Makeup Hacks You NEED to Know!

Article by BR Kellie

You’ve got contouring down, you can blend your foundation like a pro and your eyebrows are so on fleek your friends get you to do theirs. But what do you do when your foundation drops onto your favourite top? When no amount of scrubbing gets rid of those waterproof gel eyeliner swatches on your hand? Or your mascara misfires and ends up on parts of your face that aren’t your lashes?

That’s when you need the best makeup stain removal tips. And we’ve got ‘em!

Back in the 90s I dropped my Covergirl foundation all over my new white Esprit pants… Ooops. Suffice to say the pants never recovered, but if I knew then what I know now, there’s a chance the matter could have been rectified with this tip.

The moment that liquid foundation hits any piece of clothing, stop, breathe and head to the kitchen. Take a knife and remove any excess, try not to rub it in. Then grab your dishwashing liquid and dab it onto the stain, add a touch of water, and dab some more with a clean cloth, dab more dishwashing liquid on until the stain is gone or as gone as it’s going to get and then throw it into the washing machine.  I tried this method the other day on one of my favourite tops after a foundation pump went mental and squirted product onto the sleeve and it worked! (Although different fabrics may yield different results. Ain't that always the way? But the way I see it, the piece of clothing is already stuffed, so if it works it’s a win, and if it doesn’t it was already lost to you so at least you know you tried.)

If it’s powder foundation that’s having a party on your pants or pullover shake off the excess, then follow the above tips – easy peasy!

What about lipstick on your clothing? Again dishwashing liquid is a winner! Dab it on, allow it to set for 10 to 20 minutes, then with a damp cloth dab away at it to remove the product, or if you’ve vodka just hanging around doing nothing, you can moisten a cloth with the liquid and dab it onto the stain before popping it into the washing machine. As for those swatches on your hand that just won’t budge. Well full credit has to go to Nikkie Tutorials for showing me the light on this one. Check out her video:

which shows you how shaving cream is a skin savior for banishing makeup marks. It looks so good I’m tempted to even try it on my clothing next time I get a little wand happy. Heck, I’d try it on my carpet the next time Miss 3 goes on the rampage with a red lippy.

Another makeup ‘uh-oh’ moment is when you bat your eyelashes too quickly after applying mascara to end up with black or blue or purple (if you’re rocking the coloured mascara trend) lines around your eyes. For the love of all things good, don’t try and wipe them off, you’ll just smudge it and make it worse. If you’re in a hurry apply makeup remover to a cotton bud and dab it on the stain. That way you won’t totally ruin your base. If time is on your side, let it dry and then gently scrape it off with a cotton bud or your fingernail.

So there you have it, with some dishwashing liquid, a bit of Vodka (or rubbing alcohol), shaving cream and a bit of time, cool-headedness and a touch of patience you can rid yourself of those heart-stopping ‘omg what the heck am I going to do I love those white Esprit oh-so-embarassingly-90s pants’ makeup stain moments.
Have you got any tips you’d like to tell us about? What’s worked for you? Sharing is caring!