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Recessi-eh, we can't even bring ourselves to utter the R-word. Yes, we're all feeling the economic pinch, but we also refuse to scrimp on the primp routine. Fortunately, with a few smart swaps from the drugstore, getting gorgeous doesn't have to cost a pretty penny.

Mascara
We love you, department store mascaras, but at upwards of $38 bucks a tube, you've just priced yourself out of our makeup bag. With so many mascaras on the market, finding your lash love is a lot like dating: One girl's fringe fright is another's gal's fancy, and it pays to shop around until you meet a mascara that clicks. And remember: One of the perennial best-selling mascaras (Maybelline's Great Lash) is and always has been a drugstore score.

Makeup Brushes
Busted: The drugstore brands work just as well as their pricey department store counterparts. With both synthetic and natural hair brushes, the true trick to making your investment last is to keep your brushes clean. (Even here, you don't need a fancy cleanser; plain shampoo works just fine.) To clean your brushes properly, lather them up, rinse them off, and then hang them upside-down to dry instead of laying them flat -- it's the best way to preserve the shape of the brush.


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Bikini Wax
If you're still going to the salon, stop. Over-the-counter waxes are exactly what you'll find at the spas, only without the tipping, paper undies and wagging your privates around total strangers. (Perk alert: You don't have to guess if it's sanitized or not.) With a little D.I.Y. savvy, you can be your own aesthetician-tipping optional.
Lip Gloss
Pull out your purse: How many lip shines do you have in your bag right now? If the contents of your makeup bag make it look like you collect gloss the way old ladies collect cats, you can still keep on slickin' in the drugstore. With less expensive -- but still extensive -- options, and many glosses topping off at $1 or less, you can play the field.
Body Lotion
If you're willing to skimp on fancy packaging, you can score a great deal on drugstore body lotions. The trick is to become a label-reader. For example, shea butter is a great, and relatively inexpensive, moisturizer -- the higher it's listed in the ingredients, the more that product contains. And as an added bonus, it also makes a great deep conditioner for hair.



(All images: Flickr)