You know that feeling you get when you finally discover the right way to do something that you’ve apparently been doing wrong for years? It can be a very liberating moment…of course, that’s after you’re done smacking your forehead like Homer Simpson having a major “DOH!” moment. Well we’ve compiled several genius hacks that will hopefully make your makeup routine much easier, or come to your rescue when you’re having a major makeup malfunction!

 

• White pencil to make shadow pop – Every eyeshadow application needs a good primer to keep the shadow in place and crease-free all day. However, nude-colored primers don’t help to make some shades really pop. For that, use a 24-hour white pencil to blend all over your bottom lid and wherever you will be apply the color. It will act as a primer and an amplifier to allow the shadow to color to read true and bold.
• A spoon for making the perfect cat-eye – Cat-eyes are notoriously tricky. If you could use a little fool proof guidance, place the handle of a spoon along the out corner of your eye, following the line your lower lashes would take upward. Trace that line with a liquid liner or pencil. Next, using the bowl of the spoon, bowl facing down over your lid, trace the curved line of the bowl from the outer point of the first line down to your lid. Then fill in with liner and thinly trace the rest of the top lash line. Perfect cat-eye!
• Saline solution to fix flaky mascara – Mascara all dried out and flaky? If the mascara is newer than 3 months, you can still salvage it by adding a few drops of saline solution. (If it’s older than 3 months though, it’s best to toss it. Mascara can quickly gather bacteria that are harmful to your eyes).
• Powder to plump up lashes – If your mascara is just not plumping your lashes sufficiently, but you don’t want to go through the hassle of adding false lashes, it’s powder to the rescue! Simply apply one coat of mascara, then dust lashes with a thin coating of translucent powder, and coat again with mascara. You’ll have WOW lashes in no time!
• Loose pigments + petroleum jelly = instant custom lipgloss – Feeling a bit creative? Grab your favorite loose pigment, dust it into a spoon, and add a bit of clear lip balm (like Eucerin Aquaphor) or petroleum jelly. Mix in the spoon with a lip brush and apply. Voila!
• A toilet seat cover to nix shine – Yes, we know it sounds gross. But sometimes you are in a rush, and that shine on your T-zone is just way too blinding, honey. If you’re out of rice papers, in a pinch, grab a toilet seat cover (un-used, obviously!) and blot that shine away. It will not leave residue or wipe away makeup like a paper towel or toilet paper will.

 

Image by Mainstream is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: flickr)