Face it, as college students, we do not have a lot of money for health and beauty aids.  Here are some easy and cheap fixes for all your various needs.

1-Keeping the gold alive 

We all have those cheap “gold” jewelry pieces, whether they are rings, bracelets or necklaces. With the success of buying jewelry cheap comes the downfall of its eventual tarnish. However, rest assured ladies (or gentlemen)! By taking clear nail polish and painting it over your fake gold directly following the purchase, prevent the tarnish from ever appearing.

2-A brighter and whiter smile

Feeling like your smile could use a fix? Easy! This trick can be done using items found in your kitchen. Mix baking soda and lemon juice into a paste. Brush this “paste” onto your teeth with a toothbrush, wait one minute (no longer) and then brush thoroughly to remove. The baking soda will remove surface stains while the citric acid from the lemon has a bleaching effect. But, be careful! This trick should not be done more than once per week.

3-Eat your stress away 

Before turning to that huge container of Ben & Jerry’s (or maybe after eating a few hundred spoonfuls!) it’s time to re-think your normal “stress-eating” foods. There are a ton of options that will help you become less stressed, which is key. Avocados are one of the best de-stressing foods. These creamy fruits stress-proof your body, as they contain a ton of beneficial vitamins. Blueberries are another de-stresser and are known to have positive health outcomes, including sharper cognition. Full but stressed? Drink a cup of hot tea and feel the stress slowly disappear.

4-Coconut oil to the rescue

Although it may be shocking to hear this, coconut oil actually has over 100 uses. It can be used for cooking, but it is also an amazing lotion and moisturizer. And that’s not all: coconut oil is also a great addition to your long (or short) locks, as it hydrates your hair and keeps it rich with vitamins, while finishing it off with a shiny and healthy—but not oily—appearance.

5-Turn up the heat 

For those lovely ladies who strive for long, curled lashes, this one’s for you! By heating your eyelash curler with a blow-dryer for 10 seconds, it will become way more effective. Working similar to a hair curler, the heat intensifies the curl and creates luscious lashes.

6-Freeze your eyeliner

Does your eyeliner begin to crumble every time you attempt to apply it? If you’re nodding your head in agreement, simply put your eyeliner in the freezer 15 minutes before you’re ready to apply it, and it will go on easier than ever!

7-Shave with conditioner

Barely any time to run to CVS but desperately need to shave your legs? No problem! Hair conditioner acts in the same way as shaving cream, while also providing your legs with extreme moisture.

8-Beer and vinegar rinses

As appealing as this sounds (not), this rinse is extremely beneficial. If you want your hair to go from boring to beautiful, rinse your hair with beer for a replenishment of moisture and then vinegar, which works wonders for shiny locks. After this sits in your hair for a few minutes, wash it out with cold water, which will make the smell disappear (unless you want to smell like beer and vinegar, which is always an option).

9-Ice away your acne

Although rubbing your face with an ice cube doesn’t sound like the most fun, if it gets rid of acne, would anyone object? Massage your face before bed with an ice cube until it melts and go to bed knowing that you are one step closer to a clear face.

10- Eat chocolate for better test results

This may just be an excuse to eat more chocolate, but if there’s a chance of better test scores with a bite of this delicious goody, then no one can stop me. Apparently, people who consume small amounts of chocolate daily had improved visual and verbal memory skills. Looks like I’m going to have to make that awful trip to CVS after all to buy some chocolate.