I don’t know about you, but I think makeup is so much fun! It can help make you feel your best, it’s an exciting hobby, and it can be a creative outlet, allowing you to be your true, artistic self! Yet for some, it can seem overwhelming. So many products to choose from, specific ways to apply products, and more can deter newbies from exploring the wonderful world of makeup. But nothing a few makeup hacks can’t fix!
These 10 makeup hacks that will help you easily take your makeup skills to the next level!
10 Makeup Hacks That Will Change Your Life
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Eyes First, Then Face
This is my number one makeup hack!
Always apply your eye makeup first whenever you’re doing an eye look, no matter how neutral or intense you’re planning on getting.
When you apply your eye makeup first, it’s much easier to fix a mistake. Say you mess up on your winged liner, or you accidentally apply the wrong eyeshadow shade, you can easily fix it if you haven’t applied any foundation or face makeup yet. If you do your face makeup first, and mess up on your eyes you’re probably going to have to take everything off and start from the beginning. And who has time for that?
If you’re an avid face-makeup-before-eye-makeup kind of person, and you’re scared to apply your foundation after your eye makeup, here’s a tip for you! Just use a smaller blush or blending sponge to carefully apply foundation around your eyes and eyebrows!
Oh, and this isn’t a makeup hack for just beginners or just those who are messy either. This hack is perfect for anyone because accidents happen all the time, and it’s much easier to fix them if you plan properly!
Don’t Over Do It On The Concealer
Sometime back in like 2016, beauty Youtubers decided to convince everyone that you need to pile on the concealer, and that’s what so many people have been doing ever since. And it’s wrong, at least for some people.
Unless you have really big dark circles that you want covered up, there’s no need to apply a giant triangle of concealer under your eye and halfway down your cheek. This can actually make your makeup appear more cakey and less natural.
If you don’t have huge dark circles and you just want a brighter or more youthful look, here’s how you should be applying your concealer. For a brightening effect, apply it below your eyes in a smaller triangle and blend. For a lifting effect, apply a few dots along your under eye and a line going up on your outer corner and blend.
It’s also important to note that often times the amount of product you see people applying or wearing in videos or pictures is a lot more than you would ever need to wear IRL. Beauty Youtubers and Influencers need more makeup in order for it to show up on camera. So if you’re following a tutorial, turn it down a notch for a more natural look.
Powder Under Foundation
You may remember a few months back this supposedly new beauty technique was going viral. So many users did the powder before foundation method and were left with smooth, airbrushed skin and foundation that didn’t move throughout the day!
This makeup technique isn’t old, makeup artists have been using it since forever. It’s also something that works much better for those with oily skin, since too much powder can make already dry skin look dryer.
Just do your regular skincare first and let everything dry down. Then apply your primer, I love this one. Next apply a translucent face powder, like the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder, and a setting spray, like the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. Let everything dry, and then go in with your foundation. You can still apply powder again over your foundation if you want. What you’re left with is truly flawless looking foundation that won’t move no matter what!
A Perfect Wing, Every Single Time
If you’ve been trying to get that perfect winged liner and keep failing, this one’s for you!
This is one of my absolute favorite makeup hacks because its easy to do and really makes a difference! Whenever you’re doing winged liner, always start with the actual wing, not on your lid. If you do the liner on your eyelid first, you might have a harder time lining up your wing perfectly, and this could honestly be the reason why you haven’t mastered that sharp liner look yet. But if you start with the actual wing first, you’ll be able to apply it in the perfect place and then fill it in and apply that liner to your lid to complete the look.
Oh, and also, invest in a really good eyelining pen. I swear by the Clinique Pretty Easy Eyelining Pen. I always struggled with winged liner before, but once I switched up the application method and started using this liner, I get sharp and straight liner every single time!
Overline Your Lips, The Right Way
Overlining your lips is an easy way to make your lips look bigger or just draw more attention to them. But if you don’t do it the right way, they just end up looking, well, strange.
Before you even apply any lip products, make sure your lips are prepped. Exfoliate with a lip scrub, like this one, and apply a hydrating lip balm, like the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, (which also contains spf 15). The next step is finding the perfect shade of lip liner to use. For a more natural look, you want to stick to a shade that’s close to, or an exact match for, your actual lip shade.
When overlining, you don’t want to go too far away from your lips. Instead, just line the outer part, right under and around your actual lips. Avoid lining right into the corners of your mouth, where your lips meet. If you stop just a little short of there, you’ll give the appearance of fuller lips. If you find it still doesn’t look natural enough, you can try carefully blending your lip liner so it’s not as sharp-looking. Finish off with your lipstick of choice and top with a gloss for more dimension. You can also try a plumping lip gloss, like the Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Gloss.
Get The Most Out Of Your Makeup
Make sure you’re always getting the most out of your makeup!
That little tube of blush may be cute, but it’s definitely not practical when it comes to getting every last bit of makeup out. When you think a tube of makeup is empty, cut off the end and you’ll be sure to find plenty of product left over. And don’t worry, you don’t have to use it all then. Just move any unused product into a clean jar with a lid and you now have a little more time before repurchasing your favorite products. (This also works for body lotions and creams and skincare products).
Another money-saving makeup hack is to purchase travel and trial size products, especially mascara! Mascara has a shelf life of 3 months once opened. That means you either have to use that entire tube within 3 months, or toss it. And if you’re someone who likes to play around with lots of makeup, there’s no way you’re going to go through 5 tubes of mascara in 3 months. This is also a good hack for other products you don’t see yourself using a lot of, like blush or highlight.
Apply Mascara To The Top Part Of Your Lashes
Most people just apply mascara to the underside of their lashes and stop there. But one of my favorite makeup hacks for thicker and more defined lashes is applying mascara to the top part as well!
When you apply your mascara to the top part of your lashes, your lashes will look much thicker and bolder, and can help draw more attention to them. You’ll also find that you won’t need to apply numerous coats to achieve that bold lash look.
This makeup hack could take some getting used to. So to avoid a mess of mascara on your eyelids, start slow and take your time.
Use Products For Other Purposes
It’s no lie that half of the fun of makeup is the ability to get creative and experiment with different looks. But it’s also really fun to play around with your products and use them for other purposes besides what they were originally designed to do.
A major makeup hack is to use your products in different places. Your cream or liquid blush can totally double as a gorgeous lip color! Use a contouring shade as a crease color for your eyeshadow! Or get really fun and use your lipgloss as an all over lid color! Use your eyeshadow as eyeliner for a more natural or smokey eye look!
Just make sure whatever products you’re using are safe to use on other parts of your face. If you’re prone to breakouts, don’t start slabbing random products onto your face. If you have a gloss with giant glitters in it, don’t put it on your eyes unless the glitters are eye safe.
Never Skip Out On Blush
Not really a makeup hack, but this is one of my top makeup tips! Never, ever skip out on blush!
Many people think blush is too intense, or serves no purpose, so they don’t use it. But blush can actually be the perfect thing to change up your entire makeup look or accentuate certain features.
If your makeup looks a little flat, apply some blush and you’ll have a stunning flush. If you’re not totally comfortable with contouring, try using a light-neutral blush to sculpt and define. And my favorite, apply a little bit of blush on your nose for a fun and super cute pop of color!
For more blush tips, check out Blush Tips For Beginners!
Know What Works For You
Out of all the makeup hacks on this list, this is the most important one! You can learn all the tips in the world and follow every tutorial, but if you don’t know what products work for you, you’ll forever be lost when it comes to applying makeup.
Knowing your skin type, (oily, dry, combo, normal), is essential for finding the makeup products that will work for you. You also probably have specific preferences for how you want your makeup to turn out, (natural vs glam). Keep in mind that sometimes products that are super trendy or hyped up won’t work for you, or you might just not like them, and that’s okay!
One of the best tips I can give anyone totally new or lost when it comes to makeup is to follow advice and recommendations from people with similar skin types and preferences. You’ll get a really good idea of what products might actually work for you, without the hassle of trying a million out. Also, always check the reviews on products, you’ll get a pretty good idea of whether you’ll like a product or not.
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