by BR Tabatha
They say it takes 10,000 hours of working on one particular thing to become a master at said 'thing'. Well, I think if we combined the Beauty Review Crew's makeup applying time with their trend reading time and their YouTube makeup watching time, we'd well and truly have hit that level of makeup mastery. To say we're obsessed with cosmetics would be an understatement. We get as excited about a new blush release as a gamer does when there's an update to their favourite game.
Suffice to say, we've had our ups and downs during the process, possibly more downs than ups, which we feel makes us qualified to know when a makeup tip is a hit. Tips and tricks like these...
- Your hairdryer can do double duty! Use it to heat up your eyelash curlers to create a longer lasting lift. Lip liner or eyeliner pencil hard as a rock? Soften it up with a quick blast of heat!
- Struggle to get the perfect wing? The flat side of a bobby pin or the handle of a teaspoon pressed upon the skin at the right angle provide two wonderful guides to help you get that crisp flick.
- Has your favourite mascara dried out way before it's time to chuck it out? Add a couple of basic saline drops (not the ones that reduce redness!) to the tube, use the mascara wand to swish it around and the formula will be refreshed.
- Hate the way foundation makes your peach fuzz stand out? This can be minimised by applying foundation with downward strokes.
- There are few things worse than having glittery eyeshadow fallout making you look like a fairy when you're aiming for seductress, or having a deep shade fall onto your cheeks and smudge your perfected base, so if you're going to create a smokey eye or an intense looking eye, do your eye makeup first, then follow up with the rest of your makeup.
- Avoid placing anything shimmery on textured skin. As pretty as a shimmery blush or gleaming highlighter can be, they serve to emphasise dry spots, scars, fine lines and large pores. If you see texture, stick to matte products.
- Love a liquid lip, but hate how it sits on your lips? It's time to smoothe and soften! Dampen your lips with water then exfoliate them with a sugar scrub or a muslin cloth, apply a nourishing lip balm, then go about the rest of your beauty business until it's sunk in - give it fifteen or so minutes - then apply your lippy to your perfectly primed lips.
- Want to pop some colour on your face but not sure where to start? Monochromatic colour for the win! Lipstick, blush and eyeshadow in similar shades creates a beautiful, easy, but also sophisticated fail-safe look.
- Whether it's foundation, concealer, blush, eyeshadow or mascara, you're better to go in with a little and add layers where and if needed, than find yourself blending excess colour out for minutes upon minutes, or trying to degunk your lashes, or trying to figure out how to make your skin less mask-like.
- Finally? If a makeup look or technique works for you, embrace it. Never feel like you need to follow a trend if you know it's not for you. Be your authentic self. You do you.
So, my pretties, I've shared our ten top makeup tips and tricks... now share yours! Do tell... what's the best advice or discoveries you've made on your makeup journey? Get chatting below!
I appreciate the last one! So true!