Beauty Hacks: Tips for a Stress-Free Beauty Routine
We all want to put our best face forward as we head out the door each morning. However, many of us get hung up in complicated beauty routines that can leave us feeling frazzled instead of confident. When you have a busy day ahead of you, even one time-saving beauty hack can be a game changer. We have compiled some tips and tricks to save you time and money and help avoid those pesky beauty emergencies.
Ashley Rodden, Paris-trained makeup artist and owner of LOVER® Cosmetics LLC, a makeup collection aimed to create a simple beauty routine for women, recommends going back to the basics to avoid chaos in the makeup bag. The following tips can help streamline your beauty routine and eliminate beauty blunders.
Consolidate Brushes and Tools
When it comes to makeup brushes and tools, Ashley recommends narrowing down your arsenal to five must-haves, a liner brush for your eyes and brows, a fluffy-ended shadow brush, a blush brush, a large powder brush that is not overly dense and a foundation brush. Clean your brushes a couple of times a month by soaking the tips in white vinegar, then clean with antibacterial soap and water, squeeze out and lay flat to dry. Proper brush care ensures their longevity, which saves you money and time in replacing them.
Quickly Apply Base
Warm your base product in your hands and pat into skin. This allows for a fast, even and light application. Ashley recommends a beauty balm cream, or bb cream, for light coverage and extra skin protection. If you need more coverage, use a foundation instead.
Create a Fast Summertime Look
After applying sunscreen and bb cream, dust skin with a bronzer and apply a light cream blush. This gives skin an instant, dewy, summertime glow.
Multi-use Your Makeup
Did you know that many makeup products can be used in different ways? Ashley suggests this trick to help minimize products in your bag and speed up the makeup application process. A cream blush can be used for lips and eyes, while a creamy lipstick can double as blush. Eyeshadow in pink or rouge tint may also be used as blush. Brown-hued eyeshadow can be used to fill brows. Eyeshadow is also an excellent choice in lining your eyes. To achieve a liquid eyeliner look, simply wet an angled liner brush before swiping through the shadow and apply to your lash line.
Use Rosebud Salve
A rose salve or a rosebud salve such as Smith’s brand, found at retailers including Ulta and Sephora, has quickly become a cult favorite based on its myriad of uses. This product can be used to soften dry lips and cuticles, nourish nails, alleviate dry, cracked skin and rough spots and more. Rosebud salve is an excellent product to keep in your purse, desk, or car to use in a pinch or to toss in your bag when traveling.
Focus on Brows and Lips
Focusing on your brows and lips can elevate your look in seconds when pressed for time. Brushing your brows upwards with a spoolie brush and filling in sparse areas with a brown shadow or brow pencil helps to pull your look together. Additionally, Ashley said, “A bright, bold lip paired with minimal makeup makes you look like you’ve spent hours on your makeup without much effort at all.”
Avoid Lipstick Feathering
Many of us love the look of a bold lip but fight with it staying where it’s supposed to be, on the lips. Ashley recommends clear lip liner as a shield for feathering prevention. Simply line your lips first, apply your lipstick and you’re done. The clear “barrier” will keep your lipstick from bleeding or budging throughout your day.
Eliminate Eye Makeup Emergencies
Eyeshadow creasing is an annoying problem for many. Always use a primer before applying to help keep your shadow smooth all day long. Tired of mascara running but you can’t find a waterproof version that you love? Try a waterproofing lash shield. Apply as a topcoat over your favorite mascara and your lashes will remain waterproof, smudge proof and tear proof. Sticky Cotton Swabs, available on Amazon, are a great tool to keep on hand for picking up pesky shadow that falls to your under eye area during application.
We all have a few beauty tricks up our sleeves that we use from time to time. Hopefully one of these tips from the professional will be added to your list to make your beauty routine easier and help eliminate any “uh oh” moments. ■
Sources: lover-cosmetics.com, ulta.com, sephora.com, covergirl.com, mommymakeup.com and amazon.com.
