What do real women do to look beautiful? To find out, we went online and
asked our favorite bloggers for their best beauty secrets. Here are
their top, go-to strategies for gorgeous hair, glowing skin and marvelous makeup.
Dunk nails to dry
"If you have no quick-dry products lying around, dip your
painted nails in a bowl of ice-cold water to help them dry faster. It
really works!"
—Michelle Phan,
Pop pimples the smart way
"If you really must pop a zit, follow with a swipe of
witch hazel on a cotton pad to kill bacteria, then ice it for 10
minutes. The inflammation and redness will go down much faster."
—Kathryn Romeyn
Go green for glow!
"One of the best things I have ever done for my health
(and beauty and happiness!) was buy a juicer. I use it all the time and
throw in kale, Swiss chard, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, green apple and
lemon. Drink your greens, enjoy the glow!"
—Gala Darling
Coat cuticles, avoid a mess
"I rub olive oil around my nails before I embark on a nail-art design. It makes removing excess polish way easier."
—Taryn Multack, Miss LadyFinger
Hide chips with textured polish
"Unlike regular lacquer, the glittery kind is supposed to look
sort of uneven, so it's great for fix-it situations. When a nail chips,
instead of removing all my polish and starting over, I'll just slap on a
coat of sparkle over my current color. And when I (inevitably) get
another chip, I paint on a little more. You can keep a manicure going
indefinitely!"
—Alyssa Hertzig, The Sparkly Life
Steam nails for a matte look
"If I'm making soup
or boiling pasta, I'll put on two quick coats of nail polish. While
they're still wet, I'll hold my nails for three seconds over the steam
coming from the simmering food, keeping them about 5 inches above the
water. Then I watch the magic happen: My glossy painted nails turn
matte-sexy."
—Michelle Phan
Topcoat your decals
"When I opt for nail stickers, I always seal them with a
clear topcoat covering the tip of the nail, too. It discourages edges
from peeling, makes the decals last longer and gives an authentic
painted-on look (so you can pretend you have crazy nail skills!)."
—Kathryn Romeyn, Beauty Bender
Take off glitter with felt
"I love sparkly polish, but it sticks to your nails like
crazy. To remove it, I use felt instead of a cotton ball—it works like a
gentle Brillo pad."
—Allison Kratzer, Makeup by Alli
Cocktail your concealer
"I like my cover-up to float on the skin and hide imperfections
rather than sink in and accentuate them. My latest trick: I first dab my
ring finger into an eye balm (I love Kiehl's Rosa Arctica Eye), then
swipe it over a solid concealer and dot it on. The creamy texture blends
in very smoothly and doesn't settle into little lines. So nice."
—Brooke Pakulski, Blushing Noir
Perk up foundation with face oil
"Instead of layering on powder before happy hour, press a
few drops of face oil over your cheeks to refresh your foundation and
create a super natural glow."
—Elizabeth Dehn, Beauty Bets
Dot your eyes
"I have the least steady hands on the planet, but I love the way
my eyes look when they're tightly lined. I've learned to hold a
liquid-liner marker pen horizontally, so I'm using the broader side of
the tip instead of the fine point, and press it into my lash line. This
way I can line my eyes in three to four quick stamps instead of trying
to draw a straight line—which is nearly impossible!"
—Lara Ramos, The Glossarie
Chill out
"If your eye and lip pencils are really soft, leave them
in the fridge for about an hour before you sharpen them—the less creamy
they are, the less waste there is."
—Christine Miekle, Temptalia
Blend your own glossy shadow
"I combine dark shades, like metallic brown, deep green or
vibrant blue, with a creamy luminizer on the back of my hand to create a
gorgeous, subtly glossy version that looks pretty both day and night."
—Alexandra Spunt, No More Dirty Looks
Swirl on blush
"I spin my brush in small, light circles from my cheekbone to my hairline. This trick gives a flawless, airbrushed look."
—Allison Kratzer
Remove makeup with coconut oil
"After I douse a cotton pad with my regular makeup
remover, I add a bit of coconut oil and apply it to my closed eye. It
helps break up the makeup, so it slides off with more ease."
—Julie Gutierrez, YouTube vlogger
Add blush for lasting color
"Eye shadow works, too, to give lipstick longer-lasting wear and a
unique matte finish. Just make sure it matches your lip shade."
—Alexis Wolfer, The Beauty Bean
Beachy waves with braids
"My hair goes flat fairly quickly, so I am always looking
for ways to perk it up. These days, I wash it, add a dime-size dollop of
light mousse—that's key!—and put it into one big braid. When I undo the
braid midday, I have perfect waves with body and volume."
—Aimee Blaut, The Formula Blog
Make dry shampoo your secret weapon
"I sleep with my hair divided into two loose buns, secured with a
scrunchie, to keep my strands smooth. For adding volume in the morning,
I rely on Osis Dust It—the powder soaks up excess oils and adds lift to
roots."
—Lara Eurdolian, Pretty Connected
Mix up highlights
"A combination of bigger, piecey streaks and thinner,
smaller ones makes my hair look more 'back from the beach' than 'back
from the salon.'"
—Allison Kratzer
Mist regularly for moisture
"I keep a hydrating, alcohol-free toner on the table by my couch,
where I usually work from, and spritz it on for dewy skin in a flash."
—Janna Mandell, Beauty Binge
As
the name suggests, this brush is designed for applying liquid
foundation. Foundation brushes have tightly packed bristles of varying
lengths to help achieve a smooth, non-streaky finish. You can apply
foundation to your face and then use the brush to spread and blend or
alternatively apply your foundation directly to the brush and then apply
to the face, starting at the nose and working your way out. I find the
second method uses less product and allows for a more precise
application. If you’re not sure whether a foundation brush purchase is
worth it, consider the following points:
