BellaSugar

Five Ways Q-tips Can Save Your Beautiful Day

BellaSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:00:17 -0800

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a . . . Q-tip? Now since my makeup application with this product didn't go quite so smoothly, I decided to focus on ways this little swab can swipe all your problems away. (Well, maybe not all of them, but quite a few.)

Stop nail polish from sealing shut. One of my favorite tricks is to dip a Q-tip in vegetable oil and do a once-over on the rims of my nail polish bottles. The oil coats the top and prevents the polish from stopping my painting plan by sticking the tops on tight.

Get more quick beauty fixes from Q-tips when you read more.

Prevent lip color from bleeding. To achieve a polished look that lasts, dip the cotton swabs in translucent powder and apply it along the outer edge of the lips, helping to keep the lipstick where it belongs . . . on your lips. You can even dab lipstick from your teeth with these, too.
Correct minor makeup flaws. Q-tips dipped in makeup remover can help fix a mascara smudge, eyeliner that's turns out a bit too smoky, or shadow that's all out of line. Similarly, dipping a swab in polish remover can correct a small error without putting your other painted fingers at risk.
Conceal blemishes without fingers. Pimple? No problem. Dip a tip into liquid concealer or the concentrated liquid makeup along the rim of a foundation bottle and dab over the affected area. This keeps your dirty fingers off your face and your fingers clean, too.
Mix your own makeup with leftovers. Got just a stump of lipstick that you can't quite get onto your lips? Instead of tossing, remove the cotton swab and dip the tip into the tube to get the excess out. If you're feeling extra DIY, you can dig out several shades, mix them together, and add some gloss to a leftover jar all with this stick for a custom creation.

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Make Red Lipstick Work For You Like LC

BellaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:39 -0700

At the Avon Hope Honors Gala, all the celebrity Avon ladies (and the Avon man) were out, including Courteney Cox, Reese Witherspoon, Fergie, and Patrick Dempsey. Of course, no Avon lineup would be complete without Lauren Conrad, the spokeswoman for Mark. To complement her gray cocktail dress, Lauren opted for a 1940s glam makeup look, complete with glowing cheeks, winged-out liner, and warm red lips. To get lipstick tips from last night's look, created by makeup artist Amy Nadine, just keep reading.

Plastic Wrap Makes Your Polish Remover Go Further

BellaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:00:22 -0700

Although I'm definitely a crowd pleaser for the quirky tips and products I've got on hand, I snatched this trick from an unsuspecting pal before a night out. After waiting through her beautification process, our exit was delayed when she decided her peeling polish was more tacky than trendy.

As I watched some TV, I caught her removing nail polish with a cotton ball held in plastic wrap. Assuming it had something to do with the scent of the product, I watched as she made it through the whole hand with just one swab and probably could have started on the left. She laughed when she caught me staring and said that wrapping with plastic slows the remover's evaporation process - and keeps the lifted polish on the swab, not on the hand that swiped it. Sorry, friend, I'm stealing this tip from you!

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Yet Another Embarrassing Place For Acne To Show Up

BellaSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:00:43 -0700

It's not like I show up at tea parties talking about ass-ne or anything, but I'm all for opening up about "embarrassing" pimply places. It happens! You are not a freak if you have blackheads in places that aren't your face, you know.

Which brings me to, ugh, ear blackheads. Oh, don't act like you've never had one. My esthetician says they're very common, and while they're harmless, they can sometimes be painful. If you have them, don't try to squeeze them. Instead, try these tips:

Clean your iPod earbuds at least once a week. Grungy earbuds can bring bacteria to your ears, so wipe them down regularly.
Use a cotton swab to apply a salicylic acid treatment to your ears. (Don't stick the swab in your ear canal, though.)
Mom was right: Don't forget to clean behind your ears. Gently cleaning ears with a washcloth can help prevent clogged pores.
Don't go poppin' things. If you have a painful pimple-like growth, it could be a sebaceous cyst. Whatever you do, don't mess with it. Instead, see a dermatologist if you can't deal with the pain.

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How-To: An Easy Way to Remove Gunk From Under the Nails

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:00:15 -0800

Recently, I purchased a pair of bluish-black jeans that fit so well, I think I should just buy every color. The only downfall? I didn't follow the manufacturer's suggestion to wash before wearing, and somehow, the dye from my pants ended up all over my hands and under my fingernails. Yuck. I don't know about you, but I don't like the look of what appears to be dirt under my fingernails.

One of my friends in the beauty business suggested I purchase some cotton swabs with at least one pointed tip at either end. She told me to dunk that oval-shaped tip into a body oil; I used Aveda Calming Composition ($21) with the Casaro Applicator and Manicure Sticks ($2.29). Now, I know that this is a no-duh idea, but the perk of using oil is that it conditions the nails. I used the other end of the swab dipped in the same oil to lightly massage and hydrate the cuticle and skin around the nail bed. No more dingy digits for me.

Doing Drugstore: Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen

BellaSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:00:05 -0700

I'm a doodler by nature, and a dabbler in whatever unique beauty product I can get my hands on. It seems like nail pens are all the rage in the nail polish industry as of late, so when I heard about Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen, I had to give it a try.

There are eight shades in total, and because I wanted to give myself some glitzy black nails à la Paris Hilton's black French manicure, I purchased the white shade. The fine-tip pen is easy to use, and the polish dried pretty quickly. You don't have to have an advanced degree in art to create great shapes, but it was harder for me to finagle with my opposite, less-dextrous hand. The pros? Because it's water-based, it's more environmentally friendly, and mistakes are easily fixed with a cotton swab and water.

The cons? The polish has a tendency to drag unless your nails are completely dry, and since it's water-based, it rubs off rather easily. I'd highly recommend applying a top coat if you're looking for a stay-put finish. While I don't see myself drawing shapes on my nails all that often and the results weren't totally perfect, all-in-all, these nail art pens are meant to be fun, and fun is what they are.

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Three Tips For Going Glittery

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:00:02 -0700

I'm dazzled by these new sparkly shades from rescue beauty lounge . . . and smiling at the clever names. Locavore blends earth-friendly hues of green and blue with metallics, Frugalista blasts out with gunmetal specks in a rich purple, and Look Rich, Be Cheap is a gold polish with purple flecks.
As posh as the products are, applying glittery polish can be tough. Check out my tips for a smooth sparkle when you read more.

Polish prep. Start with a layer of clear (or complementary colored) polish on top of a base coat. This additional layer keeps nails smooth and helps hold glitter in place.
Seal the sparkle. If you find fault with the gritty feel, seal in the glitter with a powerful top coat like Seche Vite that allows the top coat to penetrate to the base and lock it all in.
Clean and clear off. Use swabs to take off polish, as glitter is typically harder to remove – it can scrape your nails if you're not careful. Cotton helps pick up the bits while the color rubs off smoothly.

Pack Your Bags With Sweetly Scented Cotton Balls

BellaSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:00:31 -0800

Space is definitely at a premium in my suitcase, so I like to make every tiny bit of room count when packing my bags. My favorite perfume bottles never make it on the plane, since they're pretty big (and breakable, too).

Instead of resorting to stock perfume samples on your next trip, try this tip from the latest issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray: Pack cotton balls instead. Before you go, soak a few cotton balls with your favorite fragrance and stash them in a snack-sized Ziploc bag, making sure to get as much air out as possible when sealing. That way, you've got your trademark scent ready when you are, and the little sack just may act as a subtle fragrance pouch when packed.

The same thing can work with any other liquids you apply with cotton balls or swabs (like toner or makeup remover). Just give each its own labeled baggie so the right liquid ends up on the right body part, mmmkay?

A Super-Quick Way to Fake Concealer

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:00:16 -0700

The next time you're traveling, in a hurry, or out of concealer, here's an easy way to MacGyver your way into hiding your blemishes. Grab a cotton swab or makeup brush, then dip it into the cap of your liquid foundation. The accumulated foundation here is usually thicker, so it can double as concealer in a pinch. Better still, the "concealer" will match your foundation perfectly. Obviously, this trick won't work every day, because the foundation needs time to thicken, but it's worth a shot when you're in a pinch.

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Five Ways to Use Olive Oil For Beauty

BellaSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:00:36 -0800

When visiting a pal's house recently, I noticed a bottle of olive oil in his bathroom (not while snooping, I swear). Even though I know of many uses for this product, I was curious why he had it. Turns out he applies this before shaving instead of traditional creams since he has sensitive skin (a tip he picked up from his Grammy).

That got me thinking of more beauty uses for olive oil:

Deep conditioning treatment: Get out of the shower and apply oil on shampooed, towel dried hair. Put it up in a plastic cap and blast it for about 10 minutes with a hair dryer. Let sit for 10 more minutes and rinse out.
Oil base for homemade scrubs: If you're whipping up a batch of one of my fave DIY spa treatments, olive oil's a great addition. If you're short on time, simply rub on your skin before scrubbing with coarse sugar or salt.

See two more of my favorites when you read more.

Moisturizing cuticles: Mix a touch of this oil and water in a small dish and soak your hands in it for about five minutes. Then warm a bit of olive oil and rub it into your cuticles before pushing the skin back with your file.
Removing stubborn makeup: Being very careful to avoid eyes, you can still dab a bit of olive oil on a cotton swab and use it to remove waterproof makeup.
If you've got more tips of your own for this product, share them in your comments below!

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