Beauty babes have been known to flock to Reddit — of all places — to find under-the-radar tips, tricks, and hacks related to hair, makeup, and skincare. It’s a gold mine of info, but it’s not a mainstream destination that most of us know (or even think) to hit up. Sephora, on the other hand, is a go-to source for all things beauty — and they gave other forums a run for their money by launching their own digital community platform in August 2017.
The Sephora Beauty Insider Community page is a Reddit-style platform available on Sephora’s website. Users can follow specific groups, have discussions, share inspo, and get expert-level advice. We scoured through the pages in the Your Best-Kept Beauty Secret thread to find nine game-changing beauty secrets.
1. “Sandwich” your makeup with setting spray. Using setting spray post-makeup application isn’t a new trick, but spritzing it on before is. User MariekeBT calls this method “sandwiching,” meaning that you lock in your makeup with a round of setting spray before and after.
2. Separate your lashes with a fan brush. Sometimes, no matter what, our lashes look clumpy after applying mascara. User Eleonorarosa says a fan brush is the key to separated lashes: “I use MAC 205 Mascara Fan Brush ($20) before and after I apply mascara. It’s the only way to keep my lashes separated, no matter the mascara wand I use.”
3. Use acidic toner instead of traditional deodorant. Turning to an acidic toner like Pixi Glow Tonic ($15) instead of swiping on your go-to deodorant works like a charm, according to FrizzyKab. “The acid creates an unpleasant environment for the bacteria that causes body odor,” the user writes. “I don’t use antiperspirant, so this one is huge for me.”
4. Apply skin-colored eyeliner over red spots before concealer.Greeneyedgirl107 swears by dotting on a pencil liner, like Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner ($4), in a nude hue before using concealer. It blurs uneven colors and saves time. “I find having a blank canvas is easier than to color correct,” she says.
5. Turn to tea bags to fix broken nails. Breaking a nail is the worst, but who knew that a tea bag could be a temporary fix? User Malday makes it sound like an easy peasy solution: “Just cut a small piece of a tea-less tea bag, attach it to your nail using clear polish, trim/shape and top off with more clear polish!”
6. DIY your mascara setup if you love a formula but hate the brush. It’s annoying to discover a next-level mascara formula, only to find that the included brush is less-than-ideal. FrizzyKab recommends hacking it by using a disposable mascara wand (hint, hint: stock up at Sephora on testers) and ditching the brush it came with. Genius!
7. Vaseline on curled lashes looks like mascara. If you’re going for the no-makeup makeup look or are just giving your lashes a break from mascara, Vaseline ($5) could become your new beauty BFF. User Mochapj dabs a touch of Vaseline onto freshly curled lashes to “make it look like you’re wearing mascara when you’re not.”
8. Translucent powder on the lower lash line locks in liner. User JaneanBT enlists the help of an angled brush to stop eyeliner from running, sharing, “Place a little bit of translucent powder or a powder that matches your skin tone right underneath the eyeliner and blend it out. For me, it seems to keep the eyeliner from smearing, especially during hot days!”
9. Cod liver oil pills work wonders on a super dry pout. When heavy-duty lip balms just won’t cut it, try popping a cod liver oil pill, which is a fantastic source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D. Seriously. FrizzyKab apparently has chronically dry lips and only found relief after including these pills as part of a daily diet. Just hit up your doctor before you start taking them to ensure you won’t have any issues.
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