It's the lazy look

LIFE is too short to cleanse, tone, moisturise, exfoliate, pluck, smooth and lovingly nurture your body, day and night.

I mean, who has time to wax their bikini line and spritz their cellulite when there are children to be fed and EastEnders to watch? So what is your average woman to do when she is hit by a beauty emergency: when her hair takes on a gravity-defying, comedy upsweep and the dimples on her bottom look less like an over-ripe orange and more like a crater-marked moon?

Never leaving the house is one option, but you could do worse than to reach for the ultimate beauty bible for women who just can't be bothered - The Lazy Girl's Guide to Beauty (Piatkus, £7.99).

"Lazy beauty costs very little," says the author, Anita Naik. "It is actually quite good fun and won't take up your valuable socialising time. Plus it has less to do with home bikini waxes - it's beauty, not torture - and has more to do with spoiling yourself; something even the laziest girl can understand."

Cleansing and moisturising are essential for good-looking skin, but you can overdo it. Women who cleanse, wash, scrub, tone and moisturise daily are not only stripping their skin of natural oils, they are also emptying their purses for no good reason.

Use one product to remove make-up and the day's grime and don't splash out on toner - cold water is the most effective toner there is.

"You have to be assertive," says Anita. "Don't believe sales people who insist you have to tone as part of a cleansing routine. If your skin looks fine without it, don't be suckered into buying a product just because you are told to."

To look great without spending a fortune, there are five steps you should really try to stick to like false nail glue: drink plenty of water; do lots of exercise; use sunscreen; make sure you get enough sleep; and don't drink too much alcohol.

If this sounds a bit too much like hard work, Anita has some words of wisdom that might just give you the kick up the bum you need to get you going.

"Eat rubbish, refuse to brush your hair, avoid sunscreen and cultivate ET-like hands and by the time you hit the big 40 you'll resemble an old prune.

"Be honest with yourself. If your leg hairs are jutting through your 40-denier tights, and your toenails draw blood in the heat of passion, then the chances are you're becoming faintly feral in your approach to looking gorgeous. Which leads to the obvious question: just how long can you get away without injecting some beauty into your beauty routine?"

You don't have to haul yourself down to the nearest spa for the latest expensive treatment. Instead, you can laze about in the comfort of your own home indulging in the following cheap and cheerful options...

Try before you buy: Before you cough up any cash, grab some trial samples. This way you can stock up on a range of handy travel-sized products for your hols, and find out what products are fab for your face at the same time.

Raid the kitchen cupboards: Oats mixed into a paste with water work well as an exfoliator; cucumber slices and cold teabags rehydrate the skin and reduce puffiness around tired eyes; mashed banana and honey make a great face pack; a herbal tea bag under the tap produces a wonderfully aromatic bath; and yoghurt can ease sunburn.

Smile! The muscular contractions it takes to smile are akin to putting your facial muscles through a 45-minute step class. Smile more often (or kiss as this also uses 34 facial muscles) and you won't end up with your cheeks on your chest.

Eat hair-friendly food. Foods that are rich in omega 3 and 6 (tuna, walnuts and dark green leafy veg) should put life back into your hair and banish dandruff; vitamin A (beans and shellfish) is crucial for growth and can help to prevent scalp problems; vitamin E (avocados and peanut butter) will make your mane glossy and shiny.

Stand tall. The key to looking long and lean is good posture. Imagine there's a string pulling you up from the centre of your head. This way your back will be in the right position, your stomach will be supported and you'll look half a stone lighter.

Breathe easy. Forget gum and mints - chew parsley instead. It's heaped full of chlorophyll, which zaps halitosis fast.

Vaseline, Vaseline, Vaseline. This is the number one beauty must-have as it can be used as a cleanser, a moisturiser and a gentle face spritz if you leave the house without your make-up bag (just rub some into the palm of your hands until it begins to liquefy, and apply).

Don't worry, be happy. Fixating on your looks is the number one beauty killer. Cleanse, moisturise, eat well, take some exercise, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, get some sleep and forget about everything else. In other words, if you want to look good, get a life.

Updated: 08:48 Tuesday, April 08, 2003