Tips & Tricks

Everybody has a few tips and tricks up their sleeves when it comes to beauty, so I thought I'd share mine!

• When you're going to tweeze your brows at home, soften the skin around the brow first by applying a cotton wool ball that has been soaked in clean warm water. This will allow the stray hairs to slide out with ease & reduce redness and swelling.

• If, like me, you suffer with natural shadows & puffiness under your eyes then invest in a good eye cream. I'm currently using the mac fast response eye cream - but shop around. You can find a good eye cream for less than £10.00

• If your hair is dry and damaged such as mine is from over processing, apply a rich hair mask or conditioner, put on a shower cap and leave on for as long as possible. I usually do this once every couple of weeks and leave it on over night. Yes, its a little uncomfortable but your hair will thank you the next day. Shower off to reveal soft, shiny & much more healthy feeling hair!

• Take care of your hands. Moisturising daily will prevent unnecessary aging of the hands. Your hands are on show just as much of your face, yet many people ignore them!

• Always have a brown mascara in your makeup collection for a softer day time look. I love my black mascara, the darker the better in my opinion. But sometimes there's an occasion or a makeup look that calls for a softer eye. You can pick up a good one for a couple of pounds - try Rimmel or Collection 2000.

• If you've dropped a lipstick and its broken, mould it back together gently then replace the lid and pop it into the fridge. 3-5 hours later it should have set back together and can be used as normal once again! I cannot tell you how many mac lipsticks I have saved using this method!

• Exfoliate your whole body at least once a week. Exfoliating removes all the dead skin cells that can make your skin look dull. When you've finished exfoliating, apply your lotion/moisturiser. Freshly exfoliated skin absorbs much better than clogged skin.

• Painted or manicured nails can add the finishing touches to any outfit. Try neutral colours if you don't want to have to keep changing your nail colour all the time. You'd be surprised how many outfits they will go with. Or for a really on trend look, match your nail colour to your lip colour.

• The day before applying fake tan, exfoliate & shave your body. Shaving over a tan only removes some of the colour from your body. Also, moisturizing dry areas such as knees, hand and elbows will help to keep your tan on for much longer. 

• Lipstick will last much longer on the lips if you colour the whole lip in with your lip liner first, giving it a 'base'.

• When painting your nails, always start with your little finger & move across to your thumb. That way you'll avoid smudging nails that you've already painted.

• Aim to have at least one 'makeup free' day a week. This will give your skin a break and allow it to breath. The night before my 'makeup free day' I cleanse, tone and moisturise my face and neck with soft motions. Never use a circulation motion around your eyes. Always gently pull away from the eye when applying creams & lotions.

• If you've run out of brow gel or a clear mascara to keep your brows in place, spray an old toothbrush with hairspray and comb through brows.

So there you have them, the best tricks I have learnt over the years. I hope you've found them useful & if you do have any tips or tricks of your own please let me know! I'm always on the look out for new ones!

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