There are no rules when it comes to beauty according to our favourite beauty bloggers. We asked some of the most prominent beauty bloggers round the world for a collection of their top beauty hacks. If there is one demographic that is savvy on beauty hacks, it has to be them, we reckoned. To make sure that the hacks weren’t just theoretical, our beauty testers happily put the hacks to the test, and offered their verdicts as well. Here are our compilation of some of the most resourceful hacks that cover teeth to lashes.
Whiten teeth naturally
Whiten teeth naturally
Crush a tablet of activated charcoal, mix with equal parts of bicarbonate aka baking soda. Add water to form paste, then brush your teeth using the paste. Brush thoroughly spending at least 10-20 seconds on each section of the teeth. You will see your teeth looking whiter instantly.
Tester rating: 5+. Our tester tried this following the recipe above but found the paste mixture a little unpalatable, so she added a little toothpaste to give it a fresh, minty taste. The effect was astounding according to our tester who claimed her teeth was at least two shades whiter after one thorough brushing.
Boost brown highlights on bleaches hair
Mix ground coffee into your conditioner and apply it like you would a hair mask or glaze—the longer you leave it in, the richer the color.
Tester rating: 3+. Our tester found the entire process messy as the coffee grounds was difficult to wash off, not to mention that it made her hair smell like a caffeine addict or a Starbucks barista. Still, there was an improvement to the bleached hair, looking a shade browner than its usual state. Good quick fix to get rid of brassy tones of bleached hair when you are short on time.
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Remove eye makeup on plane
When you are caught without water, yet want to remove eye makeup to leave clean fresh skin while travelling, spray a micellar water facial mist like Reset on your face. Intended as a toner, because of its micellar properties, it can dissolve oil-based dirt and grime as well. Spray on face (or eye), and then tissue off. Repeat until eye area is clean. You can spray one final time and pat into skin to give skin a dewy hydrated finish.
Tester rating: 5+. A godsend, according to our tester who tried it in her car on the way from work to the gym. A few quick spritzes and she found that she could remove virtually all her makeup including her waterproof mascara. Best of all, skin felt plump and supple after and did not have the usual tightness after washing.
Read More: How to Get Brighter, Clearer Skin in 20 Minutes or Less
Fake thicker-looking eyelashes
Curl your lashes and apply mascara as usual. Then, dip a Q-tip into baby powder, thinly coat your lashes and finish with another layer of mascara for instant length and volume.
Tester rating: 4+. Our tester happily went to work with a tub of baby powder on hand. She used Maybelline sensational mascara. Her verdict? It totally works, it makes lashes look thicker definitely. If volume is what you are looking for, then this is one cheap effective method to get a rimful of dark, thicker-looking lashes. However, lashes don’t look longer, merely thicker.
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Lighten skin a few shades
A new sun protector called CC Lumiere comes in a skin-brightening purple shade that is meant to act as a colour corrector for dull skins. It’s meant to be non-comedogenic yet confer a SPF 50 shield while cancelling out dull, sallow complexion types. Apply one layer of CC Lumiere all over your face. Let it set and dry, then reapply a second layer. Every layer you apply, your skin will look a shade fairer and brighter, while maintaining your natural skin tones under.
Tester rating: 5+. It took some time to get the final shade our tester wanted, but according to her, it was worth it. Having olive coloured skin, she wasn’t sure if the light purple tint would work, turns out it did. After one layer, she noticed her olive complexion looked one shade fairer. She wanted to look several shades lighter and so waited for a minute before applying another layer. While her face looked much fairer and brighter, she did caution that it was important to extend some CC Lumiere to the jawline and neck to ensure your skin tone matched the face in these areas.
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To make a lip or cheek stain
Remember the trusty jar of Vaseline you used to have at home, now there are more ways to use it. Mix your favourite powder blush with Vaseline to create a cheek or lip tint. You can use it on your lips and cheeks for a natural flushed look.
Tester rating: 4+. Our tester found that the exact shade of powder was important as light pinks did not show up well on the lips and cheeks. Powder with reddish hues worked better and could give cheeks and lips a natural flush look. It seemed to work better as a lip tint as it was slightly oily for the cheeks, according to our tester, but may work well for drier skin types in temperate climes.
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