Spring is a great time to refresh all sorts of grooming routines. Here are my favourite beauty tips for improved skin, eyes and lips, and an all-round healthy appearance.
1. Cleanse normal and dry skin once a day
Cleansing your face — no matter how gentle the product — dries out your skin. Cleanse your face at night if you have normal to dry skin and don’t cleanse with product in the morning. It’s AMAZING what a difference this small tip can do for your skin.
2. Fill the spaces between your lashes with eyeliner
I started doing this last year and haven’t looked back because I love the visual effect. The technique really brings out your eyes. I apply dark blue eyeliner with a brush to the inside of my top eyelid to fill the gaps between my mascara’ed lashes. It creates a line along the base of your lashes that is strong, yet subtle. The line looks more connected and “natural” than applying eyeliner above your lashes.
3. Wear a fashionable hat to keep the sun off your face
Wear a fun hat if you don’t like to wear sunscreen. Or wear both sunscreen and a hat! The sun can feel glorious against your skin, but it’s harmful so protect your skin from the sun from an early age.
4. Exercise is one of the best ways to create a dewy complexion
Our skin tends to look its most healthy and radiant after exercise. Mine certainly does after a yoga class or a long walk. Exercise regularly, and you will see the effect on your skin.
5. Apply lip balm before lipstick to tone down its colour
I love to wear lipstick, but battle with bright shades of red that tend to take over my look. So I apply lip balm before I use red lipstick to soften its dramatic effect. Feel free to do the same with any shade of lipstick.
6. Use dark brown mascara instead of black for a softer appearance
Black mascara can look overly harsh when you have blonde features, low contrast features, or a pale complexion. Using brown mascara creates a softer and more natural effect.
7. Defining brows and lips is very effective
Do not underestimate the power of a visually defined brow line and lip because both features frame the face. The definition can be bold or more subtle. For subtle definition, dye your brows if you don’t like filling them in, and choose a light gloss if you don’t like lipstick.
8. Keep facial powder to a minimum
Personally, I love the look of skin that is shiny like an apple. Powder creates a matte look that prevents your face from looking dewy and healthy. So unless you have oily skin, use facial powder sparingly or not at all.
9. Kneading dough is the best manicure
After a professional manicure, my hands look polished. But when I knead dough, my hands look so much better. The butter in the dough is a natural moisturizer and the kneading action is a good massage.
10. Get enough sleep
A rested face and body looks and feels best. I’m not good at getting enough sleep, and the bags under my eyes are proof of that. But when I do get enough sleep, I look brighter and feel better.
After using dark brown mascara all my life, on an absolute whim I started using blue mascara a few months ago and like the subtle change. Perhaps I’ll go green for high Summer. Over to you. Share YOUR favourite beauty tips in the comments section.
