I recently read Molly a la Mode‘s blog entitled “Realistic Beauty Hacks” where she shares a couple of her favourite beauty hacks….not the silly ones where you make mascara out of Oreos, or lipstick out of crayons.  True hacks that help you save time, money, or get you out of a last minute rut.

Two of the ones she listed, I regularly use and would highly suggest:

• Using coconut oil as a makeup remover (it works especially well with ColourPop Ultra Matte liquid lipsticks…checkout my blog about those here)
• Using conditioner instead of shaving cream for silky smooth legs.

Sharing her simple beauty hacks inspired me to share some of my faves with you.

Here are 10 of my most useful hacks, in no particular order:

(1) Use toothpaste to shrink a pesky zit.

Dab a little toothpaste directly on a pimple to help reduce swelling and remove some of the impurities (plus, if it’s minty…it will tingle, removing any pain).

(2) Use bobby pins to get the last drop out of your toothpaste (or other squeeze tube products).

Place one bobby pin on each side, starting from the end, and align them so they are side by side.  Slide them toward the opening as you use up the toothpaste.   If you prefer to roll up your toothpaste at the end, you can also use bobby pins to secure it.

(3) Remove mascara clumps with an old wand.

Clean and save old mascara wands.  They are a great tool to separate lashes and remove clumps if you apply too much. You can also buy and use disposable mascara wands off ebay, like the ones you find at Sephora. These are also great for applying brow colour.  (check out my blog with more info about luscious lashes)

(4) Revive your nail polish with polish remover.

Is your favourite nail polish starting to dry out and get chunky?  Put in a drop or two of nail polish remover, shake it up, and you should get at least another 1-3 applications with it.  (Don’t put too much or the nail polish will apply patchy and never completely dry).

(5) Create beautiful waves with a twisted ballerina bun.

Before you go to bed, dampen your hair (or if you are a night bather, towel dry your hair).  Gather your hair like you were putting a ponytail on top of your head and start twisting it from the base/root.  As you twist it, wrap the hair around to form into a bun (it should naturally form into a bun as you twist your hair).    Secure it with a hair-tie, looping it over the bun 2-3 times.  Unwrap it in the morning and you will have beautiful, natural looking, beachy waves.

(6) Avoid embarrassing makeup blunders with natural light.

(not really a hack…more of tip to perfect your makeup)  Do your makeup by a window without artificial light.  Natural light is the most unforgiving so you will never leave the house again with uneven foundation, liner not completely filled it, or too much shimmer on your face.

(7) Use tape to give yourself a perfect french manicure.

Apply a piece of scotch tape to your nails, leaving the tip exposed.  Paint the tips white (or whatever funky colour you want).  Once dry, remove the tape and apply a clear polish on your entire nail.  BONUS TIP:  Use a small makeup or paint brush with nail polish remover to fix up any smudges or errors.

(8) Fix a manicure smudge with a lick of a finger.

If you smudge your nail polish during or right after application, simply lick your finger tip (I use my index finger) and, with that finger, wipe/slide the polish upwards towards the tip  of your nail.  Its a quick fix and works 75% of the time for me.

(9) Use dry shampoo before bed for fresh manageable morning hair.

(once again, more of a tip vs. a hack) I find that when I use dry shampoo in the morning, it makes my hair stiff and noticeably unnaturally matte (not to mention the occasional white powdery spots if you don’t massage some of the products in properly). Using dry shampoo at night gives the product time to absorb any access oil so your hair looks fresher in the morning.

(10) Q-tips are your beauty best friends!

Whether you need to clean up some inner eye makeup, perfect your liner, apply a dab of concealer, create nail art, or access that last drop of foundation in your bottle…the Q-tip (or cotton-swab) is there to assist and save the day.  I always have a box of them around just in case…

What are you favourite beauty hacks?  Try out some of mine, and let me know what you think!

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