These are just some of the practical and affordable ideas and tips Howlong resident Leonie Piper has written about in her book, Gorgeous On A Shoestring.

Ms Piper said women never had to give up looking after themsel- ves, even if they were on a tight budget.

“I was married at 18 and a mother at 19,” she said.

“I had little money but didn’t want to stop caring about my hair or skin.”

The self-crowned make-up queen looked for cheaper alternatives to beauty products.

“I experimented a lot,” she said.

“There’s ideas in this book that can be made for a couple of dollars.”

The nail technician of 33 years also picked up some new ideas from clients, as well as her grandmother and mother.

Ms Piper wrote the book in just under a year, saying she wanted it to be easy to read and informative without being technical.

“Young women these days feel they need to spend lots of money on products,” she said.

“It’s been proven that there’s no direct correlation between the price of a beauty product, such as moisturiser, and its benefits.”

The book retails for $14.99 at Dymocks Albury and Collins Booksellers, Wangaratta.

It is also available as an E-book on Amazon where it has been downloaded 500 times.