Who doesn’t love a beauty hack? It saves time, product, and, often, money. As a beauty writer and editor for the past 15 years, I’ve learned my fair share of life-changing, time-saving hacks—from the benefits of changing your pillowcase more often than not to endless ways to use a basic salve … the more you know, right?
Below I’m sharing 14 resourceful skincare and makeup tips worth their hype. Read on to learn the shortcuts you’ll soon swear by.
• Wipe your sunglasses, prescription eyeglasses, and mobile phone daily with alcohol. This will help kill any bacteria as well as keep those with acne-prone skin (hi, me) with fewer breakouts where the dirty device or glasses rest on the skin.
• Change pillowcases regularly. I sleep on one side of the pillow each night then change after each sleep, because I like my clean skin to be on a fresh pillow. Since I made this switch, I don’t break out as much on my cheeks (dirty pillowcases can cause some serious pimples).
• Brush your hair with a wet brush in the shower. It’s mane-changing. It’ll evenly spread the conditioner and remove knots and tangles. Plus, it eliminates me having to brush again post-shower, and my hair air-dries with more body.
• For hair that’s frizzy or overrun by static, rub a dryer sheet through your strands. Seriously. It eliminates static and also adds a pleasant scent to day-old hair.
• Too little sleep or under-eye bags? Keep a spoon in the freezer and hold it under your eyes to eliminate puffiness and aid in blood circulation. Works every time!
• If you’re still a shaver, opt for conditioner instead of shaving cream. It gives an incredibly smooth shave and adds hydration. It’s also one less product to clutter your tub or shower.
• Use a multitasking salve for a quick glow-up on eyelashes, eyebrows, and even cheekbones for a subtle sheen. I apply to brows and lashes to give them a glistening effect when I’m not in the mood to go all out on mascara and brow products.
• For liquid liner that really lasts, dip an eyeliner brush into waterproof mascara and draw a line directly onto your upper lash line.
• If you’re all out of dry shampoo, baby powder will do the trick. Let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the excess oils, then rub it around to get rid of the white chalkiness.
• For that extra bushy brow effect, apply brow gel from the tail inward first, then reapply from inner eye to tail. It gives the brows volume and the illusion of thickness (try it with a tinted brow gel for a more pronounced brow).
• Looking for an all-natural makeup remover/first cleanse? Go with coconut oil. It’s ideal for gently and effectively removing all traces of makeup, even on sensitive complexions. I suggest following with an actual cleanse after, especially if you have oily or acne-prone skin.
• When I’m running low on time or just don’t feel like washing my entire head of hair, I only wash the front, face-fringe part with shampoo (no conditioner). Because we are constantly running our hands through our hair (at least I do), this works wonders to keep the front of my hair oil-free without stripping the oils on the rest of my hair by over-washing.
• I also use eye cream around my mouth to help minimize fine lines and plump my lips. This area is often overlooked, and while we have a lip balm for our actual lips, we rarely take care of the entire mouth area. Once I finish applying eye cream around my eyes, I always take the remainder and dab it around my mouth.
• For a tinted body lotion with punch, mix foundation (one to two shades darker than your skin tone if you’re looking for a tanned effect) with a dollop of liquid illuminizer and lotion, and apply to the entire body. It covers imperfections and redness, evens skin tone, and gives your gams that overall coveted glow. Just wait a beat before putting on your clothes, as the foundation will transfer.
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