Your Best Beauty Tips
By GlindaI am no makeup expert.
And even though I’ve more than a passing interest in it, I by no means know every trick in the book.
So in the interest of the Manolosphere, I’d like to ask the lovely readers of Manolo for the Beauty to share their best and most secret beauty tips. You know, the one you don’t tell your friends about. But due to the wonders of the intertubes, we can all share our secrets anonymously!
I’ll start.
I actually use a conditioner first before shampooing. Sounds odd, I know, but if I shampoo thoroughly afterwards and avoid too much conditioner at the roots, it actually helps to keep my hair from getting “the greasies” the next day. And my fine, long hair is most definitely prone to the dreaded Professor Snape effect.
All right, your turn!
December 16th, 2010 at 8:52 am
I’m often asked “How do you get your nails to grow so long?” to which my first answer is usually “Don’t cut them.” But I am, in truth, a bit vain about my nails (and appreciate that they make my big sturdy hands look positively graceful).
My real secret: I’m fanatical about keeping my nails and cuticles moisturized with something as close to pure grease as possible. My longtime favorite product is A&D Ointment. I grew up with this as a staple in the family medicine cabinet, and it’s good for all sorts of beauty and first-aid uses. I rub a bit into my nails and then run my hands under very warm water to let it soak into the skin and rinse off the excess.
A&D contains fish oil and lanolin, so it’s not remotely vegan. But if you’re okay with that, I think the animal oils are what help it absorb into the skin better than, say, Vaseline (which will do in a pinch). Bag Balm is another product with lanolin that I like, though the smell takes some getting used to.
I haven’t been able to find either A&D or Bag Balm in the UK, but here I’ve found a couple brands of pure cocoa butter in convenient stick form, with the other advantages of being cheap, plant-based and nice-smelling.
December 16th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Oooh, I am definitely trying your hair trick, Glinda! Let me see what I can contribute to the tip jar…
Skincare: I spend half the year waking up to puffy allergy eyes. I massage a liberal amount of eye cream that contains caffeine (Clinique has one) on to my eyes when I get up, let it sit for about half an hour while I eat breakfast, then wash it off in a hot shower. Puffiness gone, and without wearing potentially irritating eye cream all day.
Makeup: Make your own tinted moisturizer. This is especially great if your skin is very reactive, like mine. Buy the gentlest powder makeup you can find, mix with whatever moisturizer doesn’t bug your skin, add sunscreen if needed. You can adjust the coverage by tweaking the powder to moisturizer ratio, and add a quick drying sunscreen like Neutrogena Dry Touch to give it staying power.
For winged eyeliner, aim the outer tip of the wing towards the outer tip of your eyebrow. It looks much more natural than aiming straight out to the side, and it’ll keep your wings even on both eyes. If your hands aren’t steady, use a piece of tape for a straight edge.
If you’re doing a heavy or smoky eye, always always always clean up and fill in your brows. It’s like outlining your eye makeup. They don’t have to be darker than normal, just make sure they look groomed.
December 16th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
-To find the perfect natural lip color, match the inside of your lower lip.
-Brushing your hair regularly IS the best thing for it. I bought a Mason Pearson brush about 15 years ago and it still works great.
-Go get a free make-over at one of the beauty counters about once a year. It will give you new ideas, freshen your look( so you don’t fall into a time warp trap and you’ll probably learn a trick or two. Ask the make up artist to write down everything they used,thank her/him profusely and walk outside. You can see it in different light and at home, and if you love it, you can go back and buy it. This prevents regret purchases.
-have a 15x magnifying mirror on hand for checking stray hairs and blending.
December 16th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
— Olive oil mixed with sugar makes a fantastic hand or body scrub. Just be really careful if you’re using it in the shower, though!
— Put your intended lipstick on before you do your eye makeup. That way, you can adjust accordingly and not wind up with clown face.
— If you have insanely thick, curly hair that is hell to detangle, then after shampooing, put a squirt of your conditioner into an empty conditioner bottle, fill the bottle two thirds full of warm water, shake the heck out of it, and dump it all over your hair. It’ll be somewhat foamy and lather-y, and will penetrate through the thicket of your hair more easily. Work it through your hair, rinse, and then condition as normal from the ears down.
— Before bed, slather on the waxiest, thickest lip balm you can find (kiss your husband goodnight BEFORE doing this, obviously.) In the morning, your lips will not only be soft and smooth, but they’ll be a little bit fuller-looking from all that moisture.
December 17th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Rice flour mixed with your normal facial cleanser (Cetaphil, for me) is the most fantastic, cheap, natural exfoliant. Occasionally, when I’ve really done a number on my skin, I will use rice flour and honey, which has natural healing properties.
For quick beauty touch-ups on the go, I make sure I have a lipstick which is fairly neutral and fairly matte. A swipe on the lips, and a dab blended on each cheek, and I look instantly better. I’m super pale, so if I skip cheek color, I usually end up with everyone asking “Oh my god, do you feel alright? You look ill!”
December 17th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Vitamin E oil on my hands and feet before going to bed – otherwise I get cracked and infected cuticles.
I second the rice flour and Cetaphil for exfoliation – cheap and more effective than just about anything!
I was in Istanbul for the first time this year, and I experienced the Hammam. I cannot recommend the silk mitts the Turks use in the bath. My skin has never been this smooth, not even as a young girl!
December 17th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
-Aquaphor is the best night eye cream ever. I read this somewhere and it kind of disgusted me, but I tried it and it is fantastic. Also I tend towards clogged pores but have had no issues whatsoever. It’s also great on lips to moisturize at night.
-Nail shellac is my new best friend. I have my nails done every three weeks now. They are always shiny, look perfect and almost never break, crack or split.
-Drinking lots of water every day has completely changed my skin for the better. Why didn’t I listen earlier?
December 17th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Eye makeup primer (you know, the stuff you put on when you need really long lasting makeup) is the best concealer for dark circles. It stays for a long time and doesn’t crease. It’s fantastic.