30+ Easy Beauty Hacks & Tips to Improve the Face, Skin, and Hair

One of the most annoying parts of painting your nails is accidentally getting nail polish on the skin surrounding your nail. You either have to wipe it off wet and potentially smudge your manicure, or wait for it to dry and pick it off.

Or, if you’re clever, you can avoid both of those things by putting some Vaseline around the edge of the nail. That will protect your skin, and any stray polish will wash right off!

Along the same lines, sometimes the lids of older nail polish bottles get stuck and are really hard to open. It’s usually because of the polish on the rim drying and getting crusty.

It turns out that Vaseline can save you from that problem too, by simply smearing a little of it around the rim before you close your nail polish bottle. Who knew Vaseline had so many uses in the nail world?

Dry shampoo is one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread. It saves you on those days when your hair isn’t quite dirty enough to go through the work of washing it, but is too dirty to leave alone.

However, don’t simply spray on your dry shampoo in the morning, but rather put it on and rub it in the night before. That will give it more time to absorb excess oil so you look great the next morning!

We’ve all done this at some point or another — we’ve sprayed our perfume on our neck and our wrists, and immediately rubbed our wrists together. It turns out that’s not the best idea if you want to stay smelling good longer.

Rubbing the perfume makes it wear off faster. Instead, tap your wrists together a few times and then leave them be. It will make sure your perfume lasts long after you yourself stop smelling it.

Sometimes, you don’t want to put on layers of heavy liquid foundation. That’s where tinted moisturizer comes in — it offers lightweight coverage while still being nice and hydrating.

If you can’t be bothered to buy a tinted moisturizer or can’t find the right shade, just make your own. Start with one pump of your daily moisturizer and one pump of your foundation, and go from there. It’s easier and cheaper than buying a separate product.

If you can’t remember the last time you washed your makeup brushes, here is your reminder! Don’t simply wash them and throw them down somewhere to dry or stand them up, though — here’s a much better idea.

Use that plethora of hair ties you have in a drawer somewhere to loop around your makeup brushes and stand them vertically on your towel rack. It will avoid the bristles warping and also free up some counter space.

When those dark circles from a lack of sleep start to get you down, it’s natural to immediately reach for the concealer. Don’t just slather on as much as you can, though, as that won’t really help matters.

It will actually make that pesky area stand out more. You should instead just use a thin layer of a light concealer to neutralize those dark circles a bit without making it look like you used your whole concealer tube on your under-eye area.

You’ve probably heard of the cat eye eyeliner technique, where you flick the line up at the end of the eye, but there’s a Korean makeup trend called “puppy eye eyeliner.” If you’re thinking it must be the opposite of cat eye, then you would be right.

Don’t go up with your eyeliner, but rather go down! Bring it down towards the cheekbone a bit. It will create the appearance of a rounder, wider-looking eye.

One of the eternal struggles of wearing lipstick is getting it to last longer than a couple of hours. There are a lot of different kinds of lipstick out there and they all have their pros and cons, but this trick has nothing to do with the lipstick type at all!

Once you’re done doing up your lips, lay a tissue over them, and then use a brush to tap translucent face powder through the tissue. It will set the pigment but won’t clump up, making that bold lip last much longer!

A lot of people don’t bother with lip liner, but this makeup product has its benefits. It helps stop lipstick from bleeding outside of the lip line. However, it can be tricky to prevent a harsh line from appearing around your mouth.

It’s surprisingly easy to prevent. All you have to do is blend your lip liner in towards the center of the lips before applying lipstick, and it’s especially helpful if the liner and lipstick aren’t the same shade.

A common sight in any beauty store with makeup samples is people testing various foundations on their inner arm to try and find the best match for their skin. That’s not the best approach to finding the right color, though.

It’s very common for our arms to be much darker than our faces as they’re more exposed to the sun. If you really want to nail your foundation color, test them on the side of your neck instead!

Mascara is a really great way to add some body to our eyelashes, and most of us do the typical swiping-on-multiple-layers technique. But, mascara can be more useful than that.

If you want to go for a bolder look without needing to reach for the eyeliner, you can do something called mascara stamping. It’s as simple as it sounds — gently press your mascara against the roots of your lashes for a thicker appearance.

There are four main types of blush — powder, cream, gel, and stains. It may seem like they’re all the same, but learning which type is best for you will bring your makeup look together better than just using any ol’ blush.

If you’re looking for long-lasting, go for a cream. If you sweat a ton, go for a stain. If you want a good glow for a short time, gel is where it’s at. And if you’ve got larger pores, stick to the powders.

There are so many types of brushes for applying makeup that it can be really overwhelming. Thankfully, there are some tricks that you can use so that you don’t have a whole drawer full of brushes, like this bobby pin trick.

Just add a bobby pin (which most girls have lying around everywhere) to one of your normal brushes to make a makeshift fan brush. Fan brushes are great for applying just about any kind of powdered makeup.

The whole point of concealer is to… well, conceal. Most people use the dot technique, which involves putting a few little dots on the under-eye area before blending them in. But, what if there was a better way?

Apparently, there is — and it’s using a triangle shape instead. It draws attention to the brightest part of your eyes and is much easier to blend in well. It makes perfect sense if you think about it.

If you have a makeup drawer full of products that have been in there for years, it’s time to go through it and start throwing things out. All makeup has an expiration date, and one that’s particularly important is the one for mascara.

You shouldn’t hang onto mascara for more than three months for eye health reasons, so instead of buying a big tube, why not buy a travel-sized one instead? You’ll actually save money by not constantly throwing unused mascara away.

Eyelash curlers can take your mascara look from zero to 100. They give your lashes a bit more lift. If that lift still isn’t enough for you, though, there’s a very easy trick that can take things even further.

Blast your eyelash curler with your blow dryer on hot for a few seconds, and then curl your eyelashes. It makes sense if you think about it, as heat helps curl your hair, so why not your lashes?

Have you ever been getting ready for an important event, just to break one of your recently manicured nails? Most people think there’s no solution other than cutting the nail off, but that isn’t true!

Empty out a tea bag — yes, a tea bag — and cut off a couple of small pieces. Place them over the snag, and then use a base coat to “seal” the piece over the snag. Sure, it may look a little lumpy, but it will save your beautiful manicure!

Getting the perfect winged eyeliner, and especially getting them to match, is a next-to-impossible task. Most people spend way too much time removing and redoing at least one wing to try and get them both perfect.

Instead of doing that, place a piece of tape along the outer corner of your eye and angled up towards the outer tip of your eyebrow. It will ensure that the wings are at the same height and that you get clean lights!

You know those little attachments that every hair dryer comes with? Most people slap the concentrator nozzle onto their dryer and completely disregard the other one, but the other one is essential for curly-haired folks!

It’s a diffuser, and using a diffuser can help lank curls become springy and bring volume to lifeless roots. Try hover-diffusing or pixie-diffusing (you can find great tutorials on YouTube) to kcik your curly-hair game up a notch.

Do you have unruly eyebrows? Have you ever been getting ready and recoiled in horror as you realized that you were out of your brow gel to keep those puppies in place? Well, have no fear — because this tip is here to save the day.

Grab a clean spoolie — or even an old, cleaned mascara wand — spray on some hairspray, and go to town on those eyebrows. Hairspray can keep those brows in place just as well as those baby hairs.

When it comes to enhancing your eyelashes, don’t rely solely on your eyelash curler and mascara. There’s a secret tool you can use to make them appear even thicker without applying 50 layers of mascara — translucent powder.

Add a layer of mascara, fluff on a bit of the powder, and then add another layer. It’s so simple, and it can make your natural lashes seem like extensions (if that’s a look you want to go for).

Sure, lip liner is very useful, but figuring out how to put it on the right way can be pretty intimidating. It’s pretty easy though with the X trick.

At your Cupid’s bow — AKA that little dip on the top lip — draw an X, and then drag each bottom part of the X down towards the corners of the mouth. Finish off with the bottom lip and you’ll be good to go.

Have you got dry, flaky skin in some areas, but oily, acne-prone spots in others? Well, instead of applying different face masks all over your face, why not try mixing and matching? It’s called multi-masking, and it can be really useful.

It’s a way to tackle different skin problems at once without wasting product or spending tons of time doing masks, giving you more time to focus on other things while also feeling like you’re having a spa day.

Beauty blenders are a must-have for any makeup lover who uses liquid products. The foam and sphere shape help blend things like liquid foundation and concealer into every nook and cranny of your face.

But if you forgot to bring yours on a trip or you had to throw it away, it turns out you can use a fuzzy sock in its place! All you have to do is take a little bit more time to make sure you blended as thoroughly as possible.

Monolids are eyelids that don’t have folds dividing the eyelids into two parts. If your eyes are this shape, skip out on the typical technique of applying lighter eyeshadow in the inner corners and darker eyeshadow on the outside.

Instead, try putting the darker shadow right above your eyelashes, and then go gradually lighter as you work up towards your eyebrows. It will help your eyes look brighter and give a natural bigger eyed appearance.

The main difference between lipsticks and lip stains is that lip stains are designed to absorb into the skin on your lips, giving them a nice tint, whereas lipstick sits on top of the lips.

If you want the long-lasting side of lip stains but you don’t want such an intense color, try putting your lip stain on at the very beginning of your makeup routine and then wiping it off at the end.

Wearing makeup with oily skin can be very frustrating. It gives you a glossy look that you’re not going for, and it can cause makeup to smudge or run. If you’re out and about with no oil blotting sheets, try this trick.

Go to the bathroom and find one of those paper toilet seat covers. The material they’re made of is basically the same as oil blotting sheets, so it will work if you’re really in need.

It can be hard to keep our lips in tip-top shape during dry seasons like winter. They get flaky and start cracking, which is not only unsightly but painful as well. There’s an easy way to avoid it, though.

You use your toothbrush to “exfoliate” your teeth, so why not give your lips a quick scrub when you brush your teeth? It will keep your lips looking good in addition to having that minty-fresh breath.

Are you dreaming of achieving the long, luscious eyelash look but can’t be bothered to put on fake lashes? It’s actually not too hard to do if you’re willing to spend a little extra quality time with your mascara.

Instead of simply swiping it on, take the tip of the mascara and paint each lash individually. It takes a little bit longer, but it will really elongate and emphasize each lash, giving you the look of fake lashes without the glue.

Sometimes, you just can’t be bothered to go through the effort of putting on a full face of foundation. But the good news is that more often than not, you don’t actually have to.

Get a concealer that’s a great match for your skin tone, and simply spot treat problem spots instead. It’s less effort but will clean up areas you want to clean up, just like foundation does. It’s easier, faster, and cheaper!

If you want to go for a light, fresh makeup look, then you should know that your favorite peach-colored blush is good for more than just brightening your cheeks.

Apply some to your cheeks as usual, but then also add some to your eyelids as well! It will instantly make you look more well-rested and alive. There’s nothing better than discovering that a beauty product can multitask.

When wearing eyeshadow, it’s important to prepare your eyelids so that the eyeshadow lasts throughout the day. Most people reach for the primer, but did you know you can actually reach for your eyeliner?

The eyeliner will make your eyeshadow stand out more as well as giving a long-lasting hold. Use a neutral color if you’re going for a more natural look, or use a dark eyeliner for smokey eyes. Both will end up looking great.

If you do your own eyebrows, then odds are you’ve gotten a little ambitious and over-plucked them at least once or twice in your lifetime. If that’s you, try using this trick to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Fill your eyebrows in with your pencil or powder first. That way you can see the shape of brow you want, and you’ll only pluck the hairs that don’t quite “fit in.” Why didn’t we think of that?

One of the most annoying parts of getting your hair colored, especially if you’ve gone from a dark natural color to blonde, is when your hair starts growing out and your roots stick out like a sore thumb.

If you don’t want to pay a visit to the salon quite yet, then you can use a hair shadow (like eyeshadow but for your hair) to fill in your roots so that the contrast between your roots and dyed bits isn’t as obvious.

Putting mascara on seems nice and easy, until one tiny wrong movement means you’ve smeared black goo all over your eyelids. Most people will immediately try and wipe it off, which just smears it around more.

Instead of doing that, wait for it to dry and put a little bit of micellar water or a similar lightweight makeup remover on the tip of a makeup brush or Q-tip. These are both small enough to maneuver under the lashes to get the smudge without ruining your makeup!

We iron our clothes with a clothing iron. We iron our hair with a flat iron. People in the past used to iron their hair with a clothing iron. So, who says we can’t iron our clothes with a flat iron?

If that confuses you, don’t worry — you’re not alone, but the picture says it all. Flat irons are great for ironing shirt collars because of how thin they are and how easy they are to use.

Many makeup wearers are weary of wearing eyeliner on their bottom lids for fear of bringing back to ultra-thick, intense black eyeliner of the early 2000s. But don’t worry, black eyeliner isn’t what we’re here to suggest.

Instead, try using a peachy-colored eyeliner on that inner rim on the bottom. Why? Because our eyes tend to get red when we’re tired, and the peach will counteract that and make you look more awake, even if you don’t feel it.

This is one of the oldest beauty tricks in the book, and it’s for a good reason. One of the worst things is the process of breaking in new shoes as it can be extremely painful.

There’s a way to speed it up, though, and it’s by putting on some thick socks and then aiming your hair dryer at the shoes. The material will become a bit softer and more comfortable, and your heels will thank you.

There’s a lot of variety in the shape of our lips. Some have fuller lips, while others are more on the thin side. Neither is better than the other, but if you want yours to look more full, try this trick.

Put a dot of highlighter on your Cupid’s bow, which is the dip in your upper lip, and then also a bit in the center of the bottom lip. It will give a fuller appearance without needing injections!