Fixing All Your Beauty F*ck-Ups
What to do when...
According to makeup artist and best-selling beauty author Rae Morris, the first thing to do is to try and remove it with men's shaving cream. "It's a trick used by special effects makeup artists when a makeup has stained the skin," she says. Let it sit on the skin for a couple of minutes, then wipe. If nothing is budging, the next step is to try and cover it up. Grab a foundation brush, and use a medium coverage foundation. "Fake tan tends to stick around joints like knuckles and knees, so you may need to use body makeup (like MAC face and body) to conceal in these areas."
Take a clean big buffer brush (like Morris' #21 Mineral Foundation brush) and buff your skin. "The natural bristles are porous and will absorb the excess blush/bronzer," says Morris. "If it's a powdered blush or bronzer, another option is to take a mineral buffer with a translucent powder and buff the powder into the blush or bronzer to dilute the effect."
Offset the color with some powder or bronzer, but honestly, your best bet is to run to a CVS, grab some makeup wipes and a new foundation, and reapply. "It's very easy to remove foundation without affecting your eye makeup," says Morris. "If you use a big foundation brush it only takes seconds to re-apply. You can try going over the top with another foundation, but you will just end up with too much product on your face and it really doesn't save you any time anyway."
Once it's dry, the only option is to remove and start again, says Morris. If you try to comb it out, you will break your lashes—especially if it's waterproof. "To remove use something like Crealine and squeeze just the lashes between cotton puffs or makeup removal pads. If you do this carefully you will be able to remove the mascara without affecting your eye makeup."
My favorite trick? Urban Decay Lash Resurrection. The serum loosens the dried mascara, and lets you comb it out without breaking down your lashes. (So good.)
"There are a few tricks to help eliminate the white residue some dry shampoos can leave behind," says Anthony Linzalone, Stylist at Pierre Michel Salon. "Make sure it is distributed evenly throughout—it should sit for a minute before you rub in. If you already put too much, let sit then use *clean* hands to gently blend in by giving your scalp a massage. Brush it, then keep repeating and working it in until it goes away." Not going away? "One more trick is to use an oil or pomade like Iso Bouncy Creme—it won't make the hair greasy or flatten it out, but it will remove the white!"
Grab a Q-tip and non-acetone nail polish remover and get to work. Dip the swab in the remover, then "sand" down the offending area (smudge or bubbles) before reapplying the color. (It'll save you from having to start from scratch.)
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First, ditch your razor, since it's most likely to blame. Second, apply soothing aloe vera lotion or coconut oil to help calm the inflamed area. (Yep, just one more thing to add to the Coconut Oil Can Do Everything list.)
There's nothing worse than screwing up something you've probably been doing for decades at this point. But sh*t happens. When it comes to a nick or cut, it's really all about stopping the blood flow—which means applying pressure to help clot the blood. Other things that can help? Rubbing an ice cube over the area or using Visine—both help constrict blood vessels for a time, speeding up the clotting process. You're welcome.
Samantha Leal is the Deputy Editor at Well+Good, where she spends most of her day thinking of new ideas across platforms, bringing on new writers, overseeing the day-to-day of the website, and working with the awesome team to produce the best stories and packages. Before W+G, she was the Senior Web Editor for Marie Claire and the Deputy Editor for Latina.com, with bylines all over the internet. Graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a minor in African history, she’s written everything from travel guides to political op-eds to wine explainers (currently enrolled in the WSET program) to celebrity profiles. Find her online pretty much everywhere @samanthajoleal.
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