While the interest is awash with beauty and skincare advise I often find entering a beauty related question/dilemma into Google more than likely throws up widely varying results and suggestions these days! Basically to the point of not knowing which source to trust or which advise to go with.
Which is how this post has come to be! Of course, this isn't much of a '101' type post as all, oops, but more of a look at a few common beauty problems that I feel I have knowledge in and can give my own advise on. From mastering winged liner to tacking oily but dry skin, I may just have the answers you have been looking for.
EYES
Eyeshadow creasing by midday: Eyeshadow creasing can be a pain and a half especially if you take care to do your eye makeup each morning only to discover it gathered in the crease and worn away in parts by lunchtime! As someone with naturally oily lids, I've had to figure out how to overcome eyeshadow creasing with a few different makeup steps. The first may seem obvious but using an eyeshadow primer is a must, namely Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, ensuring you only use a minimal amount and over the entire area you will be placing eyeshadow onto. The next step that ensures your eyeshadow will stay put, I'm talking the difference of your eye makeup still looking fresh at the end of the day, is to use a cream eyeshadow on top of your primer; this simply gives any powder eyeshadow something to adhere to and will stay in place whether you are using matte, shimmer or even foiled eyeshadows. My favourite products for this would be MAC Paint Pots if you are looking for one good cream base or Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadows if you are on a budget. Both work amazingly well!
Panda eyes especially in summer: While the above steps can also help with panda eyes in summer, often eye makeup can smudge under the eyes due to eyes watering and the heat. Again this is a problem I've had in the past but have found wearing a waterproof mascara, especially on warm days to really make a difference. Also leaving the bottom lashes free of eyeliner and mascara works wonders, however, if your eyes look 'naked' without bottom lash mascara running a matte eyeshadow along the bottom lid to tied in with your lid eyeshadow should be enough.
Wonky eyeliner flicks: Although practice makes perfect when it comes to liquid eyeliner I've found over time that liquid eyeliners are definitely not made equal! First I would say that much more control can be found with a liquid eyeliner pen especially one with a fine nib and grip style packaging - a good example of this are the L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slin Eyeliner and Charlotte Tilbury The Feline Flick. As for practical tips that have worked for me I highly recommend first placing a single eyeliner dot at the outer corner of each eye in the exact same place where you want your flick to end. This instantly ensures both flicks will be the same height and length which can be the trickiest part to get right. I then would highly recommend drawing a diagonal line from each dot to the lash line, 3/4 of the way along and then going along the natural lash line, finally filling in the outer corner. This is how I perfected my own eyeliner flick and feel this really is the best application technique to avoid wobbly lines and uneven flicks!
LIPS
Lipstick bleeding: When lipstick bleeds out past the lip line it can be due to the fine lines around the lip or simply the lip product itself. Often I find it's not enough to seek a remedy especially as I wear mainly nude lip products, however with bold shades it can be much more noticeable and something you may want to prevent from happening. The obvious answer here is a good lip liner before applying your lipstick of choice, which for me has to be Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillowtalk. This is a universally flattering lip liner that matches the lips natural tones which also makes it ideal for wearing under any shade, bold or otherwise. The liner is a creamy yet slightly waxy consistency so where you apply it will create a barrier for your lip product and the skin around the lips. It will also help with wear time and overdrawing the lips but in the most natural looking way possible. While I'm aware this is more of a product recommendation this truly is a beauty problem-solving product that I simply can't live without now!
Lips too dry for matte lip products: As someone that suffers from dry lips whatever the season I feel like I have a good pre-lipstick application technique down to prevent any matte lip products from looking overly dry or flaky when on. This consists of using a sugar-based lip scrub before starting my makeup application. The reason for this is that any type of lip exfoliation will cause the lips and the surrounding area to become red so I like to give the lips time to calm down before applying any makeup product on or around them. While Lush offer a nice range of lip scrubs (although I do find them messy) I feel a simply DIY pot is the way to go! DIY recipes can be found all over the internet and are just as effective as shop bought lip scrubs.
SKIN
Reoccuring blemishes: When spots reoccur it's generally a sign of one of a few possibilities and it's about working out which one is it. The main reason for blemishes is an inadequate skincare routine, this may be due to a lack of cleansing the skin thoroughly of makeup at night or using the wrong products for the skin that clog the pores. However, even if you are cleansing your skin and don't think that could be the cause, stepping up your routine and double cleansing the skin in the evening could very well help keep blemishes at bay as balanced clean skin is often happy skin. Other factors could include excess face touching, hormones and your die but I would fit look at your skin care routine!
Visible enlarged pores & blackheads: Suggesting a remedy for 'unsightly' pores and blackheads is a bit of a funny one as I feel there are only temporary solutions especially if your skin type is oily and you are prone to blackheads. However, as someone that use to be concerned by the sigh of the blackheads on and around my nose I realise any solution, temporary or not, is better than nothing. My own remedy comes in the form of a three-step routine (read here!) which although a strange process actually gives very successful results without damaging the skin. Alternatively, a solid skincare routine which includes double cleansing and weekly charcoal or clay face masks on problem areas can be a good way to go without using skin harming products such as overly astringent toners that contain far too much alcohol or skin damaging pore strips that should be avoided at all costs!
Makeup not sitting on the skin well/looking cakey or flakey: I think if you love makeup then one of your goals will be to achieve a flawless looking base every time. However even with a makeup sponge or the right buffing brush along with the right foundation for your skin type it can still be easier said than done! My own remedy for this that has taken my foundation application from often patchy and cakey around my nose to something much more airbrushed looking has been using a daily Glycolic acid in my morning routine as AHA's are a great effective yet gentle way to exfoliate the skin. However, alongside this I also like to dermaplane my face (i.e use a small eyebrow razor to remove excess facial fuzzy from my skin) on a twice-monthly basis. While shaving your face may seem daunting to begin with there is no need to worry as the hair doesn't grow back thicker. Not only does the skin look brighter but a hair-free face is a perfect base for foundation to sit onto! You can find out how I dermaplane my own face here.
Oily but dry skin: While a lot of skin types could do with being problem solved I think ones that seem almost an oxymoron as the ones that really need to be addressed. So if your skin is naturally oily but is acting dry then it's time to sort it and by sorting it I mean looking at the product you are currently using, which could very likely be too strong for your skins natural lipid barrier. The first product to look at that is often the culprit for oily but dehydrated/dried out skin is the cleansers you are using daily. Often gel and foaming cleansers are way too stripping, containing sodium lauryl sulfate and being too high in ph value for the skin. So simply switching to an SLS-free pH balanced cleanser could lead to a marked improvement over time. Another factor could be that you avoid applying moisturiser especially in your evening routine due to wanting to let your oily skin 'breathe' at night. Any fears you may have about using a moisturiser at night will be untrue as the skin require sufficient water to keep it healthy and balanced. However, this doesn't mean you have to reach for the thickest formula going but instead look for a gel formula that contains Hyaluronic acid that will feel light on the skin and should soak in immediately, leaving the skin feeling comfortable and fresh.
OTHER
Wispy baby hairs around hairline: While my hair use to be thick and smooth I've had to deal with a lot of breakages in the past few years and so I've definitely had to make friends with my new found baby hairs. Of course au natural hair is more than fine and not a problem if you like how baby hairs look, in fact, I think they can often frame the face on some people, however for me when my hair up I don't love the look of wispy baby hairs sticking up. But there is a remedy, which comes in the form of hairspray on a spoolie or old but clean mascara brush! This is such a simple yet effective tip that I use all the time to tame my hair and something I had to recommend.
Sparse eyebrows: Growing out your eyebrows can seem pretty impossible, in fact, it is impossible for some especially after years of continuous over plucking. But thankfully there are some amazing products out there that can help and I'm not talking overpriced eyebrow growth products or simply filling in your brows with an eyebrow pencil. The product I wanted to rave about is Wunderbrow 1-Step Brow Gel which is a brush on brow product that gives the appearance of more dense hairs to the brow, in just a few strokes. The product is also beyond waterproof, in fact, it's the only product I use on my brows when swimming as I know it will stay put however it's also surprising natural. Basically, if you have sparse or uneven brows then this is the one product to try out!
Ridged nail texture under nail polish: With age, over wearing of nail polish/gel nails and varying vitamin and mineral deficiencies the nails can easily develop ridges which may not be an issue for some but I have found most people want to find a solution for it, including myself. While buffing away the ridges with a buffing wedge/tool may seem like a quick and simple solution overtime it's definitely not a good idea as it dramatically thins the nails making them extremely weak. So I personally feel it's more of a masking solution than reversing the issue, which can be done by using a ridge filler base coat! This may sound obvious but until I developed ridged nails on a few of my fingers the only base coats I was aware of were standard ones to prevent nail staining and to prolong nail polish wear time. However, ridge filler base coats are very much a thing and work very well indeed on both ridged and flaky nails making them appear perfectly smooth. My own favourites both include any from China Glaze and Butter London Foundation Base Coat which also works well if you don't want to paint your nails as it's a very subtle nude.
If you enjoy this kind of post then please do let me know in the comments below as I would love to put together a skincare focused problem solver post!
Fee xo.
