PHOTO: BRAYDEN OLSON.
If our beauty routine had an astrological sign, it would certainly be Gemini — totally two-sided. We love pampering ourselves, taking care of our skin, and experimenting along with brand-new makeup and hairstyles. Yet sometimes, we feel like it takes soooo long and we just can’t be bothered. There are mornings we’d pretty have actually more time in bed than blowdrying and nights when we’re too tired to deal along with the whole washing-toning-moisturizing thing. (Hats off to you, dear cleansing wipe.)
So we’ve been thinking about streamlining — pretty than skimping. Today, we’re cutting the beauty fat. We talked to a handful of skin, nail, hair, and makeup professionals and were surprised to discover out just how lots of superfluous steps we have actually in our beauty routines (not to mention some that are even doing more harm than good).
In an effort to pare down and save time (and money!), here are 10 points that can be axed from your beauty routine.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: ELLIOT SALAZAR
It’s time to spring clean your at-house mani kit — buffer, be gone.
“Buffing the nail is not necessary when applying regular nail polish,” says Honey Artist manicurist Alex McCormick. “Nail polish adheres to the nail finest when it’s a smooth, pretty than an etched, surface. Also, constant buffing of the nail for each manicure will certainly cause your nails to thin out. So file and push your cuticles, Yet skip the buffing.”
While lots of are still divided on this topic, all four dermatologists we interviewed had the same thing to say about toners: You don’t really need ’em.
“Toners are a finish waste of time,” says Austin-based dermatologist Ted Lain, MD. “Toners came into fashion when facial cleansers were not pH-balanced, leaving an acidic residue on the skin that toners then balanced. Now, however, cleansers are completely balanced, so using a toner is unnecessary.”
Dermatologist Hadley King, MD, of Skinney Med Spa, adds: “[Toners] may, at times, include an active ingredient that you are seeking, like salicylic acid for acne-prone skin. Yet most of the time, I do not believe they are adding a lot of value — and because lots of of them are alcohol-based, they end up doing more harm than good, because they dry out your skin.”
We understand the power of a good bath — and we’d never take that away from you. Yet those bubbles aren’t doing you any favors.
“Bubble baths typically contain drying soap and alcohol, which strip your skin of moisture,” says dermatologist David E. Bank, MD. “All the irritants in the detergents used to make bubbles can possibly dry and irritate the skin. Instead, it’s finest to use a product that includes skin-soothing ingredients, like honey, oatmeal, or milk.”
One thing people must completely stop doing is picking under their nails to remove pesky dirt — especially if you have actually short nail beds.
Not only is it a waste of time, Yet this irritates the skin under the nail and could result in even shorter nail beds, explains McCormick. “The very best means to clean out dirt is along with alcohol and a disposable mascara wand — it acts like a little scrubber and works fairly well,” she says.
For the really hard to get stuff, she suggests taking a bar of soap and gently scratching it along with your nails. Then, wash your hands. The dirt will certainly dissolve along along with the soap.
Do you line your eyes? Do you curl your lashes? Don’t worry, we aren’t telling you to stop doing either. Yet if you’re doing them in that order, it might be a waste of your time.
Kelli Bartlett, director of makeup artistry for Glamsquad, says that if you’re curling the lash after you line, you’ll just end up just taking the liner off along with the release of the curler. Looks like it’s time to switch points up!
For the rest of our tips, visit Refinery29.
By: Megan Cahn
Also on HuffPost:
Freeze Your Eyeliner
Does your eyeliner constantly crumble while putting it on? Our friends at You Beauty recommend leaving it in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to applying your makeup. It must glide along your lash line seamlessly after that.
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Freeze Your Eyeliner
Does your eyeliner constantly crumble while putting it on? Our friends at You Beauty recommend leaving it in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to applying your makeup. It must glide along your lash line seamlessly after that.
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Shave along with Conditioner
If you’re from shaving cream, lather your legs along with conditioner instead of soap. Conditioner will certainly soften the hair on your legs making it easier to shave (and it will certainly leave your skin feeling extra silky).
Source: You Beauty
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Rinse Hair along with Beer Or Vinegar
Rinsing your hair along with beer helps restore moisture to your locks while using vinegar will certainly up the ante in shine. Soak your hair in either liquid (not at the same time) for a few minutes, then rinse along with cold water.
Source: You Beauty
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Turn Up The Heat
For curlier, flirtier lashes, the experts at You Beauty recommend heating your lash curler along with a hair dryer for five to eight seconds before curling them.
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Use Ice Cubes To Keep Fat, Acne and Wrinkles At Bay
The experts at You Beauty recommend massaging an ice cube over your face until it melts. Do it every night before bed and keep fat cells, acne and wrinkles under control.
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Make Your Manicure Last.. And Last
Before applying nail polish, wipe nails along with an acetone-based cleanser. Essie Weingarten, founder of Essie Cosmetics, told the pros at Redbook that cleaning excess dirt, oil or moisturizer from your nails will certainly ensure that the polish adheres properly.
Follow the rest of these tips at Redbook and your perfectly polished manicure will certainly last for a week and a half.
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Soothe Your Stomach.. And Your Face
Apparently Pepto-Bismol isn’t just a stomach soother, it can Likewise be used as a facial mask. It contains bismuth subsalicylate, which is commonly found in facial creams. In an interview along with Reader’s Digest, Dr.Frances Jang, a dermatologist at Skinworks, recommended spreading two teaspoons of Pepto-Bismol on your face, then letting it dry for 15 to 30 minutes before rinsing it off along with warm water.
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Apply Sunscreen Daily
Wear sunscreen every day, rain or shine. Even when it’s cloudy. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 80 per cent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays pass through the clouds.
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Don’t Neglect Your Elbows
It’s easy to forget about your elbows, Yet they need just as much protection and care as various other parts of your body. Cure dry elbows by massaging Bio-Oil onto them daily. You’ll see and feel softer elbows in at least two days.
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Lighten Hair along with Chamomile Tea And Lemon Juice
In an interview along with Reader’s Digest, Popie Poulos, hairstylist and owner of The Salon, recommends rinsing your hair along with a mixture of chamomile and fresh lemon juice instead of conditioner to permanently lighten your tresses. Allow your hair to dry while sitting in the sun or use a blow dryer — the heat will certainly lighten your locks.
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De-Puff Your Eyes along with Raw Potatoes
In an interview along with Reader’s Digest, Dr.Frances Jang, a dermatologist at Skinworks recommends using raw potato slices to soothe your eyes. She says they are astringent which means they suggestions decrease water retention and they Likewise contain the enzyme catalase which helps lighten dark under eye circles.
First, wash and peel a potato. Cut two slices and place one on each eye for 10 minutes. Lay down, relax and let the potatoes job their magic. Rinse the eye area gently along with lukewarm water when you’re done.
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Maximize The Lifespan Of Your Blow Out
We love walking from the salon along with a fresh blow out, Yet how do you prevent your locks from going limp in the days after? The experts at Allure say plan early. Your hair naturally secretes oil so be two steps ahead and spray your roots along with dry shampoo before you start producing oil. This means the dry shampoo will certainly absorb any moisture before it weighs down your tresses. Likewise make sure you protect your hair from moisture (rain is sure to ruin your mane) and touch up your blow out in the morning using a hair dryer and round brush. It will certainly provide you an instant boost of volume.
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Countouring Creates Dimension
The trick to achieving a chiseled celebrity-like face is to contour (Angelina Jolie cheekbones, anyone?). Your face is three dimensional so applying foundation in a single tone will certainly only make your face appear flat. Add a highlighter to areas of your face that would certainly usually catch light Yet Develop enough shadow to emphasize your jaw line and cheekbones. For tips on how to contour your face according to its specific shape, visit Total Beauty.
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Say Goodbye To Makeup Sponges
Makeup sponges suggestions you apply make up, Yet not without a cost. They usually soak up more liquid foundation than exactly what ends up on your face. The result? You’re wasting foundation and constantly buying brand-new sponges. The fix? Get a foundation brush. You waste much less foundation and it allows for a more even and precise application than a sponge would.
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Avoid Overly Rosy Cheeks
Giving yourself a natural glow avec blush is an in look for spring. Yet you’ll want to avoid brushing on too much (lest you look like a clown). So always start your blush line two finger widths away from your nose and only apply it on the apples of your cheeks. This will certainly ensure you Develop a natural glow without going overboard.
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Keep Misbehaving Brows In Check
Spritz an old toothbrush or a clean mascara wand along with hairspray, then brush brows and style them as desired. Even the most hard to tame brows will certainly fall in line along with this trick.
Source: Yahoo Shopping
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Applying False Lashes
Adding extra eye fringe amps up the glam instantly. First, take your falsies and loosen them by gently flexing the eyelash band, then curl your natural lashes to make sure your falsies line up along with your actual lash line. Apply glue on your falsies using a Q-tip. Using tweezers (or finger tips if you feel that gives you more control), place your falsies as close to your lash line as possible. Let your lashes dry for a minute before you add a coat of mascara (this is optional).
Source: Makeup.com
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Toothpaste Zaps Pimples
You’ve heard it before — don’t pop your zits! The folks over at Daily Glow suggest applying a bit of toothpaste to a pimple before bed and washing it off along with warm water when you wake up in the morning. They say that toothpastes draws impurities from clogged pores and dries the skin along with shrinks the pimple. Opt for organic toothpastes pretty than gel toothpastes which don’t job as well.
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Blot Away Excess Oil
Do you start the morning along with matte, fresh-looking skin only to discover that by the time 5 p.m. rolls in you’re a shiny mess? If you have actually oily skin then blotting papers are a beauty godsend. Don’t use powder to soak up the oil. Using too much periodically throughout the day will certainly make your skin appear cakey because you’re just layering makeup on top of more makeup. Opt for blotting papers instead. They will certainly soak up all the oil. We love We love Sephora’s blotting papers.
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No Makeup Remover? Try Lotion Instead
If you’re from makeup remover, use body lotion to overcome makeup. It works especially well on tough mascara.
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Create Fuller Lips
If you’re tired of having thin, pursed puckers, extend your lip line using a neutral-toned lip liner. Then apply lipstick over top. Be careful though — don’t extend your lip line too much.
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Lashes For Miles
Curl your lashes both before and after applying mascara for longer lashes. You may want to re-curl them throughout the day to get some extra lift, just remember to be gentle when you apply tension along with your curler.
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Don’t Pop It
No, no, no! Don’t pop your zits. Not only does it increase the possibility of scarring, it’s Likewise likely that you will certainly worsen the blemish and spread bacteria to various other places on your face which could provide rise to one more breakout.
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Stop Your Hair Colour From Fading
If you’ve just had your hair dyed, the last thing you want is for the colour to fade. One surefire means to prevent such a mishap from happening is to use a deep-conditioning treatment once a month. This will certainly suggestions lock in colour and has actually the added benefit of staving off dry and damaged locks.
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Use A Flat Iron To Develop Waves
Flat irons are amazing tools along with multiple uses. Not only can you use it to straighten your hair, you can Likewise Develop tight curls or soft romantic waves.
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Exfoliate Your Lips
Dry, flaky, chapped lips are the worst canvas for lipstick. To ensure that your puckers are in perfect pout condition, the experts at The Beauty Department recommend exfoliating your lips. To do this, apply lip balm to your lips, then using a toothbrush or clean mascara wand, scrub your lips (don’t be too rough). Then, use a tissue to wipe away excess flakes and voila! You’ll have actually a perfect pout in no time.
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Microwave Lotion Into Luxury
that doesn’t love a spa day? If we could go every day, we probably would, Yet that would certainly Likewise put a dent in our wallets. A quick, easy and cheaper indulgence is to put your favourite lotion in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Make sure the oils in your lotion don’t separate and that it isn’t too hot. Apply it on to your skin and enjoy!
Source: Bella Sugar
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Exfoliate Daily
Exfoliation is an important and easy means to buff away the dead skin cells that cover up your skin’s natural glow. Use a light exfoliator, like the Daily Microfoliant from Dermalogica, to freshen your face daily.
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Know Your Shade
When choosing a foundation, test a product on the skin near your jawline. And be sure to do it in natural light. This will certainly ensure the foundation tone you choose for your face isn’t too different from the natural shade of your neck. We really love Makeup Forever’s Invisible Cover HD Foundation because it comes in so lots of shades.
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Uses For Old Mascara Wands
Don’t throw away your old mascara wand, it’s still got a few uses left. Clean it and use it as a brow brush instead. You might even discover it handy around the estate — use it to unclog sinks or clean tough to reach areas in your home.
Source: A Thrifty Mrs
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Wear Pantyhose Or Tights
What’s worse than having to wear a skirt along with absolutely no time to shave your legs? We’ve all been there. The hassle free fix for this is to wearing pantyhose or tights (try a patterned pair for something new). It will certainly disguise stubble as well as any blemishes on your stems.
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Tweezing Tips
Before you tweeze, make sure you soften your skin by dabbing a cotton ball soaked in warm water or cream. When you start tweezing, do so in the direction of your hair’s growth.
Source: Yahoo Shopping
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Camouflage Grey Hair
If you want to camouflage some strands of grey hair on the go, the folks at Real Simple suggest using mascara if you have actually dark hair. For blondes or redheads try dusting your roots along with bronzing powder.
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Cut Back On Pedicures
Save money on your beauty routine by taking care of your feet on a daily basis. Simply scrub your foot along with a pumice stone each morning in the shower. Once you step out and dry off, apply a moisture cream to your feet. This will certainly increase the amount of time you can go without a pedicure and will certainly keep your toes healthy and fungus-free.
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Use Dry Shampoo
We absolutely love dry shampoo, especially Klorane (we use this brand religiously). It absorbs excess oil on your strands and scalp and keeps your mane looking clean and fresh. If you don’t have actually dry shampoo, try washing just the top of your head (or wherever there is oil), along with regular shampoo followed by a quick blow dry. Your tresses will certainly look as good as new.
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Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Be beautiful and environmentally savvy while you’re at it. Recycle your old beauty products by shipping them to Terra Cycle (you can download their pre-paid UPS shipping packages online so it’s completely free). They’ll take your old beauty products and transform them into something new.
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Don’t Pump Your Mascara
The experts at Beauty Is My Duty say that you must never pump your mascara (i.e., moving the wand up and down in the tube really quickly) because it will certainly only allow air into the tube which will certainly cause your mascara to dry (and ultimately shorten its lifespan).
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Apply Bronzer Evenly
Before applying bronzer or self-tanning lotion, mix a drop or two of the solution along with moisture cream. Blend using your finger or a Q-tip then apply to skin as you would certainly regular moisturizer. This will certainly ensure the cream blends in — and covers skin — evenly.
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Use Oil On Your Skin.. Even If It’s Already Oily
This probably sounds crazy, Yet using an oil-based product to remove makeup or excess dirt from your skin can actually improve your epidermis’ condition. Why? Over-cleaning stimulates the sebum glands, which causes skin to over-make oil. Using oil-based products will certainly have actually the opposite effect.
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Avoid Chipped Nail Polish Like The Plague
There are only two options for your nails — along with nail polish or without. Do not allow your nails to be caught somewhere in the middle (there is nothing worse than nails donning chipped red nail polish). Even if you believe no one else will certainly notice, trust us, a person will.
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Moisturize Properly
Sometimes much less is more. Don’t slather your face along with moisturizer because it will certainly take 10 minutes or more to be absorbed by the skin before your face is ready for makeup. In an interview along with Real Simple, Susan Evans, a dermatologist, said The very best means to apply face cream is to blend a dime-sized amount on your cheeks, nose, chin and forehead instead of moisturizing heavily.
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Clean Your Makeup Brushes
Make sure you clean your makeup brushes regularly to avoid a buildup of makeup residue and bacteria. You can purchase makeup brush cleaner from a drug or beauty store, or you can simply use shampoo and conditioner to clean your brushes as you would certainly your own hair. Clean brushes guarantee a super smooth and even makeup application every time.
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Treat Ingrown Hairs
Apply a product containing azulene or witch hazel to suggestions reduce the swelling and redness that’s associated along with ingrown hairs. From there, coax the ingrown hair from its location along with a pair of tweezers (don’t pull it out, though — this will certainly only make the ingrown hair regrow in in the same means later).
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Towel Dry The Right Way
Don’t rub your hair dry along with your towel; it will certainly cause your hair to frizz. Instead, before getting from the shower gently squeeze excess water from your hair. Then, wrap your hair in a towel and pat it dry to absorb any remaining moisture.
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Consult A Doctor Before Popping Pills
Do you really need all those supplements? It’s true the healthier you are, the healthier your skin and hair will certainly be. Yet popping supplements without discussing them along with your doctor can do more harm than good. Why? Because mixing certain vitamins and minerals can have actually the opposite effect of exactly what you’re hoping. Talk to your physician before popping any pills.
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Remove Nail Polish Without Remover
If you run from nail polish remover, you can remove cracked or chipped nail polish by applying a clear top coat to the nail and removing it promptly along with a cotton ball.
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Perfume Basics
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A Top Coat Is A Must
Add a top coat to freshly painted nails, and then again once they are dry. This makes your nail polish much less likely to chip and will certainly ensure it lasts longer.
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Clarify Your Hair
In order to remove product build-up from locks, use a clarifying shampoo once a week. This will certainly Likewise suggestions prevent dandruff and various other annoying hair/scalp conditions.
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Smile.. Lots
Our finest beauty tip? Smile! It’s the most beautiful asset you have. Wear it every day.
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Smile.. Lots
Our finest beauty tip? Smile! It’s the most beautiful asset you have. Where it every day.
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