Tuesday, April 4, 2017

all my beauty secrets, in one post

easy beauty tips

Okay, that title is misleading, because I have all of four beauty secrets. But I am going to share them today! These aren't those odd beauty tips like "use a potato instead of a beauty blender" or "use a spoon to apply eyeliner", but little things I've experimented with over the years that have really worked for me!

spray setting spray on a beauty blender instead of your face
urban decay setting spray with a beauty blender

I discovered using a setting spray about a year ago. I loved that a two second spritz could solidify your make-up and make it last all day (or night!). But I really hated spraying it on my face. It just felt wrong, and eventually I stopped using it because I didn't like the process. . Then one day when I was using my beauty blender to add a bit of liquid highlighter, I wonder if I couldn't use the sponge to also apply the setting spray. Turns out, I love this way of applying setting spray much more, for several reasons! One, you get a much more even coverage of the setting spray since you control exactly where it goes. Two, you don't have to spray anything on to your face. Three, it doesn't get in your hair. Four, since your pressing the setting spray into your make-up, your make-up not only lasts longer, but it also looks more natural!

how to: spray 2-3 spritzes of your fave setting spray (this is the one I use) onto a beauty blender, and pat pat pat!

use a dark eyeshadow + eyeliner brush to blend out liquid eyeliner
use eyeshadow over liquid eyeliner
up close pictures of eyelashes are weird.
Liquid eyeliner is my go-to eyeliner, and has been for the better part of the last decade. I love that you can be really precise with it, you can easily get in between the lashes (important for blondies like me!), and it lasts all day (seriously). My favorite holy grail eyeliner is Stila's - I keep a stock pile now just because I love it that much. One of my favorite tricks for emphasizing the eyes is to "smudge" the eyeliner out with a dark eyeshadow. I like to keep my eye make-up pretty "minimal" during the day (minimal for someone who likes to play with makeup!) by just wearing a swipe of eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara, but for occasions like going out with friends, on a date, or to special events, I use this to add a bit of dimension to my eyes without going overboard with a bunch of smoky eyeshadows and more liner.

how to: dip an eyeliner brush into a dark eyeshadow (mine is a dark purple from this palette), then starting right past the outside of your eyeliner, brush it towards the middle, right over the liquid eyeliner. Finish with your favorite mascara (my go-to combo is Urban Decay's primer + Bobbi Brown's mascara).

apply dry shampoo before working out instead of after
sports bra | water bottle
I only wash my hair about every four days...but I also work out about 4-5 days a week. My secret to not washing my hair after every work out is to use dry shampoo before rather than after. I find this provides some cushion to get your styling to last longer - the sweat doesn't get in your hair as much, and it's less likely to get frizzy from the humidity. I also always wear a shower cap when I take a shower afterwards!

how to: spray a generous amount of your favorite dry shampoo (this is mine!) before going to the gym. Use a soft hairband to keep your hair back during your work out, take your hair down soon after finishing, and wear a shower cap while in the shower. 

use texturizing spray before curling your hair to help set curls
I have fine hair - I have a lot of it, but it's fine, which means it does not hold a curl very well. Multiple hair stylists have tried to prove me wrong over the years, and every single one has commented how "oh yeah, your hair DOESN'T really hold a curl, huh?". Yep. I have found a few things that have helped though with my eternal desire for hair with more curls and volume. The biggest thing I've found that makes a difference is using a texturizing spray before I curl my hair. I have two I really like - Oribe was my original favorite (it smells so so good...but is also pricy) and Living Proof's volume blast is a close second. I find that my hair curls quicker (less time on the iron!), the curls last longer, and bonus, you already used the volumizing spray so you don't have to disrupt your curls after.

how to: spray on hair, focusing on roots and ends, wait a few seconds to dry, and then curl your hair how you usually do.


And that's it! My little beauty secrets that I've learned over the years. I would love to hear what your own little secret is - I'm always looking for new tricks to try!