cheap style
Beauty on a Budget
Makeup is a notoriously expensive habit. So spend your dollars wisely — on advice from the experts. Here are five of our favorite options.

BY AMY ZIMMER

Get painted by the pros at M.A.C.

M.A.C.
Faced with over 140 lipsticks, 120 eye shadows, and addictive odds and ends like Studio Fix powder, you may drown in this sea of colorful, stageworthy makeup. Fortunately, the professionally trained M.A.C. artists can rescue you. In addition to free makeovers, the store offers makeup lessons ($40 for a 40-minute session; includes complimentary color chart and mascara) in which the pros do half your face and you do the other half. Watch for their big in-store events.
• Multiple locations.

Aveda
Take a break from shopping and indulge in some of Aveda's complimentary pampering: Sip a cup of "Aveda Comforting Tea," relieve stress with a neck and shoulder massage, take an aromatherapy sensory tour, or replenish with a quick makeup touch-up.
• Multiple locations.

Kiehl's
A-list celebrities and downtown hipsters alike swear by Kiehl's terrific all-natural products. Try for yourself: The store is famously generous with free trial-sized samples, probably because they know you'll be back to buy more.
• 109 Third Ave., at 13th St., 212-677-3171.


Shiseido Studio
There are hours of fun to be had at Shiseido's SoHo playhouse, but leave your wallet at home: Nothing's for sale. Instead, mini-facials, makeup lessons, and beauty seminars are given free of charge, and visitors are issued personal information cards to use for further Shiseido services and goodies.
• 155 Spring St., 212-625-8820

New York International Beauty School
Want a new look? Strapped for cash? Feeling bold? Try a makeover from a student in training. Services range from hair coloring and cutting to facials, and the prices — $3 to $15 —are unbeatable. No appointment necessary.
• 312 W. 36th St., 212-868-7171; nyibs.baweb.com