Do-it-yourself makeovers: forget about shelling out big bucks to change your looks. These simple tips start at $5

Shape, May, 2005 by Kathy Miller Kramer

Be careful with your color. When coloring your hair, stay within two shades of your natural color, whether you're going lighter or darker. "The further you stray from your natural shade, the more maintenance you'll need," Giselle explains. (Maintenance is now easier with the new Clairol Nice 'n Easy Root Touch-Up, $7; at drugstores; it's a permanent dye meant to be used midpoint between colorings to cover any roots that have started to show.)

Surprisingly, even subtle color changes can still make a dramatic difference in your overall appearance. As a general rule--for women of all ages--warmer tones like golden blonde, honey and caramel are more flattering than ash blonde and drab browns, which can wash you out. L'Oreal Professionnel Artec Colorist Collection Shampoo ($12.50; us.loreal professionnel.com for salon locations) cleanses and deposits color on strands in a range of brunettes, reds and blondes. If you do plan on an extreme change, it's best to consult a professional to avoid disaster. (To test how you'll look with a different hair color, click on the clairol.com Try It On Studio; just upload a picture of yourself and see how you look with one or all of the 590 shade possibilities.) And since chemical treatments can be damaging to hair, keep it healthy by using a conditioning mask once a week. We like Marc Anthony Be Brunette, Brilliant Blondes and Simply Straight 60-Second Hair Masks ($8 each; at drugstores).

Add natural-looking "streaks." Create permanent color changes and give your hair a great pick-me-up with at-home highlighting kits, now easier to use than ever. To make the process simple, Giselle suggests parting your hair as you usually wear it and painting strands around your face from roots to tips in one sweep. We like the L'Oreal Hi-Light Styliste Kit ($11; drugstores), which includes both an easy-to-control defining wand for fine, precise high-lights; a brush to apply bolder, thicker chunks of color; and a blue-colored highlighting cream that helps you see exactly where you're lightening.

If you're looking for a temporary solution, try painting on shampoo-out Blonde Hair Highlights ($38; 866-777-0345) from West Hollywood, Calif., colorist Kim Vo, who frequently colors the hair of Extreme Makeover candidates. Just swipe the mascaralike wand on your strands for highlights that will last until you next wash your hair.

Transform your skin

Exfoliate a dull complexion. Be your own cosmetic dermatologist and get flawless, even-toned skin with microdermabrasion. We love L'Oreal ReFinish Micro-Dermabrasion Kit ($25; at drug-stores) and Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion in a Jar ($75; nordstrom.com); both mimic the effects of professional microdermabrasion, which polishes the skin with aluminum oxide crystals. "Two or three at-home treatments are typically equivalent to one in-office treatment," says cosmetic dermatologist Frederic Brandt, M.D., who has offices in Miami and New York City.

Peels, which dissolve dead skin cells and help eliminate unwanted pigmentation from past sun exposure, are another good at-home option. Editor favorites: MD Skincare Alpha-Beta Daily Face Peel, a gentle chemical peel that contains a blend of several acids (30 pads/$68; mdskincare.com) and Good Skin All Bright 2 Step Facial Peel Pads ($30; kohls.com), with 10 percent citric acid (a gentle alpha-hydroxy acid) and lime extract.