I’m always wanting to learn and I don’t feel qualified to actually share tips, but here were a few things I wish I had known earlier:

  • when my mascara was drying out, I went too long before learning I could spray a little sterile saline on the brush (shaking off any excess drips of saline), and put the brush back into the bottle and work the brush a bit - then it would apply to the lashes perfectly without clumps (I’ve enjoyed mascaras like Mineral Fusion and Better Than Sex).
  • lash curlers are a life changer, I have long lashes but they’re heavy and droop down, and I thought it was a mistake with how I was applying the mascara (and the mascara weighed them down even more!!); maybe this is just obvious, but I went too long without using one and they really lift my eyes, even just the curler without the mascara is a big help
  • foundation can really age you, so it’s important to prioritize skin care and “natural beauty”. It really sucks when my skin is breaking out and I have to cover up with foundation because it ruins the natural, soft look of my skin; I wash my face every night with a cleanser (occasionally using a more exfoliating salicylic acid cleanser on my nose) and use a night cream with ceramides. Hydrating throughout the day is also important to healthy skin. (As is diet, tbh.)
  • I had no idea that cosmetic sunscreens existed, I wish I had known there were sunscreens that didn’t feel like covering my face in grease, I’ve gone without sunscreen for decades because I had no idea. Discovering Japanese and South Korean sunscreens that function as a makeup primer, and aren’t greasy and absorb into the skin, completely blew my mind and made it so much easier for me to put sunscreen on every day. I have really enjoyed CANMAKE’s Mermaid Skin Gel and SKIN1004’s Madagascar Centella sunscreens in particular.

What beauty and makeup tips did you wish you knew earlier?

  • DigitalDruid@lemmy.sdf.org
    51·
    20 hours ago

    the lash curler terrifies me, i have a slight tremor and i’m convinced i’m going to jerk a centimeter and rip all my precious eyelashes out! Is there a trick to doing it so you’re sure it’s safe?

    • dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
      3·
      8 hours ago

      I use a close-up mirror to line up the curler and my lashes perfectly, and I lean against a corner to steady my arm and body. This gives me a lot of control over everything, which makes me feel more comfortable about shoving something into my eye, lol.

      I have a medical condition where I sometimes have involuntary spasms (long story), but the jerks are more common when I’m lying down on my back, so it’s usually not an issue when I’m using the lash curler.

      So far I haven’t had any issue, but it sounds like you’ll just have to experiment and see what is safe and reasonable for you.

      • DigitalDruid@lemmy.sdf.org
        21·
        5 hours ago

        oh that’s sounds like how i have to do my eyeliner, i hadn’t considered that thank you!

        How much can you clamp them down like as hard as you want or do you have to be gentle when you squeeze em?

        Thanks so much for the assistance!

        • dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
          2·
          4 hours ago

          Yes, I use the same mirror for my eyeliner 😆 Eyeliner admittedly requires more coordination.

          I start slowly when clamping so I can verify I have all the lashes in there correctly, and then once I know it’s how I want it, then I gradually increase the pressure and just hold - I definitely don’t press as hard as I can or anything, just enough for the eyelashes to curl up. I find curling close to the root of the lashes can actually pull on the lashes and hurt, so I sometimes try to curl a little away from the roots to avoid that, or I just don’t press as hard.

          And no problem - happy to help ❤️