Yves Saint Laurent once said, “The most beautiful make-up of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.” But what if your passion is make-up and skincare? And, what if you like to whip it all up yourself? There’s a whole other charm about DIY home remedies, especially the strange ones. And so goes the tale of how I decided to see for myself – some old tricks I swear by, and a few new ones I was curious to try. Here are the ones that made it to the list!
Baby talc as dry shampoo
One for the old wives, right? I remember my aunt dousing our 10-year old heads in baby powder after a bath and wondered why we couldn’t just perfume our hair. It was only when dry shampoos came about that I realized what it was actually meant for – to soak up the grease. And now that we have dry shampoo, I vote for skipping the old lady with grey roots look–unless you’ve run out of said dry shampoo and managed to hide the shoulder snow well enough.
Mayo as hair conditioner
Okay gross, but works. Totally works. Only if you use just the right amount, just at the ends. Also, good luck trying to get the stink out of your hair. You could try adding a few drops of vanilla or any other essence you like, but hey, no promises – the mayo overpowers everything. Plus, keep your fingers crossed for how it mixes with the smell of your shampoo when you wash it off. But, super soft and shiny hair – especially for our frizzy and curly-haired friends. And, if it’s good enough for Blake Lively…
Vaseline as mascara
Great last-minute hack for when you don’t have mascara or a mirror on hand. Just don’t pile on too much lest you see cloudy for the rest of the day and remember that the magic will poof! a few hours later, Cinderella.
Lemon for yellow nails
This one’s literally magic. Or well, science. Take half a lemon, scrub it well on yellow nails, and here are the magic words: “wait for it”. What I expected was an instant miracle and was disappointingly let down for half an hour before – lo and behold! – my nails were restored to the perfect natural condition. Lemons are chock full of alpha-hydroxy acid – basically, a miracle worker to lighten and brighten nail fibres while breaking down leftover gunk, but it just needs time to soak it all up. Bonus tip: it works to remove food grease from painted nails too as long as you’ve got a topcoat on.
Sugar water for flyaways
Okay, it’s sort of icky when you have to spray sugar water on those flyaways and baby hair, but hey, pick your battles. This hack works subject to certain conditions – said conditions being that you’re untouched by strong winds or blasting air conditioning for the most part. Also, it doesn’t stay stuck for too long. So tbh, I’d skip the hustle and just tap down flyaways with lip balm instead.
Strawberry + baking soda for whiter teeth
The recipe: a paste of one strawberry mixed with half a teaspoon baking soda, brushed on your teeth. The result: could possibly be the owner’s bias, but I swear I thought I saw a difference after I tried it about three days in a row. Plus, it’s a yummy way to start your day.
Cold-pressed oil for highlighter
Full disclosure: I was really excited about this one, and I really wanted it to work. I mean, facial oil and a highlighter twofer–what more could a girl ask for? And, in my humble opinion, plus construing from some flattering, sunny selfies, the hack seemed to work! I slathered on some more on my cheekbones (which girl doesn’t love that wet skin look), until someone, blatantly asked me why I had oil on my cheeks. Moral of the story: use it sparingly.
Brushing your lips
I read somewhere that this is a good exfoliating activity that you can do in minimum time, that, and the fact that it’s a little extra morning self-lovin’, I now love giving my pout a little scrub every other day. Try it!
