The price of looking good can often be very high—but it doesn’t have to be. You can cut corners in certain areas that will leave you looking just as great with a few more dollars in your wallet.

Skincare

Drugstore products, like Cetaphil or Neutrogena, are often just as effective as department store potions. As an added bonus, some drugstores have return policies that allow you to try a product and exchange it if you aren’t happy with it. Our favorites are Cetaphil lotion, Purpose soap, and Oil of Olay moisturizer.  

There are also several at home remedies for skin problems that are inexpensive, natural, and can be whipped up right in your pantry.  

Grind up oatmeal, mix it with honey, and you have yourself a wonderful rejuvenating max that will perfectly prep your skin for spring. 

If you have chapped lips, mix raw sugar with petroleum jelly in the palm of your hand and smooth over your lips. The result is instant exfoliation. 

Petroleum jelly can replace even the most expensive eyecream. Smooth a dab under your eyes at night (be sure to remove contacts first) and by morning it will be absorbed. Your under eye area will look plumper and refreshed. 

Don’t spend money on high tech exfoliators. Instead, buy baby wash clothes and use them, along with your usual cleanser, as a quick, sustainable exfoliation method. 

Cosmetics 

When it comes to cosmetics, you already have your favorites, your tried and true products. Use these suggestions to mix up your beauty routine and make it a little easier on your wallet.

To tame eyebrows, use generic brand clear mascara instead of an expensive brow gel. 

When buying eye shadow, invest in a high quality neutral base (think gold or champagne.) This makes your base stay longer and look more polished. You can augment the look with less costly colored eye shadows and save money without sacrificing your look. 

Everyone deserves to look their best. Follow these simple tips and you can step out in style for less money! 

Written by: Julie Anne Wieland

Bad hair day? We’ve all had them right? The goal is having a good hair day ninety percent of the time. Here are a three tips to consider to ensure you’re more satisfied with your hair more of the time.

Find the right haircut for you – Whether you have a round, oval, rectangular, or pear-shaped face, finding the right cut for your particular bone structure is vital. See what shape is right for you: 

Round - Hair should be cut to create the illusion of length in the face. To achieve this, create height on top of the head and minimize hair width my keeping it flat on the sides and around the ears.

Oval - Can wear most hair cut styles and lengths with it still looking "right".

Rectangular - The ideal style of haircut for this shape will width at the sides, which will disguise any narrowness.  A fringe can also shorten the face, and a style with a side part will help to reduce the square appearance.

Diamond – You can turn your diamond into an oval by creating width at the forehead and minimizing it at the cheekbones. 

Pear - The objective of a suitable style of hair cut is to give the illusion of an oval face by creating width at the forehead and temples.

Square - Hair should be layered around the face to soften the jaw line. Hair should wisp around face to reduce squareness.

Heart – By adding width at the jawline, heart-shaped beauties can create the illusiong of an oval-shaped face. 

No matter what your exact face shape is, there are some simple guidelines that, when followed, will help you reach that good hair goal! 

Get your hair cut frequently – When you have short, you need to get your hair cut every 4-6 weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows. But what if you don’t have short hair? You may be able to put off a cut for a little more than six weeks, but don’t put it off for too long. By getting your hair cut every 6-8 weeks, you are maximizing the style of your hair cut and maintaining maximum health of your hair.

Use the right hair product – We're sure your stylist has told you that product makes the hairstyle. And we couldn’t agree more. Product does make the difference! We have our favorite products including Bed Head’s Root Boost and Superstar, but the best product for you product depends on your hair type and length. Talk with your hair care professional. 

Whether you have a good or bad hair day can change your entire mood. Therefore, taking the time to care for it can make a difference! Be sure to really take a look at your cut and how you care for it and you’ll be sure to have more good hair days!

Attending college may be the norm, but organizations like Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen are working to make sure debt doesn’t come standard with a degree. Thankfully, many colleges and universities across the country are ready to provide in-kind scholarships to national contestants and titleholders.

Many MAOTeen contestants are on the verge of commencing the college experience, and after the 2013 competition, award winners are stepping a little lighter knowing college expenses will be less of a burden. Miss Rhode Island’s Outstanding Teen Heather Shen was awarded $3,000 in combined cash scholarships, in addition to four-year renewable, full-tuition scholarships to Auburn University, Hollins University, and Troy University. Heather said she understands the gravity of college loans; she has an older sister. But now, she can help her parents and her education. “I know how expensive it can be,” Heather said, “and to be offered so much is heart-warming to me.” 

Many former titleholders are already reaping the benefits of in-kind scholarships, and they returned to MAOTeen 2013 to tell the tale. Miss Ohio’s Outstanding Teen 2010 Cecili Weber attends Hollins University—where full tuition, half tuition, and $25,000 scholarships were awarded to MAOTeen contestants this year. The university appealed to Cecili because of its high rate of graduates finding jobs soon after graduation. The monetary incentive played a big role, too.

For former teens like Miss Viriginia's Outstanding Teen 2012 Andolyn Medina, scholarships are a chance to give parents recognition and thanks for the support they provided through the pageant journey. "When I was told about scholarships at Hollins, I thought, here's finally my chance to pay my parents back for everything they've put in for me to be a part of this organization," Andolyn said. “Everyone wants to graduate debt-free, and because of MAOTeen and Hollins, I’ll be able to.”

The benefit of in-kind scholarships isn’t just for award recipients. Universities are also at an advantage with MAO and MAOTeen contestants among the student body. “These girls are the best of all the students in the United States,” said Brenda Campbell, Troy University director of graduate studies. “These are the kind of students we want.” MAOTeen builds a program that expects a high caliber of young women, and colleges recognize that and respond by allotting scholarship dollars. MAOTeen invites new colleges to take part in their annual college fair, or to attend pageant competitions so they can see for themselves the level of maturity, academic excellence, and community service contestants are capable of. After that, it doesn’t take much convincing. 

There are indeed many opportunities to advance academically. And with the help of MAO and MAOTeen, more young women can go to college and graduate without so much debt. Still, no matter the cost, education is the most valuable asset for young women to have. “No one can take your education away,” Brenda said. “Wealth may come and go, but academics is everything.” 

Written by: Erika Rose is fourpoints magazine's staff writer.

Social media is all about timing. If you have breaking news on a winner, post quickly and accurately. Here are some tips and tricks on running great social media pages. 

• Facebook: Post one to three times a day. Post photos with links back to your website, because photos get the most “Likes” and click-throughs, and you want to inform girls about how they could be the ones in the photos. 

• Twitter: This is a quick-moving social feed. Tweet throughout the day and include photos. This is a great platform for promoting current events and giving updates during the pageant. Don’t forget to use hashtags to organize your tweets about your program! For example: #MAO, #MAOTeen, #fourpoints 

• Instagram: Who doesn’t take a lot of photos at the pageant? Use this social platform for snapping those quick pics of the contestants on stage—and, of course, the winner! 

• YouTube: Seeing the reaction of contestants becoming titleholders is the best! Share that with future contestants by promoting it on your website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

• Pinterest: What girl does not love Pinterest? Pin photos of dresses, inspirational quotes, shoes, jewelry, share videos from your YouTube channel … the possibilities are endless! No one has a whole day to devote to social media. That’s why these social managers are a great way to keep you on top of your social posting game.

• Hootsuite: The most popular social manager makes it easy to keep track of posts across multiple channels, as well as conversations, analytics, and more.

• Tweetdeck: This is a good resource if you use Twitter a lot. Manage Twitter feeds, schedule posts, and keep track of all inbox messages. 

• SproutSocial: A great business tool to keep your messages organized, make scheduling posts easy, and allow you to keep tabs on your engagement and outreach to new followers.

Written by: Chelsea Stoskopf is fourpoints magazine's editorial assistant.