Beauty Tips, Tricks and Fixes!

I thought I'd share with you a few beauty tips I've picked up over the years, even though most of you will know all these, and more! I'm hoping there's a beauty noob out there I can help. Hello noob if you're reading!

Volumous Hair Trick
For full-bodied locks, use thickening spray or mousse and blow-dry with your head upside down. It lifts the hair away from the head, building body from the roots. Scrunch and blow-dry on a low setting or with a diffuser and finish with a light spray of volume hairspray!

Hairspray Fix
If your hairspray comes out gluggy resulting in embarrassing large, wet (and very noticeable) bubbles on your hair, don't panic (I know it's hard!). Blow-dry the area using a hot setting. It melts away the bubbles. Keep going until they have completely disappeared.

Eyeliner Fix
If you've put your pencil eyeliner on too thick, cotton buds are great for tidying up the line, removing some of the eyeliner, or even cleaning up if some eye makeup has gone astray. The tightly-wound ones are better than the cheapies, as you have more control, resulting in a better tidy-up.

Eyeshadow Trick
Everyone probably knows this one (even if you've had to learn the hard way), but placing a tissue underneath your eye when applying eyeshadow will catch the fallout (little particles of eyeshadow that fall from your lid onto your face upon application) and prevent horrible dark makeup dots on your perfect foundation that inevitable smear when you try to remove them. I tend to get more fallout when applying eyeshadow with a brush rather than a sponge applicator, I think because it teases up more shadow from the palette so I'm applying more and also because the product doesn't stick to the brush as effectively as it does to the sponge applicator. I also use a different tissue for each eye just in case some of the fallout from the first eye makes its way onto my face. Fallout's a bitch. Michelle from Eat Paint Sniff Glue recently blogged this helpful tip, which you can read here

Red Eyes Fix
Very simple one. If your eyes are red, simply apply 1-2 drops of red eye clearing eyedrops in each eye. I don't know if everyone knows about this product. Nearly every brand of eyedrops have a red eye clearing variety. Check it out next time you're in the Chemist. I don't know how they work, but all the redness disappears and you are left with clear whites of your eyes. Probably not a good idea to use this product a lot though.

Plump Lips Tip
To maximise lip plumpness, I apply my lip plumper right at the start of my makeup application routine, so it has plenty of time to work its magic. You can re-apply midway through putting your makeup on and by the time your ready for lipstick; juicy, plump lips!

Lipstick Fix
This one's as old as the hills (that's a saying, right?) and in fact I learned it during a Deportment course I did when I was 13 (that is AGES ago!). And it sounds kind of rude, too. To prevent lipstick on your teeth (especially helpful if you've gone with a fire engine red lippie), put your index finger in your mouth and put your lips firmly around it, then slowly pull it out. LOL. All the lipstick that would have ended up on your teeth is now on your finger. Wipe finger. Haha.

Nail Polish Tip
Another simple one. If you want to extend the life of your manicure, use a top coat. I'm generally lazy and cannot be bothered with a base coat (yes, I know I'm not protecting my nails), but after carefully applying my chosen colour, I don't want to see chips on Day 2! One quick layer of top coat will not only make your mani last longer, it just gives a nice, shiny finish to your nails. Tara from Keeping Up With Me recently blogged about base and top coats here

Concealer Application Trick
This one particularly relates to the under eye area. Prepare the area well first with a good eye cream. I've found that if you tilt your head back slightly and relax your face, when you dab on your concealer it skims over fine lines instead of settling in and emphasising them. By relax, I mean don't pull the "mascara face" (mouth wide open, face stretched out!). It's also important to dab and blend the concealer rather than use strokes that drag across the skin.

Foundation/Concealer Application Trick
For effortless application, ensure your hands and fingers are warm first. This helps warm the product up and it tends to blend in a lot easier. I rub my hands together or if it's a really cold day, run them under quite warm water until they are heated. Anything to make that makeup go on easier and look its best!


What are your favourite beauty tips?