June 24, 2020

10 Beauty Hacks You Wish You Knew Sooner

We all want ways to make our life simpler and our beauty routines easier. Here are some tried and true beauty hacks that aren’t overly dangerous (like melting the tip of eyeliner to make it smudge better?), and also super convenient!

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a rich, sumptuous ingredient often used in cooking - but don’t be fooled - it can also double as a nifty way to hydrate the skin and hair.

Now, the difference is that you shouldn’t be using the same type of coconut butter as the one used for cooking, which is often refined for better tolerance of heat. When you want to add it to your beauty regime, opt for pure, raw, unrefined, virgin coconut oil.

For hair, melt it between your fingers and use it as if it were a hair mask. Rinse out after 3-5 minutes and revel in some seriously shiny and healthy hair.

For skin, consider whether you want it as a body moisturiser or something for the face. It’s awesome to reduce inflammation and stop damage caused by free radicals.

Keep in mind that it’s still an oil - so if clogged pores are often an issue, avoid using it on the face. Lather it onto your legs for soft, supple smoothness and wash it off in the shower.

If you are keen enough to use it on your face, melt it between your fingers had message a light layer all over the face (except nowhere near your eyes of course!). Healthline gives it the tick of approval to wear overnight, then rinse it off the morning.

Goodbye dry, dull skin and hello smoothness!

The Concealer Triangle

Often when we’re in a rush in the morning, we may not notice how we apply our makeup, especially since we’re so used to the same old techniques.

Little birdies from the makeup industry and other popular tip-givers say that a lot of us aren’t applying our under-eye concealer properly. Long nights of studying, working, or just being you, can end up showing through dark circles and bags beneath the eyes.

To apply concealer more effectively, draw an upside-down triangle, so the tip points toward your cheek, and blend out. This ensures that the concealer is placed in just the right spot to illuminate the skin for a face-lift effect. See the pic below for a demo (thanks Pinterest!)

Longer Lasting Curled Lashes

Heat makes things stay put for longer, like when we straighten or style hair with straighteners and curling irons. And it’s a similar concept with the delicate hairs that we know as eyelashes.

Now, do exercise caution here - we are definitely not recommending that you apply a lot of heat, especially since it’s around the eye area.

But all you need for this handy hack is a hairdryer, eyelash curler and a bit of common sense.

Give the eyelash curler some time under the heat of the hairdryer, and touch it with your finger to make sure it’s warm, not hot.

Then curl your lashes like normal and voila, long lustrous lashes that last for longer.

Fragrance That Doesn’t Disappear After 2 Hours

Nobody likes spending money on their favourite perfume just for it to wear off by midday. The unfortunate truth is that perfume will struggle to be as potent whilst it sits on the skin.

Give it a bit of help by using some fragrance-free lotion. Some people vouch for petroleum jelly like Vaseline, however, since these might be non-comedogenic (AKA they might clog pores), it’s best to go for lotion which is made to be rubbed into the skin.

Simply rub in some lotion onto your perfume hotspots, then spray your favourite scent whilst the lotion is still moist.

For some inspiration about which places to consider as your perfume hotspots, see below.

the inside of the wrist
inside the elbow
the neck
behind the ear

The DIY Tinted Moisturiser

If you’re feeling like a natural look, then creating your own tinted moisturiser might be the key to that no-makeup glow that we all want. It’s an easy way to feel fresh and confident, but without the heavy sticky feeling that can often come with a full face of makeup.

Pick your favourite foundation and grab your go-to moisturiser and it’s as easy as pie. Start with a small squirt of each to test how thick you want it. The more moisturiser, the thinner it will be. The more foundation, the more coverage.

Use Baby Shampoo as Brush Cleaner

Keeping your makeup brushes clean is an absolute must! Despite how much we hate to think about it, when makeup brushes (including beauty blenders) are not cleaned thoroughly or regularly enough, they can harbour some pretty nasty bacteria. And we don’t want that stuff getting onto our face.

Makeup brush cleaners can get pricey, and if you’re not careful, even the cheap ones can be a bit dodgy. If you’re running short on time or money, baby shampoo might be the solution. It’s a mild and gentle formula because it’s made for the delicate skin of babies, which means it will be fine for yours as well.

A 2-in-1 Hair Hack

Here’s a quick couple of hair hacks to keep that mane luscious and healthy.

As soon as you hop out of the shower, don’t keep your hair wrapped up in a towel for too long. Although you might think you’re drying it, think about where all that moisture and wetness actually goes. Right into the towel that you’re using to “dry” it. Letting hair dry naturally with air is your best bet to keep it healthy, and that also means minimising heat time with the hairdryers and straighteners if you can help it.
Once your hair is nice and dry, and you’re ready to hit the sheets, invest in some silk pillow cases. They sound fancy, but they’re worth every cent. They are less likely to grab onto hair and dishevel it the way other materials would. And always make sure you wash and change your pillowcases at least twice every month!

No Eyebrow Gel? Go Get My Spoolie

This hack is definitely not talked about enough, but it sure does work. If you’ve run out of eyebrow gel to keep those pesky brow hairs in check, you’ll be surprised to find an easy alternative using hair spray and a spare spoolie.

Whether it be a disposable mascara wand an actual spoolie, spray a little bit of hairspray on it and then comb those brows into place. And you can bet that they won’t move all day.

This hack isn’t talked about as much as we like, which might be because of the controversy that hairspray has caused in the makeup world. You know, we’re talking about when people would use hairspray as a substitute for setting spray. Hmm, that’s definitely not making the list for us, and we don’t recommend it. But since it’s called hairspray and brows are often in need of a strong setting agent, we think it’s a winner.

The Perfect Wing

Oh, if only there were an easier way to kill a perfect winged eyeliner every time. Although we can’t guarantee 100% foolproof-ness that the wings will look even, this hack is definitely worth trying to make the process a little less stress and a bit more YES!

Apply tape (not so sticky that it’ll rip hard when you pull it off) from about halfway on the bottom lash line to the same point. You can also add a strip from the corner of your eye to the end of your brow.

Follow it carefully as you masterfully pencil or gel on that wing and take the time to get it right. Let it set and peel off the tape safely to reveal a (hopefully) fabulous wing!

Homemade exfoliant.

If you’re a coffee lover or have some expired sugar lying about, don’t think about throwing used grounds or old granules away. Instead, make your money work smarter by making a DIY exfoliant – that works just as well as store-bought.

Coffee grounds or sugar granules are your starting point. In a clean bowl, combine it with a moisturising partner in crime. This could be a few swigs of extra virgin olive oil or a dollop of coconut oil. Honey is also great to add in small amounts. Keep it natural and avoid mixing it with cosmetic lotions or moisturisers.

We recommend using an empty jar or canister to store your newly created exfoliant, so you can use it whenever you want! It’s a more sustainable way to re-use old coffee grounds or sugar granules that are no longer in use.

Scrub before or during your shower, and enjoy soft skin that feels, looks and smells great.