You don’t have to be a beauty queen or labelled a diva just because you miss having long relaxing baths and going to the salon on a regular basis to have your hair done. If you are staying in one of the Sydney hostels and call yourself a backpacker, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have everything you need to take care of yourself. Here, we’ve outlined some great budget beauty backpacker tips you don’t want to miss:

Your essentials

There are a few things you should carry with you while you’re travelling at all times:

• Dry shampoo-In case you can’t wash your hair for a few days, it doesn’t have to look like it.
• Moisturiser- Always carry moisturiser with you. It can act as a makeup remover and will ward off dry skin on elbows and knees and everywhere else to keep you looking fresh and hydrated. Better still, you can buy a massive bottle for only a few dollars.

Drink plenty of water

When you’re dehydrated on the inside it shows on the outside. Drinking water can help lift your skin, filter out bacteria that causes acne and keep your skin looking plump. Of course, water is free, so drink up!

Cheap and free Hair cuts and colours

Sydney is full of salons and hair styling schools that are always looking for models to work with. All you have to do is sit pretty and let the student be heavily guided by a senior professional as they work on your hair. You can get everything from foils to semi-permanent colours this way to. Often it’s free and when you do have to pay, its always just a minimal fee for the colour used.

Home made face masks

All the best organic skin products are made from ingredients you can find in your kitchen cupboard and fridge at home. Why not do some experimenting and see what you can come up with? Of course, go online and do some research first, then ask the girls in the room next door if they’d like to join you for an afternoon of all natural home made pampering! There are also some fabulous hair treatment recipes to be found online too.

Manicures and pedicures

Just as you can have your hair cut and coloured by a student under the guidance of a senior stylist, you can also have your nails done at a beauty school for free, or next to nothing. It’s just a matter of finding these places as they tend to be harder to pin down than hair schools but they do exist and are wonderful if you’re on a tight budget and still like the idea of having your nails done every now and then.

When you are staying in even the best backpackers Sydney has to offer, it’s still important that you count your pennies and budget where necessary. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to completely miss out on the finer things in life either. I hope our list of tips has given you some useful suggestions for giving yourself the pampering you deserve, whilst living on a backpackers budget in Sydney.