Top to Toe Beauty Tips
Written by Advice Team on November 4, 2015We’re all after the holy grail of beauty - how to look your best, all the time and with minimum effort! Unfortunately there is no magic wand but we’re sharing our 15 favourite beauty tips to get you looking fabulous from top to toe in no time at all.
Beauty Sleep Balancing work, home, family and play isn’t easy and the one thing that gets pushed to the bottom of the pile for most women is sleep. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep so just make sure you get enough to wake up feeling rested, refreshed and ready to start your day. Tiredness not only has an effect on how you feel but also on how you look - a tired face is pale, drawn, dull and prone to breakouts - not a good look!
Good Old H2O We all know it and we all say we’re going to do it but very few women actually drink enough water. Aside from all of the obvious health benefits, water is one of the key ingredients for healthy, hydrated, clear skin. Not only does it flush toxins through the body for a brighter complexion, it hydrates your skin from the inside out reducing dry patches and keeping wrinkles at bay. Now if that’s not good enough reason to fill your glass with water then we don’t know what is.
Multi Task It’s what us girls do best so use this time-saving trick in your beauty routine to make the most of your morning. If you think about it, there are loads of beauty tasks you can do simultaneously; paint your nails while you’re on the phone, put your makeup on while the coffee’s brewing, clean your teeth while the hair straighteners are heating up, put you lippy on in the lift, the list goes on.
Desert Island Item If you could only have one beauty item, what would it be? For us coconut oil would win hands down. You can use coconut oil for pretty much anything; gentle facial cleanser, moisturising shaving salve, luxurious massage oil, soothing lip balm, lightweight hair serum… coconut oil does it all and it smells fab too! If you’ve not tried it give it a go - we promise you, you’ll love it.
Double Up Most women’s makeup bags are filled to breaking point but it’s not viable to carry your full arsenal everywhere you go. Luckily some items double up and none more so than lip balm and who doesn’t always have lip balm on them somewhere?!
Mascara which is getting a bit dry and flaky can be revived with a tiny dab of clear lip balm. Smear a dab on your lashes and comb through with an eyelash comb for a few extra hours of glossiness - perfect for a quick refresh before a meeting or a touch up before post work drinks.
Coloured lip balm is also a great alternative to cream blush and will give your cheeks a nice sheen too - just go easy or you’ll look greasy not dewy!
Luscious Locks What woman doesn’t plan her week around her hair washes? If disaster strikes and you don’t have time for a full hair wash, simply wet your hands, squeeze a small amount of conditioner into your palm, run it through your fringe and then rinse under the tap. A two minute blowdry and no one will ever know, just pull the rest of your hair back into a tight ponytail and hide the hair band with a wrap of hair to complete the look. If you’re hair is especially greasy, a squirt of dry shampoo before you tie your hair back will disguise the worst of it. Failing that just wear a hat - job done!
Hair Removal Whether you wax, epilate, use hair removal cream or wet shave, hair removal is a necessary part of any girl’s beauty regime. All types of hair removal methods have their pros and cons, so choose one to suit your lifestyle and keep up the routine so your pins are soft and smooth - prickly legs don’t look OR feel nice!
Touchable Hands Your hands are one of the most visible parts of your body and they will show wear and tear and ageing like nowhere else. The secret to touchable, smooth hands? Don’t wash up! We’re kidding, but always wear marigolds. Hot water and washing up liquid will strip your skin of its natural oils and will dry out both your skin and your nails. Keep a tub of rich hand cream by the sink so any time you do get your hands wet you can slather on some cream to replenish and rehydrate them.
Mini Mani If your nail polish is chipped it looks worse than wearing none at all so get it off. If you're all out of nail polish remover, perfume makes a surprisingly effective substitute. Assuming your nails are in reasonable condition, a quick coat of clear polish is enough to get you through the rest of the day. If you’re in a rush dip your fingertips into ice water to make the polish set quicker.
If you notice that your nails are staining from regular use of polish (dark nail polish especially is a nightmare for staining your nails) use a base coat. Apply 2 base coats before the polish and the colour shouldn’t be able to penetrate down to the nail.
Put Your Best Foot Forward Hidden under woollen socks, opaque tights and winter boots, feet often get forgotten throughout the colder months. Give them some well earned TLC and banish cracked heels and hard skin for good. Make your own skin softener by mixing 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of mouthwash. Sounds bizarre but trust us, it really does work! Soak your feet for ten minutes and then simply wipe the dead skin away with a wash cloth. Follow this up with a layer of vaseline and some cotton socks and your tootsies will be at their best come party season.
Lips or Eyes If you’re really pushed for time go for either eyes or lips. If it’s lips go bold — a red lipstick (even on a completely bare face) will transform you from natural to glam in one quick swipe.
If it’s eyes, did you know that you can line your eyes and curl your lashes in one step? No, neither did we, but it's surprisingly easy and is one of our favourite tricks. Simply draw a line using a kohl across the edge of your eyelash curler where it would be touching your lid right above your lashes and it will line your lids while it curls... easy peasy!
Face It Our not-so-secret beauty tip for skin – always, always remove your makeup before you go to bed. No matter how tired you are this is the biggest beauty sin of all time but most of us do it occasionally. Not only does it ruin your pillow and you wake up looking like panda but your skin repairs itself while you sleep, so if it’s caked in product it won’t be able to breath and you will get clogged pores, blackheads and spots. Keep some facial wipes next to your bed and if you’re too tired to cleanse properly, at a minimum use the wipes to remove your make up.
No matter how old you are, all of us have the occasional break out. Tea tree oil is a great natural alternative for getting rid of spots and blemishes. It has unique disinfecting and soothing properties which will dry out spots, calm redness and reduce swelling. Unlike acne treatments which contain harsh synthetic chemicals, tea tree oil will not strip your skin of its natural oils and cause further damage. Simply apply neat to spots using a cotton bud or mix a few drops into your moisturiser for daily use - just be careful not to get it in your eyes!
Body Dry body brushing once a week will exfoliate your skin, detox your body, help reduce cellulite and will keep your skin looking fresh and feeling smooth. Use a firm, bristled brush and work in long upward strokes towards your heart. Your back is one of your biggest expanses of skin but out of sight and out of mind it often gets neglected. Use a long handled brush to get to the hard to reach places for flawless skin which will look fabulous in a backless dress. Finish off with a rich body cream to rehydrate and soften your skin.
Pearly Whites Teeth not looking quite as white as you wish? Teeth whitening is gaining in popularity but for a quick fix grab your lipstick! Bright lips help to make teeth look whiter so go for a bright berry, deep red or vibrant fuchsia.
Smelling of Roses If you love perfume but have sensitive skin try spritzing your perfume on your ironing board. The heat and steam from the iron will transfer the scent to your clothes rather than wearing it on your body.
Get these basics right and you’ll look fresh, fabulous and polished, always, even without your makeup bag!