Rush, rush, rush. Three words most people can relate to. But running around like a maniac can wreak disaster upon your makeup routine. Rona Berg, former beauty ed for The New York Times Magazine and author of the new “Fast Beauty: 1,000 Quick Fixes” (Workman, $12.95) weighs in with five of her finest hurry-hurry tips. (Speed read if you must.)
1. Up in the hair: To make gray go away, touch up roots with mascara and brush lightly through. Flaking out? Apply Listerine to a cotton ball, dab on scalp, leave on for a short bit, then use a dandruff shampoo. For frizzies, moisturize your hands, pat palms over your head, pull hair back and pin it up for a few minutes.
2. Look at me: We all want eyes that pop, but mascara has a tendency to cause raccoon tracks. “To avoid, wipe the wand on the tube’s sides before applying, then roll it out on your lashes top only from base to the ends,” she advises. Let one coat dry for at least 30 seconds before going for a second shot. Brush through with a toothbrush for final pregunking.
Berg has another trick for eyeliner: “Add a few drops of Visine to powder eye shadow, and stroke with a tiny brush.”
3. Money where the mouth is: Dry lips can be cured with honey and sugar, says Berg. Plus it’s tasty to lick em. Want plump lips and can’t afford all the rage-y products? Moisten a dab of cinnamon and run it over your smoochers before lipstick. Lip gloss at a loss?
Premix it with a lipstick or pencil on the back of your hand, then smooth it on.
4. Oil glands in overdrive? Certain products hold up better in the heat, says Berg. To stamp out shine, look for oil-free foundation, blotting paper, or mattifying lotion. Powder blushes work better than creams, as do powder shadows.
Makeup too clowny and have no time to deal? Dip a Q-tip into moisturizer, apply to edges, blend and bolt.
5. Pinch hitters: With all the chaos, who has time for makeup shopping? Berg tells you how to make do with what you got:
n If you have no … foundation: Mix a bit of face powder in with moisturizer.
n No … face cream: Try Cool Whip, Berg writes. Sorbitol, a fatty acid that functions as a humectant in many moisturizers, is a big ingredient in this frothy dessert topping. You can even use it to condition your hair, too.
n No … makeup remover: Crisco works just fine.
n No … lipstick: Combine some blush with lip balm. Lipstick can also return the favor as rouge.
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