In college, I wanted highlights but couldn't afford them. So I got the brilliant idea to give them to myself. Never mind that I had never tried to do so before. I was confident that it couldn't be that hard. Ha! An hour into my project, I looked like Cheetara from the Thundercats, all stripes and blotches. It was not a good look, to say the least, and I wound up spending $50 (to my student budget, a princely sum) to have a stylist fix the mess. Since then, I've been scared straight. It's only salon stuff for me.

Now, the Boston Globe reports on similar DIY disasters. People are pinching pennies by trimming their own bangs, coloring their hair, and mending their own clothes. I'm all for it, but unfortunately, a few people in the story have had to have their mistakes professionally fixed. Has something like this happened to you before?

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Or does it? Call it the poor man's lip plumper, or just simply call it an easy way to be frugal and spicy this holiday season — well, that is if you're not too sensitive, like me.

Recently, I received an email tip with an idea from Andrea Claire, senior makeup artist from FACE atelier. She explained that adding a little cayenne pepper to your lip gloss creates a natural plump. Knowing that cayenne can do a number on my stomach, I was a little leery, but doing a little experiment in the kitchen sounded a lot more fun than any amount of pain.

The outcome? I definitely felt tingling lips, and my pout was plumper. Unfortunately, I also had chapped lips. I think this little trick is great in a pinch (it did work, after all), be careful if you're prone to irritation — or your pout may be more peeved than plumped.

If you did a lot of cooking over the Thanksgiving holiday, I'm sure you did a lot of dishes. And if you did a lot of dishes, I'm sure your hands are feeling the effects. Even if you weren't scrubbing away, the cooler months often produce dry hands that need some extra TLC. So, if you're looking for an easy do-it-yourself treatment, I learned this great combo while holiday shopping at an Aveda store last year.

In your hands, mix the following, work in for an invigorating massage, and rinse away: about a quarter-sized amount of Hand Relief ($19), a scoop of Soothing Aqua Therapy ($28.50) bath salts, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Currently, I'm really digging Patchouli Oil ($13). Psst — you can use drugstore ingredients, too. The results are still luxurious. Aaah.

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What's bigger than a breadbox — er, pillbox? Why, a pillbox filled with some awesome lipstick shades — all chosen by you, of course. If you're on a budget for the holidays, why not go the route of DIY by making friends and family their own lipstick palettes?

Here's what you'll need:

• A pillbox — Try this festive green Inventures Product Pill Box ($4.99) or head over to your local drugstore to seek out varieties that cost even less.
• Inexpensive lipsticks — Seven or more, depending on how customized you want to get and how many palettes you want to gift. Pick a few neutral colors and some bold or unexpected ones, too. I recommend NYC lipsticks or Wet 'n' Wild Silk Finish Lipsticks ($1.16). Try to choose colors that fit your friend's own unique personality and shades that correspond with days of the week. Saturday deserves a bold red, don't you think?
• A cutting object — A butter knife will do.
• A microwave — To melt the lipsticks down.

To see how to make 'em,

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