More bang for your beauty buck

This time of year, it's hard not to feel a bit dowdy. But you can call beauty brigade to make a quick fix without spending a bundle. These five mini-makeovers deliver major bang for the buck.

Nothing will put a spring in your step like a shiny new 'do. Rocco Altobelli Salon Training Academy in St. Paul -- where stylists sharpen their skills before hitting the mainline chain -- boasts a menu of professional hair-color services at prices that are shear genius. A tint, or custom-mixed, all-over permanent hair color, will cost you just $25. For blondes who want to extend the life of their platinum streaks without forking over $100 and up for a full foil, Rocco offers "base breaking" for a mere $13. An insider secret, this treatment fills in the regrowth line only, and lasts about 3 weeks. If you're committed to your current color but it's lacking luster, opt for a Claypac moisture treatment ($21), the answer to dry, static-stressed winter tresses.

Rocco Altobelli Salon For Men And Women Training Academy, 665 Snelling Av., St. Paul, 651-690-5491, www.roccoaltobelli.com.

Combination, T-zone, anti-aging, antioxidants... If skin care jargon sends you running for the nearest bar of Dial soap, make an appointment for a Dermalogica Face Mapping session.

Available at a number of local salons and spas, this complimentary, 10-minute technique will take the guesswork out of caring for your complexion. After analyzing the 14 zones of your face through touch and sight, a skin therapist will diagnose any conditions -- such as congestion, dehydration, hyperpigmentation, etc. -- and recommend a care regimen. Although Face Mapping was developed by popular skin care brand Dermalogica, you'll be able to easily transfer the take-aways to other product lines.

Visit www.dermalogica.com for a list of Twin Cities service providers.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? If the answer is you, then your blond eyelashes could probably use a boost. Pale lashes can wash out your entire face, making it nearly impossible to leave the house without mascara. For $20, Phresh Spa Salon in St. Paul will tint your lashes to a face-framing, eye-enhancing effect. Lash tinting is also ideal if allergies or sensitive eyes prevent you from wearing mascara. The painless process takes about 15 minutes and the dye fades naturally after three to four weeks. You'll look more awake and need less makeup in general, which is nothing to bat an eye at.

If you've been using the same dusty rose blush and $5 foundation since high school, the time has come to turn your face over to the professionals. For $15, the skilled artists at Smart and Chic Beauty Lounge in Nordeast will give you a flawless, natural-looking airbrush makeup application. (Every girl deserves to have perfect skin at least once in her life!) For $25, they'll bring your eyes, lips and cheeks up to speed with a look that's fresh and modern and ready for a big night out -- or cozy night in. Visit during happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and you'll be sitting pretty with a sparkling beverage and $5 off most services.

Smart and Chic Beauty Lounge, 20 University Av. NE., Minneapolis, 612-871-4482, www.smartandchicbeauty.com.

Bad news: Those dull, droopy, dull locks aren't doing you or your self-confidence any favors. Good news: You don't have to chop it all off to start turning heads. A professional blow dry is what you need; Jon Charles Salon is one place to get one. Masters at wielding shine-enhancing brushes and professional-strength blow driers, the salon's stylists have perfected the art of red-carpet-ready tresses. You'll leave with the big, bouncy hair you always knew you had, plus a few techniques to re-create the look at home.

Jon Charles Salon, 1221 W. Lake St., Minneapolis, 612-724-2444; 1313 Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata, 952-767-9977, www.joncharlessalon.net.