Skincare

Beauty – is it in the eye of the beholder, or hand of the cardholder? As the cost of lotions and potions adds up, along with their environmental impact, I've put together 11 cheap and easy beauty tips and tricks so you can avoid spending more than you need. Some of these tips are a bit extreme so I know they might not be up everyone's street, but let's see how many of them you'll give a go...

Premium brands such as Mac, Charlotte Tilbury, Estée Lauder, etc are popular among beauty fans, but often come at a price. Beauty Pie is a luxury beauty ‘buyer's club’ that claims to keep quality high and costs low by selling products straight from the lab. But can having a slice of the pie, slice the price on your premium makeup & skincare buying habits?

MSE Update, Wed 17 Feb at 11.22am: This trick has been very popular and a key element of it – the 'Shimmer All Night' set – has now sold out, which sadly means it's no longer possible to get £116 of No7 for £30. You can now get £40 of No7 beauty for £12 online, plus delivery – it's not as strong a deal, but still decent, and is significantly cheaper.

We've left the original trick below for reference as you may still want to use some of the other offers...

Here's a trick to bag a huge £116 of No7 beauty products for just £30 by stacking deals and a 'free gift' offer – you'll only be able to do this full trick online but it is possible to still get £28 of No7 for £12 in-store. Boots says it has decent stock, but these deals are incredibly popular with MoneySavers and usually go quickly, so don't hang about if you want to do this.

Here's a trick to bag £43 of No7 make-up for £11.50 (it was previously £117 for £20) online by stacking deals, a 'free gift' offer, and an online coupon code, but you'll have to be quick as this deals stack can only be done till 11.59pm on Wed 12 Aug. If you'd rather shop in store, don't worry – there's another trick further down where I explain how you can grab £50ish of No7 for £12 instead.

Here's a trick to bag £45-worth of Boots No7 beauty products for £10 by combining a 'free gift' offer with a coupon in store. Though if you'd rather shop online, don't worry – there's a slightly lesser trick further down where I explain how you can grab £37-worth of No7 for £12 instead.

MSE Update Tue 20 Aug: While both the coupon and offer are due to last till next week, as this has been very popular some stores may have sold out - so you may want to check stock before making a trip.

Beauty advent calendars, though significantly pricier than their chocolate alternative, have in recent years proved increasingly popular. We'll soon be opening them, so here's a round up some of the best we’ve seen.