$20 and under 

THE cheapest and easiest way to achieve an “instant makeover” is an eyebrow wax – a neatly defined set of brows lifts the face and enhances eyes. Civic’s Brazilian Butterfly does an eyebrow tidy from $18. www.brazilianbutterfly.com

WHILE your eyebrows are getting some attention, you may as well make them stand out. Brazilian Beauty in Woden can tint brows for a more prominent look, for just $18. brazilianbeauty.com.au

CASH-strapped this week, but keen to get fit? Many gyms around Canberra offer free weekly or daily passes to trial their equipment and classes. Visit www.gymlink.com.au for more details.

AN eyelash tint goes a long way, and it means you don’t have to bother with mascara. Faces Day Spa in Woden offer tints for $20, ranging from deep brown to jet black. Call 6281 1027 to find out more.

$50 and under

A NATURAL-looking spray tan is one of summer’s necessities: it creates a gorgeous glow and has an instant slimming effect. City Walk’s Zaija boast $40 full-body spray tans, and they even have the new, two-hour tan so you don’t have to stay sticky for long. www.zaija.com.au

THE Body Shop (Canberra Centre, Belconnen and Woden) offers makeovers with one of its professional make-up artists for every $40 spent in store – so you can get glam for that big event and also bag the goods for touch ups. www.thebodyshop.com.au

IF you want the perfect hairdo, but don’t have the time or patience, Canberra Centre’s Modern Classic does a blow wave from just $40, and styled to your liking – so you can have knockout locks without breaking the bank. www.canberracentre.com.au/retailer/Modern-Classic

YOU’LL be showing them off this summer, so why not get your tootsies in top condition with a pedicure.  Professionail in the Canberra Centre do a mean pedi from just $35. www.professionail.com.au

A GREAT set of pearly whites is the perfect base to a flawless face. B’Dazzled stocks teeth-bleaching kits in chemists in the Canberra Centre from $49.95. Visit www.bdazzled.com.au for stockists.

NEVER mind those sets of glue-on lashes that fall off by night’s end, the real deal are eyelash extensions. But don’t fret, they’re not as laboured as they sound. A session simply involves about half an hour’s application of individual lashes to your natural ones – and it’s pain-free. They usually last about two months and fall off in the way natural lashes do. Lyneham’s Beauty to You offer outer-corner lash extensions from $50. www.beautytoyou.com.au

Under $100

A FRESH glow is the first step to looking gorgeous, and a facial will get rid of any dry, dull skin left over from winter. For $60 at Civic’s Beauty by Penelope, you can get an express 30-minute facial and be summer-ready by the end of your lunch break. www.beautybypenelope.com.au.

WANT a designer outfit without the price tag? Renting is the way to go, and websites, such as www.dressedup.com.au, offer dresses from designers such as Wayne Cooper, Rachel Gilbert and Jayson Brunsdon, which can be all yours – for a week. Dresses start from around $69.

STUCK for ideas when it comes to updating the wardrobe? Westfield Woden and Belconnen offer $75 consultations with one of their fashion experts, offering one-on-one advice on key pieces to suit your body shape this season.

What’s your best budget beauty tip?