One of the main things that causes worry for those of us belonging to the female gender is our appearance. We’re constantly in a battle with ourselves over the way we look – since the time we are born, really.
At the end of the day, whether or not someone chooses to wear makeup is entirely up to them and shouldn’t be for the purpose of pleasing somebody else!
Don’t worry! You too can be reveling in the glory just like in your younger days with just a few smart makeup and beauty hacks. We’ve waded through a bunch of them to come up with these 15 clever makeup and beauty tricks just for you!
1. No Eyeliner? Mascara to the Rescue!
Your pencil has been worn down to nothing; the pot of gel mascara is scrapping bottom; and the liquid liner has totally dried up. Or maybe you’re traveling and forgot to pack your eyeliner; oh, the tragedy!
This is how you save the day: work your mascara spoolie deep into the tube to get a nice blob of mascara. Then transfer that onto a clean, hard surface (your fingernail is ideal in a pinch); dab the edge of a fine-pointed brush in it and paint a very thin line along the lashes (a thick one may not apply very evenly). This method is safe for your eyes and will ensure that your mascara stays on for a long time as well!
2. Say No to Powder
Powder, for many of us, is an essential item when it comes to our makeup routine. This may be because we start wearing makeup during our teenage days, when our skins are a lot more oiler and… well, tighter.
The problem with wearing powder when you’re older is that it tends to settle into the skin, and eventually reveal even tiny creases and wrinkles that you might not have noticed, but you definitely don’t want to draw attention to.
Powder can still be helpful when you’re on a night out, but you might be better off replacing it with one of the many creams or setting sprays that will not only keep your foundation in place, but also effectively hide all those wrinkles. These products are also a much better alternative for a more casual, everyday beauty regimen.
3. Lip
Lip contouring is no secret that lips become naturally thinner with age, but contouring can help given you fuller lips with just a few strokes of a brush.
All you need are two shades of lipstick (a darker and lighter shade of a similar color), a liner that is also a complimentary color and regular old concealer. Once you’ve gathered the supplies, start by lining your lips along the edges. Be careful not to go outside the lips, but just over the slightly bumpy part right at the edge of the pigmentation.
Now draw lines going inward to the center of the mouth. Start by filling in the outer half of your lips using the darker shade of lipstick, and then the middle using the lighter shade. Use a sponge to carefully blend the two shades together where they meet, but don’t go over one color with the other. Clean the edges up using a bit of concealer, and voilà – a plumper pout!
4. Know Your Tone
Finding the perfect shade of foundation is a long and tedious process of guessing, testing and rejecting. Each brand has its own shades and no two brands have the same color of foundation, so when our trusted kind is unavailable or discontinued, we feel like having a nervous breakdown. But the fact of the matter is, using the right shade of foundation is pretty important to make sure your makeup is on point.
Well, if you’re over 50, there’s some good news for you. As you age, you’re skin tends to look brighter and younger when wearing yellow-toned foundation, so choosing the right foundation becomes a lot easier. Golden tones in general are very age-defying. The yellows in the foundation will counteract against the grayish tones that naturally occur with age and give you younger looking complexion.
5. Lip Balm = Brow Gel
Filling in the brows to get them the perfect shape is a task and a half by itself, but when you have to deal with unruly hairs – don’t even think about it! You’ve already got a dozen or so makeup products and you don’t really feel like buying anymore. Lucky for you, if you’ve got colorless lip balm, you don’t have to.
Use a clean brush, sponge, or even the tip of your finger to dab a little bit of lip balm onto your eyebrows until they behave and you’re good to go. And the awesome thing is, since most lip balms contain a lot of Vitamin E, you’re eyebrows will also grow full and lush.
6. Lights, Camera, Action!
You’ve just spent quite a while making sure your makeup looks on point and you’re ready to go out and face the world. But, stop, wait! We’ve all been through thinking we look perfect at home and being horrified later on in the day when catching a glimpse in the mirror somewhere else later in the day.
So, before you leave the house, take a few minutes to conduct some lighting tests; especially if you’re going somewhere where you’ll be photographed!
Once your makeup is done, first make sure it looks good under bathroom lighting because direct overhead lighting is always your worst enemy. Then go outside and use a handheld mirror to gauge how you look in natural light. If it’s dark out, stay inside and use a flashlight for extra illumination. You can even buy a lighted makeup mirror; some even come with settings that mimic various kinds of light. And last but not least, take a picture!
7. Apply Eyelash Glue with a Bobby Pin
All of us have experienced the horror of trying to apply falsies and either looking like clowns or having them fall of in the most awkward of times. But done right, they can add the perfect finishing touch to your look.
First of all, chose the right kind of fake lashes (think wispy and not too long). Then make sure that you apply the right amount of glue. Despite what you might think, applying too much eyelash glue is not going to help them stay on. It’s actually the opposite; not only can excessive glue cause your falsies to fall off, they can make your eyes look wonky, or worse – end up momentarily sealing your eyes shut.
The perfect way to attach fake lashes is to use the round-capped ends of a bobby pin to paint on the glue. Apply a thin line along the edges of your lashes and use a pair of tweezers to carefully place the false lash and let it dry completely.
8. Keep Your Body Odor in Check
If you’re just wearing a body spray, all bets are off. But those expensive, high-quality eau de parfum you’ve spent a fortune on? Unfortunately, spritzing it into the air and walking through it won’t make it last all day and night.
Everybody knows that perfumes are to be applied to pulse points, but not many know all of the right ones. It’s not just your wrists you should be dabbing them onto, but also behind your ears, knees, and inside elbows. If it’s a subtler fragrance (not too heady and intense), dab a little on your navel and spritz once down your back. As for the hair, do not spray it on directly, because it’ll end up concentrated to one spot and the alcohol can dry your hair out. Instead, spritz the perfume on your brush or comb.
9. Toothbrushes Are Not Just For Brushing Teeth
Braids are great hairstyle no matter how old you are. Not only are they practical and easy to put up, they also make you look stylish and young. But as you grow older, your hair thins out, and your braids keep getting wispier. This can look pretty pathetic.
To start off brushing your hair, braid your hair like you normally would. After securing your braid with pins or an elastic band, gently run a toothbrush along each side of each link “against the grain”. Then gently pull on each “link” of the braid to loosen it up. Combined with the toothbrush trick, this will make your hair look more voluminous and “lived in”. You’ll look more bohemian, and less like a strict schoolteacher. And of course, it will look like you have approximately 30% more hair than you really do!
10. Silicone Beauty Blenders
The days of using dirty, absorbent sponges to blend makeup are over. Silicone beauty blenders, called sillisponges is the newest trend, and one we hope is here to stay. These sponges are smooth and clear and do not soak up makeup products.
Even the story of how these came about is quite interesting. Before sillisponges were released into the market for the purpose of makeup blending, some seriously clever and experimental makeup lovers found that using silicone bra inserts, also referred to as ‘chicken cutlets’, to blend their makeup gave them with smooth, even results. And thus, the sillisponge was born!
11. Contour in the Kitchen
Or at least get your contouring tool -a spoon, to be more specific- from your kitchen and get ready to sculpt like a pro! There are so many videos on YouTube demonstrating this trick. Some have even gone so far as to trying it with a chef’s knife, but for obvious reasons, we do not recommend that!
Apart from the fact that it’s utterly dangerous, a spoon provides a more natural result than a knife. Hold the spoon at an angle pointing slightly downward, so that the head of the spoon cups the apple of your cheek. Use the spoon as a shield and apply bronzer or contour underneath it. Use only what is already on the brush to keep blending until the product is diffused. Once you remove the spoon, blend out any residual harshness. Your cheekbones should look sharp enough to cut!
12. Up the SPF
We’ve all been told a million times to wear sunscreen, but as you’re getting older, you need to get even more serious about SPF. You might think that there’s no use since you already have wrinkles, but taking care of your skin really does help limit the damage.
You need to look for sunscreen that protects more than just your cheeks, chin, and nose. An eye cream with SPF 15 or higher can help prevent crow’s feet from becoming deeper. Lip balms with SPF can reduce lines that cause lipstick to bleed. And don’t neglect your neck – that’s another area where lines will form.
13. Remover Helps Stay
Nails are another thing that can be tedious to look after, especially because all that hard work only lasts a day or two sometimes! This is because we do not prepare our nails properly before applying nail polish.
The good news is; nail polish remover helps nail polish stay on. Yes, you read that right. The main reason that polishes chip away so fast is because of the natural oils in your nails that act as a barrier between the two, even if you aren’t able to see or feel them.
So, by swiping your nail with some remover before putting on the base coat, you effectively wipe away these oils. Try applying your nail polish this way and it’ll last much longer!
14. Eye Shadow…On Your Scalp
As we get older, we face a lot of beauty problems; one of the major ones being hair shedding. To provide a temporary solution to this dilemma, look no further than your makeup case. You can use your eye shadow to brush onto patchy areas to make them look filled in. Just use a fluffy, domed, eye shadow brush to gently dab the shadow onto areas framing the face that seem spare. Be sure to clean up any fallout and ensure the hairline is even and finish off with a spritz of hairspray.
Unfortunately, if you are a blonde or redhead, this tip might not be as useful to you because the color of the eye shadow you use must be a decent match for your actual hair. But if you have brown or black hair, you’re good to go!
15. Go Lighter
Wearing black liquid liner, or having a bolder brown might be what you’re used to, but it might be time you make some changes in your makeup routine. If you’ve noticed looking more and more tired lately, consider going for lighter liners. This tip is particularly suited for those of us who are nearing 40 or above and is struggling to properly apply liner to the changing landscape of our eyes.
Gel or cream eyeliners are your best choice, and have a fine-tipped brush handy for application. A medium shade of brown won’t be as unforgiving as jet black, and it will also give you a fresher, cleaner, and younger look. The formula is also good because it won’t tug like pencil or skip like liquid. The softer formula will open your eyes up and make you look more awake.
For brows, try going one shade lighter. If you’re blonde or silver, you can go one shade darker than your hair, but not any more than that.
