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Makeup is beautiful, and invites endless experimentation, though not always in the way you might expect. There is something to be said for traditional tips and techniques, but as a makeup enthusiast myself, I know that sometimes you invent your own way of doing things that might seem odd or unusual.
I spoke to college students about their tried-and-true makeup methods that are a little unexpected. Powder on your lips? Lip product on your cheeks? Read on for the strange makeup hacks that will totally take your routine to the next level.
- Applying eyelash glue to eyebrows
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“If I don’t have eyebrow gel and I want to keep my eyebrow hairs intact, I will put eyelash glue on my eyebrows and brush them to my desired look,” says Pauline Tran, UC Riverside. Once the glue is applied to her eyebrows, she immediately uses a spoolie to brush them out. Seems easy, but take care —Tran warns that you should be careful when applying and removing, because you could accidentally pull out some hair.
- Mixing skincare oil with powder products
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“As someone who’s very into the ‘no makeup-makeup’ look, I definitely prefer liquid and cream products over powder products. But sometimes you just find the perfect blushes and highlighters in powder formulas,” says Mustafa Siddiqui, Cal Poly SLO. As a solution, Siddiqui takes some of the product powder onto her makeup brush, drops facial oil onto the back of her hand, and then mixes the powder from the brush into the oil. From there, she applies the product from her brush (although she adds that finger application is also totally fine).
Oftentimes this process will intensify the pigmentation of the product, so be mindful!
Related: The Best Lightweight Lipsticks, According to Someone Who’s Tried Them All
- Dabbing powder on your lips
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“If I want a matte lip, or if I want my lipstick to last through any event, I like using powder,” reveals Kathy Nguyen, West Coast. After applying her desired lip product, Nguyen places a tissue paper against her lips. Then she uses a fluffy brush or her finger to gather some translucent setting powder, lightly patting the powder over the tissue. If you use this tip, she guarantees that your lipstick will remain bright throughout the day.
- Holding a lighter to your eyelash curler
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“The lighter trick is a must-try for people with shorter or straighter eyelashes, because if you just try and curl your lashes the normal way, it’s definitely not going to stay,” explains Michelle Wang, Cal Poly Pomona. When she wants her eyelashes to stay curled for days, Wang takes a lighter and heats the top portion of the metal for about five seconds. She lets it cool off so it isn’t too warm for the thin skin of the eyelid, and then curls her lashes in segments, starting from the root all the way to the top. Then she applies eyelash primer and her favorite mascara!
- Using lip products on your cheeks
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“When I ran out of traditional cheek tint, I started using E.l.f.’s sheer lip tints that I had on hand. It gives a really natural and soft effect which is better for dewy-glowy looks,” says Gurshi Kaur, Parsons. She is a huge advocate for using lip products on other areas of the face, be it for blush or even strobing.
For blush purposes, Kaur likes to swipe a few times on her skin, and then use her fingers to blend wherever she wants the natural-looking flush. The same style of application can be used for highlight or even bronzer as well.
- Limiting concealer on your under eyes
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“When concealing my under eyes, I don’t do a full triangle application anymore,” says Emily Luong, UC Los Angeles. Instead of using so much of the product, she swipes a little concealer at the inner corner of her eye and a little more underneath the outer corners towards her temples. From there, Luong blends it well. She feels that it helps “brighten and lift any face.”
The innovation of the beauty community never ceases to amaze me. Try out a few of these pointers, and you might just be pleased with the results.