We tend to look for quick-fixes in order to feel good — an iced frap, splurging on heels, or checking into a mani session. These are all well and good, but I don’t think they truly help us feel beautiful on the inside. When we have a bad day, it’s easy to fall back on 3 seconds of “yay” but you will still feel like you were before.

I think it’s pointless to talk about beauty without bringing the mind into it. If you are positive and happy, it will show in your radiant face.

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I know recession beauty tips are as stale and crusty as week-old bread so I’m not going to espouse on that. But I will say that swapping beauty products is a great way to keep that sense of luxury we love so much alive and well despite the dismal economy.

Instead of downgrading to a cheaper brand, why not trade something you don’t want for something that you do? It’s not a new concept to beauty addicts, so I’ll just talk about my experience.

As I was cleaning out my closet after I returned from my Sydney holiday, I couldn’t help but feel guilty about practically full bottles of fragrances that I didn’t adore as much as before.

I was like, “I’ve got nothing to wear…” But in my heart, I knew it would be frivolous of me to buy more of something that just evaporates into thin air.

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Do you ever get tired of your perfume? Although I have several to choose from, there are days which I yearn to wear a different fragrance. Scents are less tangible than clothes or shoes, so justifying 5 more bottles is hard.

What I do is I experiment with different perfume oils or body lotions to combine with my exisiting perfumes. For example, I might dab a little coconut oil on my wrists after spritzing Givenchy’s Jardin d’Interdit (a Japan-only limited edition fragrance) which is a citrusy floral scent.

I may use The Body Shop’s Banana Body Butter with Prada’s Infusion d’Iris. It’s like matching cheap and chic in a way *chuckles*. Look at Sarah Jessica Parker’s story about mixing a men’s scent with drug store musk — I loved reading about that.

I once attended a perfume workshop where we made our own concoctions — one of the funnest moments in my life. I used to think I would end up with clashing combinations but try to have a feel for what might match. I tend to mix similar families of fragrances, eg: fruit with fruit, or white musk with floral. Or you could go the other way and mix opposites to take the edge off. For instance, a heavier scent with amber or patchouli might do with an airy, sharper note like lily or green tea.

There are so many ways to blend your scents, so just tap into your imagination.