Or, What We Wish We Knew 20 Years Ago
"No, I'm not! I'm not a tomboy! I love my makeup! That's not
true! I'm not a tomboy!"
-- Hilary Duff, Academy Award-winning actress
There's nothing worse than getting advice from older people, we know, we
know, but the truth is some advice is worth taking and keeping,
especially when it comes to fun beauty tips.
Skip the foundation
If you have acne the first thing you want to do is slather on the thick
foundation. Don't. Foundation is for women over 30. Not only will it
cover up your natural beauty, but foundation on a teenager looks
anything but natural. Instead, cover up blemishes with concealer, then
follow with a powder or tinted mosturizer. Tinted moisturizers tend to
be lighter than heavy foundations.
Play up your lips or your eyes, never both
If you wear smokey eyes, go for nude lips with just a bit of gloss.
Prefer the drama of dark lipstick? Keep face light (stay away from heavy
blush) and wear only mascara on your eyes and a light eyeshadow. Don't
heavily line your eyes.
Play up both and you'll look like a clown.
And never, ever line lips in a darker color than your gloss or lipstick.
Less is more
Ever notice how some of your friends look best with no makeup at all? No
matter your age, too much makeup makes you look worse. If you wear
foundation, powder, blush, liner, mascara, eyeshadow,
lip
liner and gloss on an everyday basis, then you're overdoing it. Tone it
down: All you really need is a great mascara, concealer for blemishes
and gloss. Add a pop of blush in winter.
Natural hair is always hot
If you have super dark hair,
lighten your look by going a shade darker or getting lighter highlights.
Blonde? Try highlights, especially framing the face. We see too many
teens lightening their hair several shades and the look can be
super-tacky, not super-fabulous. The trick is to let people assume you
were born with sun-kissed hair, not that you gave yourself a bad dye job
from a bottle.
More hair color tips here.
Vaseline is your best friend
Vaseline is a great, cheap eye
makeup remover. It's also great for fixing chapped, scaly lips. Slather
on a bunch of Vaseline, then use a toothbrush to massage lips. Wipe the
excess off on a tissue. Your lips will be smooth and soft.
7. You can never go wrong with layers Long layers are great for
any hair type: Super curly, straight or wavy. It makes thin hair appear
thicker, curly hair appear manageable and wavy hair appear
just-got-back-from-the-beach sexy. Just make sure you don't get too many
layers cut in. Too many short layers is dated.
Acne? Get thee to a dermatologist, stat
Biggest mistake people
with acne make? Not going to a dermatologist. Forget those $150 jeans
you covet. Getting rid of those pimples will be the best investment
you'll ever make. And the only guaranteed way to do it is with a
dermatologist.
Spend money on key beauty products
Not sure what to splurge on and what to save on? I give you the scoop in this article. See if you should splurge or save on cleansers, mascara, concealer and more.
Buying foundation or lipstick? Test it first
There are some
beauty products you simply must try out at a department store or Sephora
before you buy. These include: Foundation, lipstick, blush and powder.
Buy these products in a grocery store and you'll be lucky if you picked
the right color for your skin tone. What you can get away with without
testing: Mascara, eye liner, most basic eye shadows and lip gloss.
When can you skip sunscreen ? Never
Here's a trick we wish we knew: The first beauty product you should
apply every day is sunscreen, even if it's cloudy or rainy outside. Why?
Good habits start young and if you use sunscreen now, you'll have
gorgeous skin when you're 50, 60, 70. Remember, the sun's UV rays can
penetrate clouds and car windows.
Wrapping hair around the barrel creates waves
There's nothing
cooler
than long, layered waves. To get them, wind hair AROUND the barrel of a
large curling iron. Reverse direction for each 2-inch section (wind up
for one, down for another).
Self-tanner will always stink
Unfortunately, even the best ones smell. Your best bet is to apply
self-tanner a good 24 hours before an important event and take a shower
(don't loofah) to wash off any smell. For really big events like a dance
or wedding, consider a professional spray tan. These are pricey and
don't last long, so make sure to do it a day before the big event.
Don't let nails go
Not into manicures and pedicures? No
worries. Just make sure to keep nails clean and the same length. If you
do want to paint them, don't keep the polish on until half of it's
chipped away. Also, there's nothing worse than too-long toenails. Keep
nails clipped between pedicures! People tend to judge others by the care
they put into their hands and feet.
Don't line the inside of your eyes
It will make your eyes
appear smaller. Instead, line just at the lash line. Also, an obvious
line doesn't look natural. Smudge the line just a bit. >
16. Oily hair? Try baby powder at your roots
If you have blonde hair, sprinkling a bit of baby powder on your roots
and at your crown will soak up excess oils. If you have brown hair, you
might be better off with a dry shampoo for your hair color.
Shave legs at the end of the shower
Cut down on nicks and cuts by making shaving the very last step in your shower or bathing ritual.
9 more shaving tips here .
Know your best feature and play it up
What feature do people
comment on most? Play it up. If you're told you have Angelina Jolie
lips, make sure to wear gloss and play with bold lipstick colors. If
it's your eye color people love, find eyeshadow colors that complement
them and make sure to wear mascara. Also, know what color shirts look
best on you and go shopping.
If you have dry, itchy skin in winter, invest in a scrub and handmitts
and scrub away in the bathtub. Make sure to slather on a thick
moisturizer afterward. For dry, callous-y feet, buy a pumice stone. They
work better than any of the other wimpy options on the market.
Remember: Beauty is mostly internal
Think about a girl you know who's
overweight
yet all the guys love her. Why? Because she's confident. If you aren't
wearing makeup and your toes haven't been repainted in weeks, if you're
happy and smiling you will still be 10 times prettier than the mopey
cheerleader sitting next to you in class. Trust us (wink).
