In the era of social media, most of us have either familiarized ourselves with or mastered the basics when it comes to easy beauty hacks. Whether you’ve picked up a tip or two from your favorite celebrity or you’re using a tried-and-true technique passed down from your mom, we all have some tricks up our sleeve.
However, if you're looking to learn some new super-smart beauty tips, you’re in the right place. Now, if you’re new here, remember this: I’m all about saving time and money. As you already know, not everything works for everyone; but below are 7 of my personal favorite everyday beauty hacks that are worth adding to your arsenal.
1. Prime before it’s Prime Time
Beauty Hack: Use Milk of Magnesia as a primer in the spots you’re prone to become the oiliest.
Yes, the laxative! Hear me out with this one. My skin seemingly got a mind of its own when I hit my 30s. I used to have relatively dry skin, but as the years passed, I started getting oily in my t-zone and sometimes on my cheeks—problems that become especially apparent after wearing makeup for a few hours. Using a little Milk of Magnesia in these areas before applying the rest of my makeup has worked literal wonders for me as a primer alternative! It dries opaque white, absorbs oil, and most importantly, it didn’t cause any skin irritation for me. If you have hyper-sensitive skin, please do your research in case certain ingredients give you an allergic reaction. You can find this at your local Walgreens or CVS.
2. Say Peace Out to Pimples
Beauty Hack: Nip potential pimples in the bud with Peace Out Acne Dots.
This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned the Peace Out brand, and it probably won’t be the last. I’ve found that these salicylic acid healing dots help prevent some of my pimples from reaching their full potential, while helping others quickly come to a head for removal. Whenever I feel or a see a potential pimple trying to rear its ugly head, I slap on one of these bad boys and wear it overnight. After going through a few packs of these, I can confidently say that they undoubtedly help stop my pimples in their tracks for me. You can order these online or grab them from your local Sephora.
3. For the Rear AND the Dear
Beauty Hack: Use a little butt glue to hold heavier clothing in place.
I learned this hack several years ago while competing in pageants. Butt blue is a staple in the pageant, dancer, and gymnastics community. It’s helped swimsuit bottoms stay in place and has prevented wardrobe malfunctions across the nation. It’s a pretty thick consistency and creates a superior adhesion compared to everyday fashion tape. Both have their lanes, though. For example, butt glue can come in handy when you’re wearing that thicker-material dress with a sexy, deep-plunging neckline and need it to stay in place over your cleavage. Meanwhile, fashion tape is better suited for some of those more delicate or thinner-material fashions. Butt glue is available on Amazon, as well as dancer websites.
4. Come Correct When Applying Makeup
Beauty Hack: Apply color corrector before your concealer to achieve a more flawless skin tone.
On my journey from makeup novice to wannabe maven, I discovered the upgrading effects of color correcting. If you’ve ever put on foundation, but felt like it didn’t even your tone like you hoped, you might benefit from some color correction magic. The process basically involves using complementary colors to help cancel out the appearance of skin discoloration. In turn, it helps your foundation and concealer look even more flawless in terms of presenting an even skin tone. For example, green helps neutralize redness, and red helps neutralize dark circles or dark spots. Color correcting makeup comes in sticks, liquids and everything in between. The key is to use just a little bit before applying the rest of your makeup for a more natural look. Build if necessary. I prefer the HD Pro.Conceal by L.A. Colors.
5. Lock in Your Perfume
Beauty Hack: Use a little Vaseline to help make your perfume last longer.
The strength, brand and quality of your perfume will play a strong role in determining exactly how long it will last, but there’s nothing wrong getting with a little help. If you add just a tiny bit of Vaseline on your pulse points before applying your perfume, the scent will last longer vs. applying it to dry skin. It acts like a primer for your fragrance by locking in the scent.
6. Conceal the Deal
Beauty Hack: Always apply under eye concealer as an upside-down triangle to help brighten your face.
Be honest—you probably know someone who just applies a few dots of concealer under their eyes, blends, and keeps it moving. That’s okay, because we don’t judge here. However, there is a “correct” way to do it. Applying your concealer in a filled-in triangle shape then blending with a beauty blender or your finger tip is a major key to helping your face appear brighter and more youthful. If you aren’t currently practicing this technique, try it out and thank me later.
7. You Need to Cut It
Beauty Hack: Cut open your seemingly empty product containers to truly get that last drop.
Did you know that one of the biggest mistakes people make is throwing away products before using every. single. last. drop?? I’m not just talking about hitting it against your hand or a surface to shift the product to the top; it’s a huge misjudgment to think that’s all the product leftover. Next time, try cutting open your plastic bottles or containers to truly get the last bit. You’ll be surprised by how much is actually left (at least, I know I was). I usually like to do this with lipsticks that come with wands by removing the stopper insert to better access the remaining product with the wand. There’s always so much more left in the tube! If you find that you have more than expected, you can always grab some empty mini jars from your local dollar store to put it in, or even an empty contact lens case.
What are some of your favorite beauty hacks? Let me know in the comments on IG @andthatsjustashley
xo,
