Today I wanted to share some of my favorite beauty tips with my readers! These little steps and tid bits have helped me solve some of my beauty problems. Hopefully they can help you too!
1. ALWAYS WASH YOUR MAKEUP OFF AT NIGHT
This one is a given...something your mother has told you for years, and with just reason. Your skin repairs itself overnight, cell renewal is supercharged, and clogged pores can lead to disaster during this process. For you girlies lucky enough to not wear foundation or powder, you're not in the clear. Leaving eye makeup on overnight can lead to eye infections, styes and swollen corneas. It can even put excess strain on your eyelashes, making them fall out quicker and easier.
2. Don't skip the brush cleanings!
If you use makeup brushes...eye lining and shadow brushes, foundation and concealer brushes, even your favorite blush, bronzer and kabuki brushes, you NEED to keep them clean! Bacteria grows everywhere, and if you're grazing your brushes over your oily, skin treatment infused skin, nasty things can be born within them. This also includes sponges...use them once and throw them away! If you have acne or the occasional blemish, using a foundation or concealing brush can transfer acne from the blemishes into the brush, clogging pores in the future if they aren't cleaned. If you find it too much of a hassle to wash them after each use, don't stretch the wait out for more than a week.
There are tons of brush cleaners available, but if you're like me, I look for the simplest and cheapest way to get things done. Use dish detergent (some even have antibacterial in it) and warm water. Put a squirt of the soap in your palm, wet, and swirl the brush around until all the color comes out of the brushes. You will have to rewet and re-soap your hand a couple times, but it will get everything out. Make sure you rinse thoroughly though, there's nothing like Palmolive burning your eyeballs out to ruin your day...
3. Vaseline can be your best friend
There are tons of things that can go wrong with your skin. Dry, chapped lips, hands, facial skin, elbows...and Vaseline is often overlooked. This is usually my go to product for these types of problems. It's a miracle in a little plastic jar!
Nerves tend to make me bite my lips (very bad habit of mine) and no amount of lip gloss helps to fix the damage I've done. Globbing on the Vaseline at night allows me to wake up in the morning with perfectly smooth lips. Dry, cracked winter hands? Get a cheap pair of acrylic gloves. Cover your hands in Vaseline, and put the gloves on overnight. Wake up to perfectly smooth digits. Dry patches on other parts of your body? Slap on the Vaseline and cover the area with plasticwrap.
Another solution Vaseline has given me involves my deviated septum. Due to my nasal problems, I'm a mouth breather, leading to puffy gums which do not give a pretty smile. This is slightly repulsive to some, but putting Vaseline over your gums before bed can alleviate this problem. I've been doing it every night for quite some time, and I no longer wake up with puffy gums.
4. Don't overdo the bronzer!
Bronzer is not...I repeat...IS NOT...a compact powder you should put on your entire face. It was created to highlight and define your facial structure, and can be a handy tool if used right. If you are looking for a tanner complexion, try a self tanner, not your bronzer. It's important to find the right bronze color as well. Don't go for one with tons of shimmer in it; sometimes bronzers look more like eyeshadows than something you'd put on your cheeks. Try something more matte (I like Laura Gellar's Bronze and Brighten, or Tarte's Bronzing Powder) for a more natural look.
You should only use bronzer on the areas of your face the sun would naturally hit. Cheeks, chin, forehead. Bronze slightly below your cheekbones to add definition and narrow your face. Bronze the sides of your nose to make it look more narrow, or bronze down the middle to add width. As long as it's used right, bronzer can be a perfect tool. On the same note, go easy on the blush!
5. The Best Cosmetic Brushes Could Be From...Michael's?
Cosmetic brushes could range anywhere from $5 to $40, and this could do some damage on your wallet if you're buying a collection for all the different brushes you need (or would like to have). Some of my favorite brushes are from craft stores, and I couldn't be more satisfied with the results I've received from them. Think about it: artists want brushes that don't fray, stay soft and in place after washings, and are made from top quality materials. They may not have a brand name on them, and they may be a little longer, but they get the job done perfectly.
I've bought a angled wedge brush for an eyeliner brush, a big foundation brush, and a couple of different sized shadow brushes, all from craft stores. The big chains also offer 40% off coupons usually, so it can definitely work out to your benefit. Try it out!
Try some of these out and let me know how they work out for you! I know they've worked great for me throughout the years. Do you have any routines or secret beauty habits that help you feel or look even more amazing than you already do? What are they?
Gotta wash my brushes tonight!!!! thanks for the tips!!
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