Once upon a time, Michelle and Erin were two young professionals, trying to live the good life in LA on a salary more appropriate for Kerville, TX. After countless overdraft fees, parking tickets, and $15 cocktails, they decided to put their heads together and figure out how to have more fun, while receiving fewer phone calls from collection agencies. Always thinking of others, Michelle and Erin promptly set out to share their wealth – of deal information – with the hundreds of other girls (and boys) just like them. Thus, Broke Girl’s Guide was born.

Part of the reason we began Broke Girl’s Guide (other than the obvious fact that we were pitifully broke) is that we were frustrated by how polished we were expected to appear for our entry level entertainment industry jobs that paid, like, $5 a day. LA in general – and the entertainment world specifically – can be a brutal place in terms of superficial judgments, and in no other place are you expected to look the part of someone who has a Maserati when you drive a Mazda.

Fortunately for you, you’re an actor! Playing the part – any part – should come naturally to you, even if looking it does not. For help with the superficial, we’d like to share a few cheats we’ve learned over the years that will trick casting agents into thinking you’re Demi Moore long before you can afford her beauty regimen (selling soul to devil…priceless?).

We personally believe that eyebrow maintenance is critical to the overall appearance of your face, which is fortunate because it can be done well for relatively little expense. We’re threading enthusiasts – it’s quick, relatively painless, and usually under $10. We like Vinita’s Beauty & Threading Studio, but beware of the fact that the La Cienega location is at least two dollars more expensive than the others. You can get cheap waxes at hole-in-the-wall nail salons as well (we actually like the nail girls at U Salon for this) , but if you have even remotely sensitive skin, we wouldn’t recommend it as they can sometimes burn or rip the soft skin surrounding your brows and – unless you’re playing a burn victim – this is not a good look. Other waxers we like (for any unwanted hair) are Margaret (323.839.1166) and Simin in Westwood (310.470.2427). If you’re lucky enough to have naturally tamed and toned eyebrows, just pluck and trim and save yourself around $150 a year.

Of equal import to the eyebrows is the appearance of your skin. If you have health insurance, make whatever company sucks your soul away each day pay for your healthy skin by getting retinoids and other such tools from your dermatologist. If you don’t have health insurance, there are a lot of cheap ways to see short-term and long-term improvement in the look of your skin. We are currently obsessed with The Face Shop’s Mask Sheets. They sell two for $5 at Walgreens, and are designed for acne, brightening, moisturizing, etc. I also like homemade facials. You can Google ‘homemade facial’ and, if you’re feeling brave and it’s not pilot season, test a few out. I like the oatmeal/honey/warm water combination or the egg white & lemon mixture I stole from Splendicity.com . Also, bananas are said to reduce wrinkles, so it’s not the worst idea to take a banana you’ve allowed to almost rot in favor of your junk food addiction, mash it up, and spread it onto your face. Olive oil and almond oil are also really good for your skin, as long as you aren’t, like us, a naturally oily mess. Whole foods actually sells these in the beauty aisle at a jacked-up price – buy them in the food section at Ralph’s and save a bundle.

One of us is a big crybaby, and a fabulous actor roommate of hers once taught her that Preparation H can eliminate the post-weep bags that form under your eyes. Hemorrhoid creams are also good for cellulite – spread the cream onto your thighs, wrap them in cellophane, and sleep in a pair of panty hose (incredibly uncomfortable, but at least mildly effective). An even cheaper way to do reduce skin puffiness is to brew chamomile tea, let it cool, and then spray it onto your face – it’s not quite as effective, but there is some noticeable calming. Also, while Visine is obviously good for clearing eyes, it can also visibly reduce redness in angry pimples.

We don’t skimp on our hair, but that’s mostly because we have horridly limp locks which are only now acceptable out in public because of the work of our brilliant (and increasingly expensive) stylist. However, there are a lot of options around town for cutting corners on your cuts, and we know a lot of brokettes who swear by the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica. Toni & Guy also has a training salon in Santa Monica. Expect long waits (but cheap tabs) at both. For guys, hair is a bit easier – our broke male friends (who have asked to remain anonymous for the sake of their ‘love’ lives) like Rudy’s or Floyd’s for cheap yet competent cuts.

If you’ve ever seen a really hot girl/guy who then opened their mouth to reveal a decaying mess of shipwrecked teeth, you likely agree that teeth should be given top priority in the beauty regimen as well. Again, we say max out your dental insurance (you never know what all it covers until you ask) for general health and maintenance. We have an amazing mom-and-pop style dentist in Santa Monica (Dr. Dobeck, 310.451.5348) They are open on Saturdays, which can come in handy in the case of a chipped tooth or other such dental emergency (we speak from experience). We also think whitening strips are a good investment, even though they’re not, strictly speaking, cheap. We recently tried, as an alternative, the alleged natural whitening power of a mashed whole strawberry mixed with a ½ teaspoon of baking soda – we couldn’t get past the gag factor long enough to see if it worked, but for those of you with tongues of steel this alleged Catherine Zeta Jones favored homemade solution is worth a shot.

We (well, one of us) may have the thinnest lips known to womankind, but we refuse to pay $20 for those stinging lip glosses that allege to puff them up when we can use cinnamon oil instead. If you believe everything you read, cinnamon oil has a lot of additional health benefits (including birth control aid?) that should make you feel good about ingesting little bits of the stuff throughout your day/audition.

Mystic Tanning is our #1 top beauty fix. It always works for a last minute boost to the self esteem as it gives you a natural glow and covers up imperfections (read: cellulite). Though packages at most tanning salons can be pretty daunting, we think they’re a good investment if you’re smart about them (never pay more than $20 max for each session). This is a particularly good last minute option to always have at the ready before an audition. We used to go to Le Beach Club at The Grove (which used to be Unique Tans), but their deals are kind of hit or miss in terms of value these days. While embarrassing, Sunset Tan is always relatively cheap. We also like home tanning lotions, and by that I mean the lotions that portend to have tint in them as opposed to actual tinting solutions. The distinction is that the former is meant to moisturize and lightly darken while the other is just meant to paint your skin. Unless you’re very talented at tan application and/or know someone who is, we do not recommend the use of straight self tanners. Though there are several drugstore brands that will more or less do the trick, we like Clinique’s Self Sun Body Tinted Lotion because the tint enables you to see the spots you’ve missed before the tanners stain. It’s slightly more expensive than the others, but we think it works better, particularly if you’re just needing to do your arms and legs.

As far as dealing with the cause of the cellulite, exercise is a very simple and cheap way to look and feel great all of the time. We suggest you pick how you spend your exercise money based on how you best exercise. If you are an elliptical rat, check eBay for discounted ellipticals, save up, and buy one rather than getting a gym membership. In the long run, you’ll save. If you only work out well in classes, ask around to see which gyms have the best classes at the most affordable prices. LA Fitness is, in our opinion, a steal in this regard. There are also always tons of free classes offered everywhere, so keep a lookout. Power Yoga is always pay-by-donation in Santa Monica, Runyon Canyon yoga is free, and Lululemon also hosts complimentary yoga classes on a fairly regular basis. Hiking is always free, as is running on the beach. Both are great forms of exercise – just beware of the parking situation at places like Temescal or along PCH.

We are sadly incapable of giving ourselves manicures. We’ve tried and tried again, but to no avail. If you’re like us, then you have a few money-saving options in terms of nail maintenance. The first and most obvious is to pick a nude color for the nails, so that the chipping is less noticeable, thus stretching the time between visits. You can also opt for a polish change rather than a full manicure. We do this a lot, and it usually costs $4 or $5 – you don’t need your cuticles trimmed or your nails cut at every appointment. As far as pedicures go, we usually just try to handle them ourselves as most people don’t interact very closely with our toes. However, if it’s summer and/or you’ve got a ‘beachy’ or sandals-required audition or part, we would recommend getting them done (following the same maintenance rules as listed above for manicures). We love Lanny’s nails (323.653.3370) for manicures and pedicures, as they’re one of the few reliable (read: clean) places in town that will still do a combination mani/pedi for $22 (hands are $10, feet $12).

Sometimes a little relaxation is needed in order to get into the right mindset for an audition or performance, and sometimes the only way to get said relaxation in Los Angeles is, sadly, to pay for it. We really like the Natura Spa in Koreatown for a discounted spa experience. You can also call the Burke Williams Training Center in Culver City every so often to see if they have availability for free manicures, pedicures, and spa treatments. For non-shady, massage-specific treatments, we like The Massage Place , which offers $47 60-minute massages, Lamai, which offers $40 60-minute massages, and Wilshire Massage, which offers $49 60-minute massages. Also, the Sunset Foot Spa offers $20 60-minute foot massages – perfect after a long day of filming!

Our biggest cheap beauty advice, however, is to sleep. It’s free, and yet so hard to come by. At the risk of sounding like your mother, we will also advise you to drink lots of water (also free) quit smoking (money saving, actually), and consume sugar and caffeine only in moderation.

When it comes to looking the part, remember you’re meant to break a leg, not the bank!

Resource Re-cap:

Eyebrows: Vinitas (various locations); U Salon (1772 S Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035, 310.204.4995); Margaret (8036 3rd St. at Edinburgh, 323.839.1166); Simin (Westwood Blvd. btwn Ohio and Wilkins, 310.470.2427)

Fitness: La Fitness (various locations); Power Yoga (1410 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310.458.9510); Runyon Canyon Yoga(2000 North Fuller Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046); Temescal Canyon and other LA-area mountains )

Hair: Vidal Sassoon Academy (321 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310.255.0011); Toni & Guy (1358 5th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310.451.0101); Rudy’s (various locations, ); Floyd’s (various locations)

Tanning: Mystic Tan, Le Beach Club (110 South Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323.939.2826), Sunset Tan (various locations)

Nails: Lanny’s Nails (8317 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, 323.653.3370)

Spas: Natura Spa (3240 Wilshire Blvd. Suite B, Los Angeles, CA 90010); Burke Williams Training Center (8659 Hayden Pl., off Higuera St., Culver City 310.839.5895); The Massage Place (various locations), Lamai (1350 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA, 310.399.7953); Sunset Foot Spa (5419 W Sunset Blvd #3, Los Angeles, CA, 323.898.4220); Wilshire Massage (5474 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323.718.1094)

Teeth: Dr. Dobeck (1243 7th Street SUITE A, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310.451.5348)

Be sure to visit Broke Girl’s Guide often for the best deals (for guys too!) in LA.

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