Whether you’re a legit beauty pro or a total newb, you can always benefit from a few makeup tips. Like, why struggle when there are so many easy hacks to make the make-up process 100 times easier? In the spirit of sharing is caring, here are some of the best makeup tips and hacks of all time! So, grab your makeup bag and that one product (or products?) you never learned how to use, and keep scrolling.
Apply your foundation before concealer
Hot tip: The easiest way to level up your makeup routine is to try applying your foundation before concealer. Think about it: Starting with a layer of foundation will help minimize any redness or discoloration—almost like you’re creating a smooth base for the rest of your products. You can then go in with your concealer to spot treat any zits or remaining redness, and you’ll end up using way less product in the process. Another plus? Foundation before concealer is a genius fix for preventing caking and creasing.
Exfoliate your lips before applying lipstick
Okay, you know when you apply lipstick and it doesn’t go on smooth? Try prepping your lips with a gentle lip scrub. The physical exfoliation will help buff away any dry skin sitting on top of your lips, leaving you with a smoother, softer canvas for your products. One thing to keep in mind: Lip scrubs should only be used once a week max—anything more and you’ll risk irritation (aka the opposite vibe you’re going for).
Use a spoon as a stencil for winged liner
If freehand drawing your cat-eye just isn’t gonna happen for you, grab a spoon and use it as a stencil. Holding the stem of a spoon against the outer corner of your eye, use a liquid eyeliner to draw a straight line as the first step for your cat-eye. Then, flip the spoon so it’s hugging your eyelid, and use the rounded outer edge to create a perfectly curved winged effect.
Don’t sleep on blush
It might seem like an obvious step in your makeup routine, but IMO, blush is the most underrated product. A couple sweeps of cream or powder blush along the high points of your cheeks will give your entire look a brighter, warmer finish. Blush gives the skin that fresh, healthy, and rejuvenated look and it adds the perfect amount of depth to the face.
Use a spoon as a mascara shield
Nothing is more annoying than making your eyeshadow look perfect, and then swiping on mascara and ruining the whole thing with smudges. The fix? Hold a spoon so it’s hugging your eyelid, then apply your mascara like you normally would. As you sweep the mascara wand against your lashes and the back of the spoon, the residue will coat the back of the utensil rather than your skin. Genius.
Revive mascara with saline solution
Word of advice: Only use a tube of mascara for three months, max. Beyond that point, it can collect bacteria and lead to eye infections and other unfortunate things you wouldn’t want to search on Google Images. But if your mascara annoyingly dries up within those first three months, add a couple drops of saline solution into the flaky formula to get it back to its smooth consistency.
Plump your lashes with translucent powder
Dust some translucent setting powder on your lashes between coats of mascara to plump up your lashes. The translucent powder helps grip the mascara in between coats, leaving you with fuller, more voluminous lashes.
Set your lip color with a tissue and powder
For lip color that lasts hours, just swipe on your shade, lay a tissue over your mouth, then dust translucent powder over the top to set the color from budging or bleeding. This process may seem ”extra”, but is 100 percent worth it! The translucent powder alone could alter your lip shade, but using the tissue as a shield will protect it from lightening or dulling.
Conceal under your eyes with a triangle shape
If you want to really brighten your under-eye area, stop dotting on your concealer and try applying it in a triangular shape. Draw the base of the triangle directly under your lash line and the tip pointing toward the apple of your cheek. This helps fully conceal any redness and shadows to create the illusion of brighter under eyes.
Use a brush handle as a contour guide
Everyone’s face is shaped differently, so where your BFF might be doing her contour may not be the best place for you to do yours. To tell where you should be dusting on your bronzer or contour powder, roll a pencil, pen, or makeup brush handle right below your cheekbone (directly in the pocket underneath the actual bone) to find the right angle for your face. Once you’ve found the correct placement, dust some bronzer right below it with a contouring brush, then blend the color out to soften it.