WHETHER or not you consider yourself a make-up pro, there’s always something new to learn every day.
Trends come and go. New make-up techniques pop up every now and then.
But there are make-up hacks to make our lives easier. Try the following if you haven’t already.
GET THAT SMOKEY EYE WITH A HASHTAG
This is a tricky look. It can make you look sultry or like a raccoon if you don’t really know what you’re doing. This is because the techniques require a lot of blending and smudging.
Here’s how to keep things simple: Use a creamy eyeliner to draw a slanted hashtag symbol on the outer third of your eyelid.
Take a smudging brush or a sponge and blend it out.This technique helps ensure both eyes appear symmetrical.
PERFECT THE CAT EYE
Eyeliners are tricky as well, especially when you use freehand to achieve the cat-eye look. If you’ve experienced way too many uneven cat eyes, using a spoon can help.
Hold the stem of the spoon against the outer corner of your eye. This hack works well with a liquid eyeliner.
Draw a straight line as the first step to form the bottom part of the wing. Then place the spoon halfway in the middle of your lid and connect it to the end point of your bottom wing line.
After your lines are drawn, fill them in accordingly. Use the spoon as a stencil to help you achieve a structured wing.
THE SPOON WORKS AS A MASCARA SHIELD
Nothing is worse than mascara smudges. To prevent this, hold a spoon against your eyelid and apply mascara as you normally would. The spoon will act as a shield to prevent mascara from getting on your eyelid.
REVIVE MASCARA
Mascaras typically last only three months once the tube is exposed. After this period of time, it will likely be a breeding ground for bacteria. If you continue to use it, it may lead to eye infections.
Here’s what you can do: Add two drops of saline solution into dried-up mascara to get back its smooth consistency.
NO EYE SHADOW PRIMER? OPT FOR A CONCEALER
You can always substitute eye shadow primer with a concealer.
All you need to do is put a couple of dots onto the upper eyelid and use a make-up brush to blend it out.
KEEP LASHES CURLED LONGER
Just as we apply heat on our tresses to style them, we can also use the same approach on our eyelashes to keep them curled longer.
Create your own heated lash curler by blowing hot air on your eyelash curler. The heat will not only help curl lashes faster but also keep them in shape longer.
Just be careful not to curl your lashes when the eye curler is too hot.
TEST FOUNDATION ON NECK, NOT ARM
We’ve all been there — it’s tough trying to figure out the perfect shade of foundation or concealer that works for you.
At the beauty store or pharmacy, you wouldn’t want to hog the foundation counter. While you may think it’s best to swatch the various shades on your arm, it’s better to do it on your neck as it’s more reflective of your skin tone.
FOR MESS-FREE NAILS
If you are always struggling to paint your nails, dab a layer of Vaseline around your nail bed and paint.
Once it’s dry, wash your hands. Any excess nail polish on the Vaseline will be washed away. You can also use Vaseline to prevent your nail polish cap from drying shut. Simply apply some onto the neck of the bottle.
MAKE LIP COLOUR LAST LONGER
Tissue and translucent powder should be your best friends if you want your lip colour to last longer.
Before filling your lips with lipstick, outline with a lip liner that is of the same hue.
It’s best to apply a coat of lipstick with a brush for more precision. When you are done, blot your lips with a tissue. Then hold the tissue to your lips and finish off by lightly dusting translucent powder onto your lips with a powder brush through the tissue.
An average Jane with a make-up obsession, Syahirah Mokhtazar believes that the journey to the right lipstick shade is akin to finding your soulmate. Join her as she explores the beauty world, one lipstick swipe at a time. She can be reached at syamokhtazar@gmail.com.