When it comes to beauty, this is what to buy

For those of us who don’t have unlimited funds, affording all you need to look gorgeous can be as simple as opting to get your java in a scrub rather than a $3 cardboard cup. Here are the top beauty products you simply must have, and the top ways to make sure you can afford pretty much everything you need to stay immaculately groomed. Espresso Truffle Sugar Scrub, $12

Three dollars a day is what I pay for my favorite coffee at Starbucks. While I certainly enjoy my cup of joe, I’ve found something even more delicious in Pompeii Street’s utterly decadent Espresso Truffle Sugar Scrub (pompeiistreet.com).

This 10-ounce scrub polishes dry skin with a natural blend of ingredients, including cane sugar, coconut oil, raw cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil and organic coffee. Best of all, no lotion is needed after applying this oh-so-sweet scrub. So, by skipping just four coffees a month, I can afford soft, smooth skin. Korres’ Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial ($48)

Travel + Leisure writes that the average cost for a martini in New York is $19. Make that $23 in London and $25 in Paris. Which means that two cocktails into a night on the town, you could be up to $50 poorer. Why not skip the libations, at least occasionally, and invest in a skin-care cocktail that will have you glowing, not moaning, the morning after?

Korres’ Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial is an overnight facial-in-a-jar and a breakthrough in beauty sleep, according to Sephora. Cautiously optimistic, I applied a quarter-sized dollop of the product to my face and neck before bedtime, and after a particularly draining day. The next day, I awoke to legitimately refreshed skin. After 14 days, Korres promises my skin will be noticeably brighter, even toned and radiant. And looking radiant is something I want to invest in. Manicures and beauty samples galore

You know smoking is bad for you, but did you know the average person spends about $323 a year on tobacco? Never mind the health benefits of quitting, just imagine what you can do with an extra $323 in your beauty budget. Like pay for manicures twice a month and invest in monthly beauty samples for an entire year ($10 per month from Birchbox.com). That’s a change for the better I definitely can afford.