make the cake add:

2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup water

When these ingredients have been added to the cake mix, beat the whole lot until combined. Bake at 150C - 180C for 30 minutes if making one cake, or 20 minutes for smaller cakes. For variety, add coffee, cocoa or anything else you like. This is as good as shop bought cake mixes and half the price!

Anti-pimple treatment that works!

I save over $50 per month on skin care preparations for my children's teenage skin. With four of them, I have spent a fortune over the years on pimple creams, Panoxyl at $12 a tube and the latest Diprovan cream at $52 per month.

Once, we ran out and in exasperation I advised my daughter to use bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice. It works! Cut a lemon in half and save one half covered in the fridge for later use. Rub the other half on affected areas and use as a cleanser. Rinse, then cut a slice off the top, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge. Then mix one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with a small amount of water to make a paste. Dab onto affected pimples and leave for half an hour. Then rinse off. (Perfect for evenings when doing homework!)

The lemon acts as an astringent and is antibacterial. The bi-carb dries up the excess oil causing the pimple.

For a cheap and effective moisturiser we use Vaseline Intensive Care at $8.00 a bottle, which lasts six months. A total cost of $26 (lemons from the garden) per year and my daughter has recommended this to all her friends. Much better than $600 spent at the chemist each year!