All of us have had days where we’ve hoped for some miracle that will make us look beautiful (or at least presentable) in time for school, college or work. A full-blown makeup session, however, is a luxury that few girls can afford with their busy schedules. A lot of girls are therefore on the constant lookout for hacks that can make their beauty regime a little swifter, save them time in the morning but still somehow end up making them look fabulous. If you are one such girl, look no further. Here is the conclusive list of makeup hacks for busy girls.
1. For Perfectly Winged Eyeliner
We’ve all had moments where applying winged eyeliner perfectly on both eyes has seemed more difficult than doing your actual job. One wing is always longer or thicker than the other, making it necessary to wipe and start all over again. In this tedious process, we end up losing precious time and sanity. In order to get perfectly winged eyeliner, take the help of a spoon or a credit card. Place the spoon below your eye and use its curve to line your eyes perfectly. For a straight line, do the same with the credit card. You can save time and energy and get the perfect eyeliner with half the effort you usually put in. Plus, you’ll get them perfectly even on both sides. And you thought that was impossible this whole time!
2. For Big, Bright Eyes
If you are tired of going to work or college looking like your eyes will drop shut at any given moment because you are, well, tired, this is for you. Most girls will agree that simply applying kajal does not make their eyes pop. The problem is that they only apply kajal on the lower eyes. In order to make your eyes look bigger, apply kajal on the inner rim of your upper eyelid too. You will notice the difference as your eyes will look bigger instantly, ensuring that you do not look as sleep-deprived as you probably are. For this hack, a gel based eyeliner or kajal, like this one by Maybelline, works best as it glides smoothly along the inner eyelid, unlike pencil kajals.
3. Time Crunching In The AM
Do you waste a lot of time running around like a headless chicken every morning because you can’t remember where you put your foundation or mascara? One easy solution to this is to keep your essentials handy, maybe right at your bedside table! You can, for example, save time every morning if your moisturizer is right by your side when you wake up. And if you know that you’ll be too tired at night to remove your makeup properly, simply keep wet wipes by your bedside table. These simple steps will ensure that you don’t waste too much time every morning. Get a bright, makeup pouch to keep it all together and brighten up your dresser or nightstand.
4. For Beautiful Curls
Using a curler every morning is time consuming and tedious. Wash your hair at night and braid it while it is still wet. Sleep in with your braids (make five to six braids for better curls – more braids equals tighter curls). When your open your hair in the morning, you’ll have beautiful curls, perfect for the ‘beachy’ look in the office. Spray on some hair spray to keep your hair in place and proceed to looking gorgeous through the day
5. Fuller, Kiss-Me Lips
You don’t have to go to Kylie Jenner extremes to get sexier, fuller lips. Just adding some drops of peppermint oil to your lip balm will make your lips appear plumper. You can buy peppermint oil here. Also, applying a lighter pencil on the centre of your lips (just a few shade lighter than your lipstick), and using a gloss over that will make your lips appear fuller. These easy hacks will get you the perfect pout without spending a lot of time in front of the mirror. So go ahead and simply invest in a bit of peppermint oil and some light lip pencils for an easy, simple way to sexier lips in seconds.
6. Lipstick That Will Last ALL Day
It can be irritating and unproductive to take breaks during work in order to reapply your lipstick. But at the same time, you need to make sure that you look great while at work or meeting friends. The trick is to ensure that your lipstick lasts longer. One idea is to invest in brands that manufacture long lasting lipsticks and lip colors especially for this purpose. Alternatively, use this hack: after you have applied lipstick, hold a tissue over your lips and apply translucent powder over it with a brush. Your lipstick will last way longer than it usually does.
7. Chip-Proof Nails
Baking soda works well on nails that have yellowed. Stained nails are fairly common since a lot of us never take off our nail paint and allow our nails to breathe. And if you find that your nail paint chips too much and too easily, and you’re too busy to reapply it as and when required, use glitter on them. Glitter nail paint tends to last longer than normal one. For a chic look, you could apply nail glitter only on the root of your nails, where the white portion often makes them look unattractive. The glitter lasts metaphorically forever! You won’t have to worry about coating again every time your nails grow.
8. Hair…. And Lovely!
If you have flyaway hair that simply won’t stay in place, this hack may make your life a lot easier. If you often find yourself combing at work or using the washroom mirror to make your hair look presentable, try spraying hair spray or dry shampoo on your bobby pins before you put them in. Your hair will stay in place and so will your pins. Also, if you spend too much time drying your hair naturally (it takes a really long time, as we all know) put your hair dryer to use. You will save so much time. And a pro tip – drying your hair with a cotton T-shirt takes so much less time as compared to drying it with a towel and will also help cut down on frizz.
9. Foundation Fix
Incorrectly applied foundation can look flaky and call for constant reapplication. To avoid that, put foundation at the centre of your face and blend outwards. To contour your face quickly, apply concealer in the shape of ‘3’ on your forehead and cheekbones and spread it out lightly. And if you are hesitant about using foundation, you can use tinted moisturizers or BB creams in their place to give your face a soft glow while simultaneously moisturizing it. L’Oreal’s True Match Liquid Foundation is perfect for a natural, flawless look.
10. Dry Shampoo And Leave-In Conditioner
Dry shampoo and leave-in conditioners are perfect for days when you simply don’t have time to shampoo but you also cannot go out with your hair all greasy and unmanageable. For busy women, it then becomes a convenient beauty hack. Instead of spending time washing your hair, simply put on dry shampoo and leave for work. Check out the BBlunt Dry Shampoo for instant grime-free hair. A leave-in is great to apply on damp hair to prevent it from frizzing as it dries and keeps it smoother, even in this humidity.
Images: Shutterstock
HAVE A STORY IDEA FOR POPxo? If you want to hear about it, we can write about it! Just tell us your idea here!
MUST-READ: 9 Kinda Gross Summer Beauty Problems – Here’s How To Fix Them!
MUST-READ: 10 Everyday Beauty Struggles Us Girls Know ALL Too Well!
