Beauty Shortcuts

19 Great Beauty Shortcuts
Between all the waxing, straightening, and tousling, who has the time (or sheer energy) for some crazy-long beauty routine? Umm, not us. And not Hollywood pros, either, it seems. “I usually have 15 minutes, tops, to get Beyoncé out the door,” says Pinay makeup artist Mally Roncal. “That means I have to streamline my technique and do everything on the fly.” Here, the country’s top beauty experts and a few Tinseltown pros reveal their best new beauty shortcuts to make your eyes, lips, hair, and skin look fantastic in a flash.

1. Flip Your Part and Take Off
One of the fastest styles you can create without a pair of scissors? A low side part. “It’s so dramatic and instantly glamorous,” says hairstylist Kim Kimble, who works with Beyoncé. “Plus, it’s great for all hair types and textures.” She parts hair about four to six inches above the ear and sweeps strands back with the pointy tip of a comb.

2. Hike Up Lashes
Doing mascara on the fly requires a surgeon’s steady hands—or a makeup artist’s speedy strategy. “Always do your mascara first,” says Carol Shaw, who works on Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford. “If you mess up, which happens a lot, you can remove the smudge without wiping off everything else you’ve already applied.” Her warp-speed wand move: Wiggle the brush into the roots of lashes before pulling it through, then hit the tips of lashes a second time to make them seem a mile long. Try Fasio 3D Curl & Airy Lashes, P350.

3. Flawless Face Fix
If you can’t head out the door without foundation or concealer, save some time by combining these steps together: “Choose a product that can function as both foundation and concealer,” advises Xeng Zulueta of Shu Uemura. “Cream types are easy to apply while you’re on the move, as it’s best to apply them with fingers and they won’t spill in the process. Work your way out from underneath the eyes and blend out to the cheeks. Go easy on the cheeks and spot-conceal problem areas.” Try Becca Stick Foundation with SPF30, P2,000, or SanSan Matte Finish Liquid Foundation, P91.75.

4. Freeze Out a Zit
It’s Murphy’s Law in action: If anything can go wrong, it will. This is often manifested by the appearance of a monstrous zit just before a hot date. For an emergency fix, Hollywood aesthetician Sonya Dakar tells her star flock (which includes Drew Barrymore and Brittany Murphy) to dab toner over the zit to dry up excess oil, then cool and flatten the bump with an ice cube (wrapped in tissue) for a minute. “Don’t leave the cube on for too long or you’ll wind up with redness,” she warns. Finish by drying the skin with a tissue and dotting a creamy concealer like Estée Lauder Ideal Light Brush-On Illuminator, P1,850.

5. Score Instant Waves
If the humidity puts your strands on permanent frizzmode, Maybelline New York’s Barbi Chan suggested tying slightly damp hair in a bun, then setting it with hair spray before blasting it with a hair dryer. “This creates instant wavy hair without using a curling iron,” Chan says. For soft, bouncy curls, try Tigi Curls Rock Hairspray, P1,195. Bonus: Your man will love the sweet candy smell of your hair!

6. Flush in a Flash
They say that the best blush is the color that you get in the throes of an orgasm—capture this look with cheek tint and some light shimmer. “Liquid blush layered with pink-gold shimmer imparts a soft glow,” says local makeup pro Tatin Yang. “Match it with tinted lip balm and curled lashes, and you’re good to go.” We’re betting Nichido Tickled Pink Cheek Tint, P128, to give you that perfect post-coital glow. Finish off by dusting The Balm Hot Mama Shadow Blush, P1,250, for its peachy-pink shimmer.

7. Whip Out a Posh Ponytail
If you must pull your hair back in a ponytail, at least do it with style. First, tease the roots around the crown to add volume, then pull everything up and back with your fingers. “But don’t tug hair too tightly or you’ll kill the volume,” says Kimble. Secure with an elastic, then dress it up by wrapping a few strands of your own hair around the band or covering it up with a bejeweled clip or scrunchie.

8. Dramatize Your Pucker
Ever wonder how film stars manage to look glamorous sans the smoky eyes and tons of shimmer? The trick is in a tube of classic red lipstick. “Whether you’re in a hurry or simply need an instant boost, red gives you the energy needed to [instantly project] that you’re strong, sexy, or ambitious,” says Jen Delica of Avon. Her hue-finding guide: If you have a darker complexion, go for a warm, brownish red like Avon Moisture Rich Wear in Spicy, P375. If your skin is fair, pick a blue-based red to make your mouth pop like Chanel Luminous Satin Lip Color in Lover, P1,650.

9. Fake Perfect Brows
Warning: If you’re about to walk out the door, avoid tweezing at all costs (you’ll waste time trying to cover up that puffy, red unibrow). “Groom brows by combing upwards and filling in sparse areas with light, feathery strokes with a brow pencil,” suggests Jigs Mayuga of L’Oréal. “[Fix strays with] brow gel or spray an eyebrow brush with hairspray before combing them out.” Check out Bloom Retractable Brow Definer in Medium Brown, P495.

10. Bedazzle Your Tresses
If it’s the mother of all bad hair days and you can’t spare another minute, slip on a metallic headband (or one with a posh print) or tie a casual ribbon around your head. The flashy hairpiece will help draw attention away from your less-than-perfect coif and create a glamorous (or funky, depending on what you’re wearing), put-together look with no effort at all.

11. Revive Your Roots in No Time
When party-hard celebs need to oomph up their hair on the double, New York stylist Tippi Shorter (who works with Ashanti and Rihanna) relies on this tip: “Rub a bit of sculpting wax between your palms until you see a bit of sheen on your hands, then scrunch up your roots,” she says. Try Dep Sport Sculpting Clay, P329.

12. De-Fuzz in a Hurry
Can’t make it to the salon for a wax session? Disguise a bigotilyo by dipping a fluffy powder brush into mineral powder foundation, then swipe it downward over any downy spots. This smoothens the hair so it lies flat and blends into your skin. Youngblood Loose Foundation, P1,850, will do just the trick.

13. Line Your Peepers
Eyeshadow can be the most time-consuming step in makeup. Cut down on blending time by skipping it altogether, and line your eyes instead. “Just use colored liner to give the illusion of wearing eyeshadow,” says Chan. Zulueta agrees. “Go bold with colored pencils, and make sure the tip is sharp and soft for easy application.” For smudge- and waterproof orbs, check out Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes, P850 each.

14. Try the 10-Second Towel Trick
Instead of heading straight for the fan or dryer, cut drying time in half by blotting excess water from your strands with a thick towel. Don’t rub it vigorously, though—it’ll only create frizz and be harder to style later on. Just press the towel firmly over large sections, then air dry.

15. Do a Super Fast Manicure
Cut the drying time of your nail polish in half by applying two very thin coats. “Most people throw on one thick coat to get it done fast, but that takes forever to harden and looks clumpy,” says manicurist Deborah Lippmann, who polishes up Reese Witherspoon and Hilary Swank. To ensure the lightest application of lacquer, wipe the brush against the neck of the bottle before painting a nail. We like Bobbie Nail Crème in Touch Me Hot, P35.10, or Caronia Nail Polish in Love, P25.

16. Speed Up Your Blowdry
No one wants to spend the better part of the day with a hairdryer in hand, so cut blowdrying time in half by using an extrawide round brush. “Not only can you cover more area quickly, but a larger barrel creates a smoother finish,” explains hairstylist Jimmy Paul, who works with Keira Knightley. Laminate your pin-straight locks with a few drops of serum like Citré Shine Anti-Frizz Serum, P229.50, for super shine.

17. Amp Up Your Pout
You might never have Angelina Jolie’s enviable lips, but here’s an old-fashioned recipe for full lips: olive oil and salt. “The oil is super moisturizing, and the sodium makes your skin bloat up fast,” says Dakar. Mix a spoonful of regular olive oil with a pinch of salt and spread lightly on your kisser.

18. Boost Volume in a Blink
There’s just no denying the appeal of soft, sexy curls. If you want to give life to stick-straight hair, you’ll be glad to know that it doesn’t take five hours to get fat curls. To do this, gather large sections of dry hair (about three inches wide), and roll them around the barrel of a skinny curling iron. In 10 minutes, you’ll be a vampy vixen. Our favorite: Philips 8-in-1 curling iron, P1,500.

19. Make Your Eyes Pop—Pronto
“The easiest way to achieve super dramatic eyes is to rim your eyes with black liner and load up on the mascara,” says Zulueta. It also helps if you do your mascara first so you can wipe off the smudges without having to start everything all over again. Just keep cotton buds handy to erase smears.

Source:
Cosmopolitan Philippines