Because warm weather brings its own set of beauty challenges (frizzy hair, oily skin, anyone?), it’s easy for your wallet to feel a lot lighter after a seasonal shopping spree down any beauty aisle. But the reality is you don’t have to max out your credit card to look great this summer. “It is possible to find quality, inexpensive products,” says Lily Kimmel, makeup director at the Juva Medispa Skin & Laser Center in New York City. So we scoured cosmetics counters and drugstores to find bargain solutions to common summer beauty problems. Clean & Clear Daily Pore Cleansing Cloths ($6) and Olay Refreshing Toner ($4; both at drugstores) Because skin is oilier in the summer, use gel or salicylic-acid-based cleansers and exfoliate regularly (these textured wipes do the trick). Using toner also helps combat oil buildup (Olay’s contains witch hazel and aloe, so it won’t dry out your skin).

Redken Sun Shape Swim Cream ($10;800-REDKEN-8) UV rays, salt water and chlorine can damage your hair and cause color to fade. So whenever you’re heading outdoors, protect tresses with products that contain UV filters like this leave-in treatment.

John Frieda Beach Blonde Lemon Lights ($7; at drugstores) Saving for a beach vacation? Skip the salon highlights and massage in this gel, which contains real lemon (to help bring out hair’s natural highlights) and added moisturizers to counteract the lemon’s acidity, preventing locks from drying out. Clairol Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions body wash ($4; at drugstores), Aveeno Skin Smoothing Body Scrub ($7; at drugstores) and Garden Botanika Salt Glow Exfoliating Scrub ($10; gardenbotanika.com) First, shower with one of these fruit-smoothie-scented moisturizing cleansers (out next month). Then scrub away dryness to help uncover radiant skin (and allow the skin to absorb self-tanners more evenly).

Gillette For Women Satin Care Anti Nicks & Cuts Shave Gel ($3) and Calgon Silky Skin Shave Mousse ($5; both at drugstores) Prepare your legs for bikini season by using a shaving cream with the natural skin soothers vitamin E and aloe to prevent nicks and razor burn.

SPF to Go Single-Use Sunscreen Packets ($1 each; spftogo.com) and L’Occitane Refreshing and Cleansing Cloths ($10 for 15; loccitane.com) Carry a few of these single-use packets in your bag to protect yourself from unexpected sun exposure and to help keep skin sweat-free.

L’Oreal Ombrelle Sunscreen Sport Spray SPF 15 ($9; at drugstores), beComing Resist The Elements SPF 30 Sunscreen for Face ($14; ibecome.com) and Blistex Fruit Smoothies SPF 15 lip balm ($3 for three; at drugstores) Broad-spectrum sunscreens are the best bargains of all, because by wearing them on a regular basis you’ll save yourself from a sunburn and the signs of premature aging — think wrinkles and sunspots.

Maybelline Brow Styling Gel ($6; at drugstores) “Groomed brows can make all the difference in how you look — even without makeup,” says Los Angeles makeup artist Robin Siegel. Clear brow-grooming gel keeps them in place whether you’re working out, biking, sailing or just out on the town.

Max Factor Lashfinity ($7; at drugstores), Clinique Moisture Sheer Lipstick SPF15 ($14; clinique.com) and Origins Rain and Shine Liptint SPF 15 ($12; origins.com) Keep your makeup to a minimum when the temperature rises. A coat of waterproof mascara and a swipe of sheer lip color with SPF are all you need to look polished easily — and inexpensively, Siegel says.

Physicians Formula Les Botaniques bronzer ($12; physiciansformula.com) and Revlon Skinlights Diffusing Tints SPF 15 ($14; at drugstores) Wearing a heavy foundation can only worsen the ‘I’m melting” feeling caused by summer heat. Opt instead to put a fresh face forward by smoothing on a bronzer, tinted moisturizer or light-diffusing product that’s lightweight, yet will still even out your skin tone.

RELATED ARTICLE: bargain-hunting basics

There’s a time to splurge and a time to save. Learn from the experts with these Ups.

* Invest in your skin. If you’re not happy with your skin, it may be worth it to spend money on a consultation with a dermatologist. No matter what makeup you use or what your hair looks like, healthy skin will always enhance your overall appearance.

* Spend the least on cleansers. “Cleansers are only in contact with the skin for about 20 seconds,” says Mount Kisco, N.Y., dermatologist David E. Bank, M.D. “If you want to splurge, spend your money on something that’s on the skin for hours, like a moisturizer with SPF or a night cream.”

* Splurge on a great hairstylist. “Find a junior stylist at a top salon instead of going to a cheap salon,” says Cheryl Marks, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist with Cloutier. “These junior stylists typically have good training and get tips from the more experienced (and expensive) ones.”

* Be an online bargain hunter. You can get great bargains without leaving your desk. For deals on niche and expensive brands, search sites like sephora.com or beauty.com. For drugstore-brand discounts, check out drugstore.com.