By Heather Cabot, The Well Mom
Nina Sutton started re-evaluating her beauty routine...and her budget the moment she welcomed home her second baby.

"Children are so expensive today. I often find myself giving up something for myself, in order to buy something extra for the boys, or to invest more for them," says the author of the new book, The Chic Mom's Guide To Feeling Fabulous: Easy tips for an amazing life after the stork has arrived and beyond! .

The sticker shock is typical for many new moms, who are feeling even more pressure these days with the uncertain state of the economy.  Sutton wants to help busy, stressed out-moms figure out creative ways to feel good about themselves while getting more for their money.  The former marketing consultant who lives in Hermosa Beach, CA drew her inspiration from those sleep-deprived days of early motherhood.

"I wanted to feel pretty and together. I needed to take that extra moment. I needed to plan the night before, no matter how tired I was. That is where many tips came from- I wanted to lay it out for other busy moms - That way they do not have to think," explains Sutton, who is also the founder of DealsforDivas.com, a discount shopping site for beauty and lifestyle products.

Nina Sutton

Here are her five tried and true ways to save some cash and still look gorgeous!

1. Invest in multi-purpose products, i.e a tinted moisturizer with an SPF, blush that can be used as sunblock.
 
"Not only will these save you money, (because you are not buying as many products) they will save you time," she says.
 
2. Buy a bottle of Monoi Oil. This oil from Tahiti is a combination of coconut oil and gardenia flowers.  Hands down, it's Nina's favorite beauty product. This oil (found at select beauty stores and online at www.monoi.com) is inexpensive ($9.95 for a 4oz bottle), and can be used as:
a) bath oil
b) body moisturizer
c) hair conditioner
d) mixed with sea salt to make a body scrub
e) light perfume
 
"And it smells so good that you feel like you have been on a vacation, without leaving your bathtub," Sutton says.
 
3. Go to a professional beauty school for your haircut for a fraction of the cost.  For example, Toni and Guy and Paul Mitchell both have amazing schools and the students are trained very well.
 
4. If you need to get a massage, go to a massage school, similar to the hair styling above. They often offer treatments for free or for little cost
 
5. Take 10 minutes to take a bath. Throw in some bubble bath (or Monoi oil), light a candle and sip a glass of wine. This is an instant escape and hubby can watch the kids for 10 -15 minutes!