by Barb Hickey

Created on: February 27, 2009   Last Updated: March 19, 2009

In her song "Beautiful", Carol King sings, "You're beautiful. You're beautiful as you feel." Every woman no matter how young or old can identify with these words. If you feel beautiful when you look in the mirror, everyone else will see you as beautiful too. Most women were not blessed with the natural beauty of tanned skin, long eyelashes, long nails, or long and beautifully colored hair. Thanks to the wonderful self-enhancing beauty aids on the market today we can all look beautiful.

Many women long to have the sun kissed look of spending a day all year. There are ways to get the bronze glow without spending a day at the beach. Spray tans became the rage in Hollywood several years ago and have now made their way to your local city or town. The average cost for a spray tanning session is about $35 and to keep your tan looking fresh, it is recommended to have one session per week which will cost you about $140 - $150. There are lower cost alternatives to spray tans that you can purchase in drug or department stores. Self tanning products like Neutrogena's Sunless Tanning Kit sells for $25 at drug stores and supermarkets and Lancome's Soleil Flash Bronzer for the body sells for $90 in department stores. Even application is the trick to applying self tanners whether it is the department store brand or the drug store brand.

False eyelasses, famous in the 1960s, are making a big comeback. The new lashes are easy to apply and are more natural looking than the false lashes of the 60s. These new false eyelashes are reusable and come in a variety of colors, textures and lengths from the natural looking hair colors to bright blue, green and purple and some even have jewels and crystals.

Long nails have always been a sign of beauty, but some women are unable to grow long nails. There are false nails for every budget. You can buy press on nails and nails that are applied with nail glue at all of the drug and discount stores. The nails come in a variety of sizes and shapes that can painted any color you choose. And, there are nails that are designed to look like a french manicure. Nail salons will charge between $35 - $50 to apply false tips to your nails. Your nails will have to be filled in every two weeks which will cost about $20 - $25 per session. The tips can last for months, however if left on for long periods of time, they tend to weaken the natural nail underneath.

Everyone woman dreams of having beautiful hair. As women age, the natural hair color they had as children tends to dull and eventually turn gray. Clairol and L'Oreal are two of the most popular brands on the market. They come in a wide variety of colors and can be purchased in any supermarket or drugstore. They are reasonably priced and easy to apply at home. If the thoughts of coloring your own hair scares you, hair salons offer coloring services in a wide range of prices depending on the salon. Celebrities have also helped to popularize hair extensions transforming their short hair to long flowing locks overnight. Clip in hair extensions can be purchased at beauty supply stores and range between $15 - $50. For a more permanent look, the extensions can be woven into the hair at a salon.

As you can see, there are many self-enhancing beauty aids to help you feel as beautiful as you are.

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