Hello hello :)! It's time for some beauty #tingz!  I'm really excited to write this one because I think it can be beneficial to all of us. My interest in beauty really kicked off a little over a year ago, so I'm always experimenting with my makeup and skincare products. Through research and my own experiences, I've come up with some beauty hacks and tips which have helped me with my routines. I divided everything in terms of makeup and skincare tips, so there's something for everybody. Ok, let's get started! 

Makeup Hacks & Tips



There are different ways to perfect your makeup routine. Here are some of the hacks and tips I do which work well for me.

1) Moisturize your face right before you're about to start your face makeup

Usually, we tend to moisturize our face before we start our eyebrows. However, this can make our eyebrow product come off easily. So, I find it better to moisturize my face after I finish my eyebrows and eyeshadow, and right before I apply my foundation.

2) Set your face with powder after you prime

This was a game changer for me! If you have oily skin, it's good to set your face with a matte powder about 5 minutes after you prime. It'll help reduce the shine and give you a more airbrushed look, which will last all day. If you have normal skin and want a matte look, this is also something to try. If your skin is dry, I would skip this step, unless you have a hydrating product to add on top of your primer. 
3) Apply foundation on the center of your face and then blend outwards

In order to minimize looking cakey, always put foundation on the center of your face first and then blend it outwards. It'll make your makeup look much more natural, as opposed to if you were to put it around your jaw or hairline. 

4) Apply foundation, concealer, and then setting powder to cover a pimple

We all have those days where there's that one pimple who just doesn't want to go away. To cover this up, you can dab a bit of foundation on it, and then add some concealer. To help both of those products stay in place, you can add setting powder in the end.

5) Apply lip balm on your upper cheeks before your highlighter

Zendaya talked about this trick and I just had to try it. It actually makes your highlighter stand out more so if you're the extra type, definitely try this one. Just make sure that your lip balm doesn't have any ingredients which could make you break out.


Skincare Hacks & Tips



1) Apply hyaluronic acid to your face when it is damp

I recommend hyaluronic acid to anyone. It replenishes your skin by hydrating it, and keeping it soft and supple. It's best to apply it to your face when it's damp, that way your face can retain as must moisture as possible. The Ordinary has a pretty good hyaluronic acid serum, check it out here: https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-hyaluronic-acid-2pct-b5-30ml.

2) Do your skincare routine as soon as you step out of the shower

I used to focus on my body first when I stepped out the shower, but I've recently been letting my body airdry and working on my face first. This really helps because when your face is still damp, it can absorb skincare products easily and give you that soft and smooth glow.

3) Layer masks

I recently read this tip in an article and I also see beauty youtuber Jackie Aina do this often so I decided to try it out. We all have different types of skin and believe it or not, sometimes different areas of our face need different treatments. So, it's important to layer masks.

For example, if you have an oily t-zone, you should use masks that have clay, charcoal, or salicylic acid in them. This will help absorb the oil and get rid of any debris that's inside your skin. To brighten your under eyes, consider using retinol eye masks. For your cheeks, try using a mask with vitamin c in it. Yes, you'll look a bit crazy with 3 different masks on your face but hey, the glow after is worth it.

4) Use your ring finger to blend eye creams and moisturizers

It's important to be gentle when working with your skin. The ring finger is our weakest finger so using it to apply eye creams and moisturizers can be very beneficial, as it has the least pressure.

5) Use frozen green tea bags to get rid of puffy eyes and dark circles

This is an ancient hack but it still works so well. Sometimes, you have a crazy and tiring week and you just don't want to use all those products. If you want to use something more natural, try freezing some used green tea bags and then putting them on your eyes. Green tea has amazing antioxidants  and lots of caffeine, which can help brighten the dark circles, and reduce the puffiness around your eyes.

So there you have it, some of my favorite beauty hacks & tips! Feel free to message me if you have any questions or to let me know if you try any of these hacks.

Thank you for reading!

Love,
Penda