Don’t fret! We have easy solutions to everyday beauty blunders.
OOPS!
You’ve cut your fringe too short
“Trimming your own hair is tougher than it looks,” says Mark Townsend,
a celeb stylist.
Fast fix: “Sweeping your fringe to the side, rather than wearing it straight down on your forehead, will help disguise its length until it grows out a bit, which usually takes about four weeks,” says Townsend. To style in the interim, he recommends coating a damp fringe with a pea-size drop of light-hold gel or sculpting wax, then blasting it to the side with a blow-dryer. Another way to camouflage your handiwork is to pull the hair off your forehead with stylish bobby pins or a headband.
Best beauty advice: Even if you’re not ready for a fully-fledged haircut, go to the salon — many stylists will snip a long fringe free of charge. “And if you can’t make it to a pro, at the very least cut your hair when it’s wet so it lies flat and you stand a chance of getting an even outcome,” says Townsend. Then aim to trim the hair so it falls right below your brow line.
OOPS!
You overdid highlights and you’re bleached Barbie
“A lot of women end up over-blonding, especially when they’re highlighting at home,” says expert colourist Jason Backe. Usually, you’re successful the first two to three times. But by the third or fourth dye job, you’re overlapping the highlights (it’s nearly impossible not to when working on your own head) and losing your natural dark undertones.
Fast fix: Put your hair in a clip and rush to a pharmacy or beauty retailer. What you’re looking for is an all-over, demi-permanent colour (a long-lasting, temporary dye that washes out in four to six weeks) in a hue one shade deeper than your highlights. “A demi-permanent dye tones down bright blonde and gets rid of brassiness,” says Marcy Cona, a professional colourist.
Use blonde shades in the “neutral” range as opposed to those labelled “cool” or “warm” — which can leave over-lightened hair greenish or brassy. To apply, set the directions aside and follow these steps from Backe: shampoo your hair; while it’s still wet, comb the colour through your tresses and wait three minutes. Rinse and blow-dry. If you want to subdue the hue even more, repeat the process. If your hair still isn’t the desired shade, Backe suggests having a professional weave in low-lights to reintroduce the darker undertones you’ve lost.
Best beauty advice:“When I’m colouring a blonde, I typically use three different shades — a light, medium, and a darker tone — to create a realistic result,” says Cona. Because this kind of multi-dimensional highlighting is tough to do yourself, if you’re simply seeking a quick hit of brightness, avert a disaster by side-stepping streaks and choosing a single-process colour one shade lighter than your present hair colour. Afterwards, wash your hair with a colour-protecting shampo to preserve your pigment.
OOPS!
You irritated your skin with exfoliator
The abundance of do-it-yourself chemical-peel and micro-dermabrasion kits have made exfoliating at home easier and more affordable for women. However, “too often people don’t read the instructions,” says Dr Pat Wexler, a cosmetic dermatologist, “and they wind up using something daily that’s meant to be applied just once a week.” The resultn Major redness and irritation.
Fast fix: Drape your face with ice-cold, cotton pads saturated in skim milk for 20–30 minutes. “The protein in the milk neutralises inflammation in the skin,” says Dr Wexler. Then keep your skincare routine very simple for the next five to seven days, says Kate Somerville, a celebrity aesthetician. Stick to the mildest cleanser or healing mask you can find and slather on a light salve. This has intensely regenerative and healing properties to keep the area moist. Give your skin a break and shelve the offending scrub or peel for at least a week.
Best beauty advice: To avoid irritation, opt for gentle exfoliators with skin-buffing beads which dissolves dead skin cells in minutes so they easily rinse away. Dr Wexler’s rule: Unless a product is formulated for daily use, apply no more than once or twice a week. If you experience redness or stinging, stretch it out to twice a month.
OOPS!
You picked a pimple and it even worse
Squeezing a blemish may get rid of what’s inside, but it can also cause an infection. Plus, pressing against the skin with your nails can cut your skin, leaving the area red, scabby and swollen.
Fast fix: “Using a clean cotton swab, dab the pimple with antibacterial ointment to reduce redness and prevent infection,” says Somerville, who adds that if the pore is still partially clogged, skip the ointment, as “it will stop what’s still in there from coming out.” Instead, swipe the area with a hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton swab to kill bacteria, and then hold an ice pack on the spot to reduce swelling. Finish by dabbing an oil-free moisturiser on the blemish to soften any scabbing, then top with foundation.
Best beauty advice: If you’re still determined to squeeze a pimple, do it right: Apply a warm cloth to the area to open the pore, making it easier to squeeze, suggests Somerville. Sterilise a tiny skin lancet — you can buy these at the chemist — by rubbing it with alcohol, and gently pierce the blemish. Then wrap your pointer fingers in tissue (so your nails don’t jab into and cut your skin) and gently squeeze. Stop if nothing comes out, pat with hydrogen peroxide, and leave it alone. If you’re able to empty the pore, treat it with antibacterial ointment. If the blemish is still large and painful, see your dermatologist, who can give you a cortisone injection that should bring down the bump within 24 hours.
OOPS!
You went overboard with the self-tanner
“When people mess up with self-tanner, it’s usually the result of applying the lotion too thick or too frequently,” says aesthetician Anna Stankiewicz, who specialises in spray tanning.
Fast fix:Your first line of defence is to jump into a hot shower immediately and lightly exfoliate with a gentle scrub which will help fade streaks. (Next time you buy tanner, it might be a good idea to pick up the scrub at the same time, just in case.) After your shower, slather on a lotion with either glycolic or lactic acid to accelerate your skin’s natural sloughing process. Your skin should be back to its pre-self-tanner tone within a day or two, depending on the concentration of active ingredients in the formula.
Best beauty advice: Always start with a clean slate: When you apply self-tanner, your skin should be recently exfoliated and free of body lotion and perfume. (Lotion can prevent self-tanner from penetrating, while fragrance can alter the final tint.) Then smooth on tanner in a very light layer and wait 10 minutes before getting dressed, even if the tanner says it’s quick-drying. “Most people get dressed too soon and the fabric, not their skin, ends up absorbing the self-tanning ingredients,” says Stankiewicz.
Finally, wait 24 hours before applying a second coat (and shower at least once during that period to remove excess pigment). By then the colour will have fully developed, and you can better judge whether you really need another hit.
Comments