Makeup Mastery Unleashed: 45 Expert Hacks For Getting That On-Point Flawless Look
If you are a woman who needs to wear makeup for work or if you just enjoy using it in general to make you feel more confident and beautiful, then you know how hard it is to get the perfect look every single time. It’s not just about applying products either. You need to know the shape of your face, your exact skin tone, what colors suit you, and a lot of other things to get you that perfect look, which can be hard to learn if you lead a busy life. Of course, there are thousands of tutorials out there teaching from the most basic concepts to more advanced techniques. But why spend all that time and money if you could learn some simple hacks to make your life easier and improve your makeup skills easily? That’s right! If you are interested in that, then here you have it – 45 makeup hacks every woman should know!
Longer Lasting Lipstick
“How?” you may ask, but it’s quite simple. What keeps your lipstick from sticking longer to your lips is the oil of both your skin and the food you eat. The oils and grease act like a makeup remover and end up smudging the product everywhere!
To stop that from happening, not only do you need to avoid eating oily foods, but you can also use some translucent powder to make your lipstick last longer. Just dust a little bit of it on top of your lips, and you should be good to go for even longer than you thought!
The perfect nails
If you want to have perfectly manicured nails but can’t afford the time or money spent on weekly manis and pedis, this next tip is for you! If you want a French manicure but don’t know how to do it yourself, just wrap some tape around your finger!
Leave just enough space on the tip of your nails, paint it white, and then remove the tape. We guarantee it will be perfectly straight and look just as good as if you went to a salon. The best part? You won’t spend a penny!
Anti-Aging
We are all aware that every great make-up routine starts with a great base. What would be the point of doing all these hacks if you haven’t established a proper skincare routine? We know just where to start if you are struggling to find ways to keep your skin soft while also trying to prevent early aging!
After washing your face at night, put a little bit of eye cream, such as the one pictured above, underneath your eyes. The skin around your eyes is extremely delicate and can look dull if not properly cared for. Using a great eye cream every night, especially one with shea butter, should eventually unveil soft and luscious skin under your eyes if used consistently.
Smelling nice all day long
Did you know that it is possible to make your perfume last all day long? That’s true! You may have spent way too much money buying expensive perfumes, only to get disappointed when they don’t last long on your skin, but we have the solution for you!
There are specific points where you can apply your perfume, and it will last much longer than if you apply it all over your body! Next time you’re going out, just splash some of it behind your ears, inside your wrists, and at the base of your throat!
Homemade lipstick
With so many makeup products out there, finding the perfect combination of colors between eyeshadow and lipstick can be quite hard! If you want a certain lipstick color, but don’t want to spend money buying a new one, just do this little trick below!
Choose an eyeshadow color you like, crush some of it in a little container and mix the resulting powder with petroleum jelly. Boom! Lipstick made at home! Make sure you have some Vaseline lying around somewhere, and this useful hack should work fine.
Better nail polish colors
Sometimes, it’s hard to get that perfect color with your nail polish. It feels like there are so many options, yet not enough. It doesn’t matter if you use a cheap one or an expensive one, either! If you want strong colors on your nails, then you need to use the trick below!
Get rid of your clear bases and start using white nail polish instead! Much like the white eyeliner trick we will see further down, white nail polish helps make the colors applied on top of it pop, no matter how much you have spent on your nail products!
Winged eyeliner with spoon
Winged eyeliners can be the biggest enemy for the modern woman. Everyone wants to be chic and in when it comes to fashion, but not everybody knows how to achieve the perfect eye makeup, especially winged eyeliners. Well, this ends today!
Your best friend here is going to be your average kitchen spoon! Just grab any tablespoon, place it on top of your eyelid, so it resembles a winged shape, and use its curves to draw your wings. It’s that easy, can you believe it?
Bringing your dry mascara back to life
We all have been there: We’re getting ready for a night out, our makeup so far is flawless, and all we need to do next is apply our mascara. But then we open its bottle only to discover it is completely dry! Oh, the tragedy!
Well, you have nothing to fear! With just a couple of drops of saline solution, we can bring your dry mascara back to life! Put two or three drops inside the bottle and shake it. Your mascara will be brand new again!
No more split ends
If you have long hair, then you probably have suffered from split ends at some point, partly because of bad hair habits or when the hair is exposed to extreme weather conditions. There are treatments for this, but if all you need is a quick fix, this is for you!
First, wet your hair and brush it. Then, tie it in a ponytail and trim the ends as much as you need. Of course, this is just a quick fix! If you want to have healthy hair with no split ends, prevention is the key!
Easy way to clean your brushes
People who like makeup tend to use dirty brushes all the time. Some may think it takes too long to clean them, while others simply have to have them clean at all times. If you want to have healthy skin, though, cleaning your makeup brushes is essential!
You don’t need expensive products for that either – shampoo and liquid dish soap will do just fine! Just wet the bristles of your brush with lukewarm water, add a couple of drops of the cleaning product and massage it throughout the bristles. Rinse and let it dry. Simple as that!
Blush on a budget
Sometimes, we want to give a little bit more life and warmth to our faces. In these cases, a little blush is always the right answer to make it look like you go a little sun. But, what if we have run out of blush? Well, you have nothing to fear!
Just use lipstick instead! That’s right, a little bit of lipstick on your cheeks goes a long way if you know how to use it. Just choose a color you like, tap it on your finger, and then tap your finger on your cheek lightly. Blend it well, and no one will ever notice your little trick!
Organic eyebrow filler
For the past couple of years, eyebrows have become one of the most important aspects of a well-rounded and put-together look. You don’t need to search hard to find a multitude of products for your brows alone, ranging from very cheap to extremely expensive.
If you don’t have the time or money to buy all these products, you can make your own eyebrow filler at home! Mix some almond oil, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and activated charcoal, and there you have it – Natural, homemade eyebrow filler for weeks!
Homemade makeup remover
Everybody knows it’s important to remove makeup before going to bed. But do you know why? Sleeping with makeup on can clog the pores, which causes acne, blackheads, and even infections! If you are out of makeup remover, though, you don’t need to worry!
There are a plethora of household items you can use to remove your makeup at night. Petroleum jelly, baby oil, and even honey! Just choose whichever you have available, rub a little of it on your face and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, remove it using warm water.
Natural-looking bronzer
Everyone loves a tanned look, but not everyone has the time to spend tanning naturally. Some people don’t even get enough sunlight for that! That’s why the beauty industry created bronzers. But don’t go spreading it all over your face. You’ll end up looking like an orange!
If you want a more natural look when applying bronzer, focus on the sides of your face. Draw an E or 3-shape from your forehead to your jaw with your bronzer, then blend it well. You’ll be summer-ready and, more importantly, won’t look like a roasted chicken!
Fuller lips with lip liner
Fashion changes with time, and so do makeup styles. Once, thin lips were considered beautiful and feminine. Nowadays, though, when it comes to lips, the fuller, the better! If you are not naturally blessed with thick lips, we have just the trick for you!
Consider the color of the lipstick you are going to wear and choose a lip liner a shade darker. Now, all you have to do is draw over the natural lines of your lips. Once it’s done, just apply your lipstick as usual, and your pout will appear larger.
Makeup remover pen in a pinch
If you don’t know, the makeup remover pen is an ingenious creation made for people prone to smudging their lines in mind. While your average remover will eliminate every layer of makeup on your skin, the pen can focus only on your mistakes!
If you don’t want to spend money buying one, though, you can easily make a substitute at home. Just apply a drop of makeup remover to a cotton swab! Then, gently run the swab where your mistake is. The cotton will prevent too much product from coming off at once, and your makeup will stay intact!
Make your eyeshadow colors pop
Eyeshadows are the bread and butter of many makeup styles out there. They can completely change someone’s look and bring life to an otherwise boring appearance. But, if you want your colors to pop, you better be ready to spend some money.
Unless, of course, you use this little trick! You don’t need to buy expensive primers to have strong colors. All you need is your average white eyeliner! Put a thin coat on your eyelid before applying the eyeshadow, and your colors should pop right away!
Curl your eyelashes faster
Eyelashes are finicky things that can take a good chunk of your time to get right. If you’re someone who also suffers from this problem, we may have the solution for you! Just warm your eyelash curlers with a hairdryer, and things should run much smoother!
Not only will you achieve perfect lashes much quicker, but they will stay longer like that. And, if you want to make them look completely natural, make sure to squeeze your curler a few times while going through their whole length!
The easiest smokey eyes
Despite what some people may think, smokey eyes aren’t messy. They’re actually a pretty easy and fun way to get ready for a night out. If you want to have amazing smokey eyes and look fabulous, we have just the trick for you!
Take an eyeliner pencil with a color similar to your eyeshadow of choice and draw a criss-cross pattern on the outer corner of your eyelid. Now all you need to do is smudge it, blend it, and apply your eyeshadow. Pretty easy, right?
Easy, natural contouring
Something interesting you can notice looking at the people around you is that everyone’s face is shaped differently! And we’re not only talking about eye or nose size, and the whole structure can be completely different from one person to another!
That’s why you shouldn’t contour your face based on other people’s bone structures. If you don’t know how to do your own contour, just hold a pencil or brush handle below your cheekbones. That’s where you should start applying your contour products!
No more lipstick-stained teeth
Everybody has lived through the embarrassment of getting lipstick on your front teeth, right? If you use makeup, it’s impossible to avoid these kinds of mishaps! Fortunately, there’s a pretty easy trick to avoid that from ever happening again!
First, apply your lipstick as usual. Now, take your index finger, put it inside your mouth, and then close your lips around it. When you pull it back, you’ll notice the excess of your lipstick will be on it, and your teeth will be safe and sound!
Thicker lashes in no time
When it comes to eyelashes, the thicker, the better, right? Some people don’t mind spending money to buy the more expensive mascaras, but if you want to save your wallet and still achieve those perfect thick lashes, then look no further!
All you need is some translucent powder! Apply a coat of your mascara of choice, dust some powder on top of it and then apply another coat to hide the powder. You can repeat that as much as you want! Instant thicker lashes!
Perfect nose contouring
Contouring can be quite challenging if you’re not a skilled makeup artist. It’s hard to find the right places to apply the products and even harder to draw straight lines, especially when it comes to your nose. If you struggle with this, then we have a solution for you!
Just use tweezers! Yes, the same ones some people use on their eyebrows, but instead of plucking hairs off your face, just spread some product on its tip. Now, gently run it down your nose bridge. Blend it, and there you have it – the easiest way to contour your nose!
Removing makeup stains from your clothes
No matter how much we try, sometimes it’s just impossible to avoid makeup stains on our clothes. Oily products like concealers, foundations, and even mascara are a pain to remove once they find their way inside the fibers of our pants and shirts.
But, there is always a way! Mix some liquid dish soap with baking soda and apply it on top of the stain. Wait for a few minutes, and then remove the product with warm water. The stains should be gone by then!
Silk-looking skin
People with oily skin are not the only ones that suffer from the changing of seasons. When the colder months roll in, people with dryer skin tend to become distressed. There are some things you can do, though, to not suffer from flaky and dry skin!
Make sure to always moisturize your skin before applying makeup! This step is essential, and it’s usually the main reason why some people have such dry skin – They simply forget to moisturize. Also, focus on buying creamy products and use less powder!
Fix your broken eyeshadows
One of the first lessons we learned once we set out on this great adventure of learning how to do makeup is that eyeshadows are flimsy things. If you ever drop them, you can be 100% sure they are broken – Sometimes, they even arrive in the mail already broken!
It’s impossible to avoid that, but you don’t have to buy a new one every time an eyeshadow breaks! Just put a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol inside the eyeshadow container and press it down using a spoon! There you have it. Your beloved eyeshadow is fixed!
No eyeliner? No problem!
Sometimes, we have so much makeup lying around; it’s hard to keep track of what needs replacement. Usually, we only find out that our favorite product is over when we need them the most. If you have run out of eyeliner, there is no problem! We have the solution for you!
Just take an angled brush and an eyeshadow of your choice. Wet the brush with just a little water, then dip it on your eyeshadow. Now you can apply it just like it were an average eyeliner. Simple as that!
Don’t throw your mascara brushes away
If you are like us, then you’re probably addicted to mascara! After all, it makes your eyelashes instantly thicker and darker, drawing attention to your eyes and adding volume to your face! But, did you know there are other uses for its wand?
That’s right! If you ever need a plain eyelash wand, you don’t need to look further than your mascara wand. Wash it, reuse it – Simple as that! And if you have too many lying around, you can even donate them! Wands for Wildlife uses them to remove mites, larvae, and oils from rescued wild animals. Neat!
How to get bigger eyes
Not everyone is gifted with big, round eyes like some models and movie stars seem to be. You don’t have to worry, though, because you can achieve the eyes of your dreams using only makeup! And just between us – that’s probably what all these stars do anyway!
First of all, make sure not to use dark colors on your waterlines. Whites and nudes work best here. Second, use mascara to lift your lashes! If you’re using fake eyelashes, make sure they are the right ones for your eye shape. And lastly, winged eyeliner is your friend; just make sure to keep the lines as thin as possible!
Well-defined cupid’s bow
Cupid’s bow is the name of that part right in the middle of your upper lip that resembles the top of the letter M. Some people believe it is called this name because it looks like the bow of Cupid or a heart. How cute!
If you want to bring more definition to this part of your body, you can easily use the X method – Draw an X where your cupid’s bow is using a lip liner of the same color as your lipstick. Then, use your lipstick around it as usual.
Getting rid of sweat
It’s hard to wear tons of makeup during the daytime because of all the sweat caused by the sun. Makeup usually feels weird against the skin when this happens, almost like it is melting away. Well, this is somewhat true since the oils on your skin work exactly like a makeup remover!
If you want to remove the excess sweat, but have run out of blotting papers, just go to the nearest bathroom stall and use the toilet seat covers! That’s right, it may sound weird, but it actually works pretty well! Perfect for an emergency!
Natural-looking fake freckles
In the past, freckles were perceived as an ugly and undesirable feature. Fortunately, these days are over – Freckles are trendy now and actually considered cute! If you want to look good but are not prone to have them naturally, don’t worry!
All you need is a brown pencil eyeliner a couple of shades darker than your skin tone and a blending tool. Just add small dots to the region where you want your freckles on, very gently so as not to make them too dark, and then tap them with the blending tool. It’s easy like that!
Even skin tone throughout
If you suffer from uneven skin tone, then you’re probably familiar with color-correcting makeup products. After all, they help unify your skin tone before applying the rest of the makeup, which is pretty handy. But did you know there are other alternatives out there?
That’s right! You don’t need to spend tons of money buying yet another makeup product. All you need is your average red lipstick! Just rub it on the areas with uneven colors, blend it nicely and well, and then apply some concealer! You’ll immediately see the results!
Check your lights
If your environment is not well lit, you may notice that your makeup will look different when you’re outside. That happens because the color is basically light being reflected off an object and then filtrated by your eyes. If there is no light, there is no color.
That’s why it’s important to have a makeup station with well-positioned lights. Not only that but colored ones that resemble sunlight. If you pay attention to your lighting and how it affects your makeup, you’ll certainly up your makeup game!
Get rid of your dark circles
Dark circles around our eyes are a problem that affects pretty much everyone around the world. Lack of sleep, busy routine, and stressful situations are the biggest causes of this mishap in our appearance, but thankfully, it can be quite easy to hide if you know the right trick!
All you need to do is take your concealer, but instead of doing thousands of little dots, just make an upside-down triangle beneath your eyes. Now all you have to do is blend it well, and there you have it – No more dark circles!
Easier winged eyeliner
If you ever struggled with drawing the perfect winged eyeliner, then this tip is for you! You don’t need fancy tools or expensive products to achieve the look of your dreams. All you need is a pencil liner with a very sharp tip!
All you need to do is draw thin lines resembling the shape you desire and then fill it in! For example, if you want a winged eyeliner, first draw the wings, then the long bit on top of your eyelid, fill in the gaps, and you’re good to go!
The best way to use dry shampoo
Despite what the name suggests, dry shampoo is not, in fact, a product for cleaning your hair. It works as a quick fix to make your hair look fresher and less oily, but it doesn’t substitute proper shampoo. That said, it can be a lifesaver!
Just spray some of it on your head about twice a week, making sure to massage your scalp after the application, and your hair should look better for longer. If you have important business in the morning, use it before going to sleep for even better results!
Make your own gloss
Lip balms and glosses are probably some of the first products you ever used when you started wearing makeup. Unfortunately, it’s way too easy to lose these products, and we end up spending more money than we should on them. Well, how about making your own stuff at home, then?
You don’t need much to make a good, hydrating gloss at home – All you need is some coconut oil and gelatin powder! Heat the oil until it is nice and liquid, then mix it with the gelatin of your choice. Pour it in a container and wait until it’s cool. It’s that easy!
Use every little bit of your products
When we look at how some liquid makeups are packed, we know exactly how some companies make their money. If you can’t seem to get any more product and don’t know any better, you’re probably going to throw your stuff away and buy a new one, right?
Well, don’t do that! There’s probably a whole bunch of makeup still inside the packing. All you have to do is cut the bottom of the tube and scrap it using a spoon or dull knife. Store the product in another container, and there you have it – More makeup for less money!
Fixing your pencil eyeliner dry tip
Usually, you can find two varieties of eyeliners out there – Liquid and pencil. Both of them are pretty good, but they can get old very fast, especially if you don’t use them very much. If you have a pencil eyeliner that’s old and hard to apply, don’t throw it away!
Just use a lighter or a matchstick to heat its tip for about three seconds, and you will have a brand-new eyeliner in no time! Not only that, but the application will be smoother too! Just don’t forget to let it cool before using it!
No more mascara smudged everywhere
The worst thing that can happen when applying makeup is not realizing you have mascara residue on your eyelid. All it takes is a blink of an eye, and it will get smudged everywhere! If you want to avoid that from happening, just use the trick below!
Take a tablespoon and place it on your eyelid before applying your mascara. Use your product as usual, and you will notice that the residue that would go on your eyelid is now on the spoon instead of your face! Brilliant!
Use your blender correctly
It can be hard to get perfectly blended makeup that looks natural if you don’t know what you’re doing. You need to know how to use your tools properly, and the one tool that’s used wrong the most is the blending sponge!
Many people apply the products and rub them with the sponge, but this is actually wrong! Do you want to have nicely blended makeup that makes your skin looks silky and natural? Instead of rubbing, make little tapping motions! You’ll see the results right away!
Fake eyelash application made easy
Many people have trouble when it comes to applying fake eyelashes. Sometimes, the glue is not spread evenly, and sometimes the lashes themselves are misapplied and end up looking weird. It’s easy to achieve a clumpy look, and no one wants that!
You can use a bobby pin to spread the glue evenly across the fake lash band to solve half of your problems. Just put some drops of glue on the bobby pin’s tip, and run it across the band. Now, to get the lashes to sit perfectly, remember to look down while applying them!
Dry your nails quicker
If you have used nail polish, you know how boring it is to sit still for minutes on end, just waiting for it to dry. That’s why the trick below is so good! You won’t have to worry about ruining your perfect nails ever again if you use them!
Take a hairdryer, set it on the cold air setting, and use it about thirty centimeters away from your nails. You’ll notice the drying time will severely decrease! Pay attention to the distance, though, because air bubbles may form on your polish if you put it too close!
Another contour hack
If you still don’t know how to contour properly, then this next hack may be for you. All you need is a gel pen in a dark color, usually brown, and the theoretical knowledge of where to apply the contour products on your face.
It’s pretty easy, really. All you have to do is use the pen to dot the areas where the contour goes, smudge the product, and then blend it with the rest of your face. If you want, you can use some highlights to achieve an even more dramatic effect!
How to get rid of frizzy hair
Do you know when you look in the mirror and notice tiny strands of hair standing out from the rest? That’s what’s called frizz! Frizz usually is associated with damaged hair, but it can also be caused by humid weather and even genetics!
If you don’t like how it looks on you, there are ways to minimize or even get rid of frizz completely. Just switch your pillowcases for silk ones, and make sure to tie your hair with a silk scrunchie, too, before going to bed. You should wake up frizz-free!