10 beauty hacks that actually work!
You've probably read every makeup hack under the sun and some may be a little gimmicky. There’s a hack for everything, from DIY eye makeup to contouring, but which are worth the effort? To help you out we've listed our top beauty hacks that actually work!
1. Using your eyeshadow as an eyeliner
This tip is great for making your eye makeup multipurpose. Firstly, dampen your angled eyeliner brush and dip it into the side of the eyeshadow, then simply line the eyes! This is perfect for bright coloured eyeshadows if you want a pop of colour as an eyeliner, or great for dark brown or black eyeshadow as this is an easy alternative to black liquid liner. Another tip is to scrape a little powder from the top of the eyeshadow onto a dish, add a drop of mixing medium or water and mix together until you create a paste - voila! You have your own eyeliner medium.
2. Double up your lipstick as a cream blush
Simply apply the lipstick onto the back of your hand to warm up the product and make it a little more malleable. For a light wash of colour use the duo fibre D04 brush. As the bristles are two different lengths, this means it doesn't pick up too much product. It’s perfect for cream products and if you're a little scared of applying too much! Alternatively, you can use your ring finger to lightly bounce the lipstick up and down onto the cheek.
3. Create your own DIY tinted moisturiser
Whether your foundation is just a little too heavy or you feel like going lighter and more natural for the summer, simply apply your regular moisturiser to your foundation and mix together. This will sheer out the foundation AND make it more hydrating. WIN! This also works really well with a liquid highlighter too if you want to make your foundation dewier but still wear powder on your oily areas!
4. Get the most out of your concealer
Most concealers that have an applicator will have some sort of stopper at the top of the tube to squeeze off any excess product. However, this also means that once you can't get any off the applicator, you chuck it away! There is normally quite a bit of product left at the bottom that you can never get and end up wasting!
But, did you know, you can actually remove the stopper (some are tougher than others) by using a spatula or tweezers to wiggle the top bit off? We've included images below of us trying out the hack so you can see for yourself.
5. Find where to contour
Sometimes it can be difficult to understand where to even put your contour. We've found a way that makes it so much easier. Start with the end of your brush or a pencil and line it up from the top of your ear, angling down towards your mouth. This is normally, exactly where you can feel the hollow under your cheekbone, so now you can use this has a guide when applying the product!
Always start by applying your brush from your hairline working downwards to about halfway between your ear and your mouth. Blend up and down in this area, then finish off by blending in circular motions to ensure it's thoroughly blended.
6. Apply lipstick before your lip liner
It actually ends up being more difficult when you try to line and shape your lips before applying a bold lipstick! It's easier to follow and shape around a block colour. So roughly apply your lipstick all over the lips, then use your liner to shape and define. Honestly, it's so much easier!
Bonus tip: Draw an 'X' where your cupids bow is then continue to line your lips as normal, this will help ensure both sides are symmetrical.
7. Multi-purpose products
Speed up your makeup routine and use your bronzer or blusher as eye makeup too! Both bronzer and blushers work great as eyeshadow, this will also help tie your whole look together. Or vice versa, if you're a lover of warm eyeshadow like our 'Shore' from the Oceana Palette, this eye makeup also works well as a blusher on the cheeks! Just make sure it's not too shimmery. Check out our TikTok for this hack!
8. Protect your make-up when putting on clothes
Obviously, we don't want to ruin our makeup when putting our clothes on or accidentally get makeup on the inside when shopping and trying on outfits! To prevent this, put all your hair in front of your face and the clothing will slip right over without even touching your makeup! If you've got short hair, use a scarf or small towel over your face whilst you pop on the clothing.
9. Trim your false lashes in half
We all know that putting on lashes can make or break you when you’re getting ready to go out, and sometimes it's all just a bit too stressful. Try cutting your lashes in half and use the inner part of the lash on the outer corner.
You can simply look down into a hand mirror and carefully place it on the outer corner of your eye. Not only is it so much easier, but it also lifts the eye and blends into your natural lashes so seamlessly. We'd recommend semi-natural looking lashes for this hack though! Once you get the hang of doing this, putting on a full strip will feel a little more manageable.
10. A spritz a day keeps the cake away (not that kind of cake, we like cake, we mean cakey makeup!)
If you ever feel like your foundation looks a little cakey, you've got too much powder on, or you just feel like your highlighter looks a little harsh, then we urge you to try this next step!
We love to spritz setting spray after we pop our foundation on, then again after powder, bronzer, eye makeup, etc. Try it for yourself! The spray will settle powders into the skin, merge everything together and also make your highlighter look so much smoother. It sounds so simple but honestly SO effective.
It's also great throughout the day to refresh your makeup. Simply blot away any oil, dab a little powder over oily areas, then go ahead and spritz your setting spray! If you're dry, you can skip the powder and use a hydrating spray with a damp sponge and a little concealer if you need to!
Try these beauty hacks with our makeup range and show us the results on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!