We may be in a recession, but British women are refusing to scrimp on style, according to new research conducted by Impulse*.
Savvy fashionistas are finding credit crunch-friendly ways of looking great and turning away from expensive high street stores such as French Connection and Jigsaw, preferring instead to shop in budget-friendly options like H&M and Primark.
A massive 84% say that they don't want to cut down on how often they shop, so instead they're choosing lower cost stores so that they can shop just as frequently. Vintage boutiques and swap-shops are also enjoying a boom as people look for alternative fashion bargains.
Women are also on the lookout for savvy ways to cut their beauty budget, with nine out of ten saying they'd ditch luxury make up brands like Dior and Chanel for own brand make-up that does the job just as well. Clever shoppers are also swapping designer perfume for fragranced body sprays to stay in budget.
Frugalistas are also changing their going out habits to save money. Instead of expensive dates in restaurants, 92% of women said they would consider a romantic home-cooked meal – saying that nothing was more romantic than a cosy candlelit dinner at home!
Fashion and beauty expert Nicky Hambleton-Jones says "As much as our survival instinct is to batten down the hatches during a recession, we all know that they don't end overnight and therefore, taking care of oneself and making the most of how we look is of utmost importance for our confidence and self esteem during difficult times.
"Sometimes a new lip gloss is enough to put a smile on your face or splash out on a bold nail colour to blast the cobwebs out of sight; a new fragrance could give you a whole new point of view. Beauty fixes will instantly give you the 'feel good' factor without breaking the bank. When it comes to fashion, designer labels come at a price, but a stylish look does not have to cost a fortune. Cheap and chic is where it's at.”
To help women stay fabulous during the credit crunch, Nicky has created five top tips for looking and feeling great on a budget. Here's how to stay stylish while saving money (and no one will notice the difference).
1: Create a signature look
Use the recession as an opportunity to move away from seasonal trends and instead collect pieces that reflect the look you're trying to achieve. That way you'll have a wardrobe of clothes that's much more coherent, distinctive and recession proof. It will also prevent you shopping for the 'sake of it', instead adopting a much more focused approach and preventing expensive mistake buys too. There is no right or wrong when it comes to fashion, it either works or it doesn't - experiment and discover your own set of style rules that work for you!
2. Avoid buying and wearing black
Look around you and you'll notice 75% of people are wearing black. An easy, affordable way to make yourself noticed is to invest in bold bright colours that will give you the stand out factor and more importantly make you feel good too - from now on, spend your precious pennies on anything and everything colourful, but NO black!
3. Save your pricey perfume for special occasions and use a perfumed body spray for everyday use.
Impulse body sprays are developed by the same fragrance houses as perfumes and the process for developing them is the same - the difference is that one ends up in a bottle and one ends up in a can! They also follow the latest fragrance trends in the same way as perfumes, so this season are big on uplifting floral scents. It's a great way to wear fragrance all the time without spending a fortune on perfume, and is perfect for summer when you're baring a bit more skin so want a light fragrance that you can wear all over your body.
image © Rex Features
4. Get your beauty sleep!
You're going out less, you're drinking less - it may feel like life has taken a boring turn, but why not make the most of your quieter lifestyle to get some extra sleep and ensure you come out of this recession looking years younger.
Did you know:
• Your body temperature rises at night which means nutrients are absorbed more easily. Invest in an overnight serum packed full of anti-oxidants and give your skin that extra nutri-punch
• The sleep hormone melatonin acts as an anti-oxidant, protecting your skin from environmental damage. The more sleep you get the more you'll protect your skin.
• Investing in a silk pillowcase will ensure you don't wake up with crease lines all over your face (which result in permanent wrinkles as we age)
image©Rex Features
5. Become a DIY beauty queen
Having a fabulous skin doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on spa treatments. Pamper your skin regularly and affordably at home with these few simple tricks:
• Make your own Avocado face pack, full of omega oils, Vitamin E and chemically free. Simply mash the flesh and apply to the face, let it work for 15 minutes then rinse off.
• Create your own exfoliator. Simply mix together two crushed cherries (pips removed), crushed, six crushed raspberries, half a handful of roughly chopped mint, two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of coarse salt, massage into face, hands and feet, rinse, and pat dry. The berries contain a natural fruit acid which aids in exfoliation and the cherries will also help to reduce inflammation.
Exfoliate the skin a couple of times a week followed by face pack and watch your skin transform from lack lustre back to lustrous.
* All research by Redshift for Impulse, March 2009. Sample size of 1000 17-24 year old women
Romantic Spark is one of 10 delicious smelling body sprays from Impulse, available in all leading supermarkets and chemists including Superdrug and Boots at an RRP of £2.19.
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