Beauty News

10 beauty hacks that will make your life easier

Tips, tricks and hacks to make your beauty routine as quick and efficient as possible.

As much as we love beauty, we’ll be the first to admit it can be time-consuming. From blowdrying and straightening to skincare and make-up application, looking good does come with a price. Which is why we’ve complied our top 10 beauty tips to save you time, product and money.

1.) If you’re packing beauty items for a holiday and don’t have much space, invest in some multi-purpose products. Not sure where to start? A rosy pink lipstick is a great versatile product. You can apply it to your lips and blend some into your cheeks and even eyelids for a subtle glow. If you’re really strapped for space or time you may also want to consider making your own tinted moisturiser: combine a few drops of your foundation with your moisturiser and voilà, a good-to-go face base.

2.) Got frizzy hair? Spray some hairspray onto a tissue or cotton pad and smooth down flyaways for a chic and smooth ‘do.

3.) Be strategic about where you spray your perfume; some body parts are more beneficial for perfume than others. Perfume contains alcohol, and if exposed to the sun while on your skin you risk getting pigmentation. Avoid damage and instead spray your perfume in places it will last, will have maximum effect but is also out of the sun’s reach. Spray inside your elbows, on your ankles, behind your ears, on your wrists and your hair (spray onto a brush and comb through rather than spraying directly onto hair – this dries it out), behind your knees and dab some near your belly button.

4.) Running out the door and haven’t had time to retouch your roots? L’Oréal Paris’ Magic Retouch is the Now To Love team’s go-to for quick (and affordable) coverage. This convenient and time-saving temporary colour product is super easy to use: simply spray the applicator once on your roots and watch those grey roots disappear. The best part? One bottle is only $20, and contains up to 25 applications, so you can take your time between salon visits and save some money – why not spend that spare cash on a well-deserved massage?

5.) Consider multi-masking if you have opposing skin needs. Use a combination of face masks (perhaps one that targets blackheads and large pores on the T-Zone and a hydrating mask on cheeks?) Consider your problem areas and adjust accordingly.

6.) If your tired eyes need a pick-me-up, don’t reach for black eye liner – try nude instead. Applying a nude liner on your inner rim and waterline will make your eyes look wider and more awake.

7.) Keep a toolkit in your bag for touch ups: a creamy concealer you can use to cover any blemishes and under-eye circles (generally your under-eye concealer should be slightly lighter than your pimple/scar concealer, but this is a small toolkit afterall…), a rosy lipstick for lips and cheeks, a travel-sized dry shampoo and clear mascara you can use on lashes and brows (if you have dark hair you can use black or brown mascara for this.)

8.) If you have cracked, rough feet after spending the warmer months in jandals, this one’s for you. Apply a nice hydrating cream on your feet at night (look for products that contain shea butter, jojoba or macadamia oils as these work particularly well) and put cotton socks on top. When you wake up the next morning your feet will feel nice and smooth.

9.) Layer your skincare products according to how thick they are. After cleansing, are you applying a thick moisturiser then applying thin and watery gel-based serums? Well, unfortunately you may want to rethink your routine – this hinders the product’s ability to do its job efficiently. The lightest and most active ingredients, generally serums, should be applied first before your heavier products.

Your routine should look like this: cleanse, (optional) tone, serum (be careful as some serums should be used exclusively at nighttime), moisturise, (optional) oil, sunscreen. Tip: wait at least a minute between layers to let products fully absorb.

10.) If your skin feels dehydrated, here’s a trick you’ll like: keep your body oil in the shower and massage over your skin while it’s still warm and your pores are open. It absorbs so much better and all you have to do once you step out is pat yourself down with a towel.

L’Oréal Paris Magic Retouch is available in selected supermarkets, department stores and pharmacies.

Related stories


The 10 Beauty commandments
Beauty News

The 10 Beauty commandments

old habits can be hard to break – we all have our own time-honoured beauty traditions (toothpaste on pimples, anyone?). But there are 10 hard-and-fast rules no woman should forgo. ALWAYS wash your face properly before bed. Avoid soap and instead clean the skin thoroughly and gently with a mild facial wash such as Johnson’s […]