Yay! It’s hump day! For those of you with a 9-5: Hang in there! In the meantime, I’m here to fill you in on some tips, tricks, and recommendations from the pros! My beauty library is vast (and a pain in the ass to move), but it’s not doing a ton of good sitting on my shelf… So, it’s time to share!
First, though, a few quick tips from me. Some of these might seem pretty basic, but I want to make sure everyone’s on the same page.
1. Don’t waste your money on expensive makeup brush cleaners. I’ve tried a few, and I wasn’t particularly impressed. I especially dislike the smell of MAC’s brush cleaner–and believe me, I’m normally last in line to badmouth MAC! The quick ‘n’ easy solution? Baby wipes or hand sanitizing wipes! I prefer to keep both on hand. Baby wipes cost between one and three dollars, but come with enough wipes for month’s of use! Plus, you can clean your brushes in front of the TV, and don’t have to worry about spilling any chemicals. And, a lot of them include ingredients good for your hands! As for the antibacterial hand wipes-I love them, too, but since they’re individually packaged they often generate a lot of garbage. However, they’re great for trips of any length, especially when you don’t want to take a lot of brushes! That way, Tuesday’s blue look doesn’t bleed into Wednesday’s pink look, but you also didn’t have to carry around the whole arsenal!
2. Tend to smudge your mascara or lipstick while doing your makeup? Keep Q-Tips on hand! I really like the little travel boxes they sell at Wal-Mart to keep in my travel bag, but definitely invest in a big box for home. Then, dip the end of the Q-Tip in water or makeup remover (preferable) and neatly touch up your look without having to start over! I know, pretty basic, but everybody’s got to start somewhere and I want everyone to feel welcome! By the way-Estee Lauder makes my favorite eye makeup remover. It’s not greasy, and it doesn’t irritate my eyes! A miracle!
3. Puffy eyes in the morning? Wrap an ice cube in thin fabric (you can soak it in depuffing products first) and then gently press the whole deal under your eyes for a few minutes. It slows the blood flow, which helps reduce puffiness. Also, theBalm makes a mean concealer!
Now for what the pros have to say…
“Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop! The English translation is: if you chase the natural, it will come back full gallop, meaning don’t fight who you are or what you look like—-just work with it.”
-Hair God Frederic Fekkai
1. Cellulite: If you’re not dealing with this issue… I hate you. I also envy you greatly. Since this isn’t for you, you can skip ahead with your smooth thighs and address some of your other beauty issues (if you even have any)! However, for those of us with dimpled thighs and rippling backsides… let’s slog our way through these three easy steps to smoother hindquarters!
The important part here is that you really want to stimulate the movement of toxins so that they don’t pool underneath your skin (especially on hot spots like the thighs and butt). So, start off by picking up a firm, natural bristle brush. You can pick one up at places like The Body Shop (which I prefer over BBW, more on that later, though) or Sephora.
After you’ve got your brush, you want to begin with it at your feet, and move it (firmly pressed against the skin) upwards toward your heart. Be careful that you’re using enough pressure to stimulate circulation, but not so much that you’re getting hurt (full body bruises might be a bit hard to explain).
Next, brush in circles around your knees… and the top/inner areas of your thighs. You know-the problem zones. Then, move on to your stomach (fun, I know!). You want to move the brush in a circular motion in the direction of your intestines–apparently: lower right side, up and across your belly button, down the left side. Feel that blood pumping! (The one featured below is from Bliss.)
-Jane Ford
2. Opening up those gorgeous eyes! I know, I know. Sleep is hard to come by… with 7 a.m. classes, ten hour workdays, piles of home work, and lunch breaks that simply aren’t long enough, who’s got a full eight hours to spare? Here are a few hints to fake it.
~Use a hint of gold shadow around the eyes, particularly the inner corners, and then a wash over the eyelids.
~Use a flesh-colored or white liner on the inside of the lid and waterline. Both will help to erase any pink or red discoloration resulting from your lack of zzz’s.
~An eyelash curler is your friend! Curl those suckers, then apply a few coats of mascara. One
one of my favorite tricks is to use two different types of mascara-often from different brands
that have different specialties (AKA curling and lengthening). One of my favorites is Vincent Longo’s “The Curl,” and another is Clinique’s “High Definition.” Actually, they work great together! Too Faced also makes a wicked line of ’em!
3. Fatten those lips! Instead of applying a plumping gloss AFTER your lip liner and lipstick, apply it before! I’ll be doing a whole post on which I think is the best plumper (I have a whole line up to try!) but for now, use whatever you’ve got! Let the plumper sit for ten minutes, then wipe it off. Now your lips are nice and fat, so it’s time to line ’em! NOW apply your lipstick, and another coat of the gloss… you’ll be good to go!
-The three tips above are courtesy of Sephora’s book “The Beauty Authority.” However, I rephrased them and added some of my own knowledge to make them a little less… lackluster?
Fat Lipped & Fat Thighed,
The Beauty Sniper