These 5 Tips Will Give You the Best Lashes of Your Life

1. Hair Bedazzlers

The ultimate way to bling out your look, hair bedazzlers let you snap tiny, sparkly rhinestones into your locks for a very princess-meets-pop-star vibe. Whether you were channeling your inner Britney or just wanted some extra glitz for a girls’ sleepover, this wacky gadget made every strand shimmer.

2. Bump-Its

Now this is a classic. Remember those commercials? Nothing screamed "2000s hair" quite like Bump-Its. They were plastic inserts that promised to give your hair (especially your bangs) that effortless poof without endless teasing. We look back at them now and cringe.

3. Crackle Nail Polish

We wish this one still existed, TBH. Crackle nail polish was the edgy, rebellious older sister of your regular ol’ nail polish. It created a cool, shattered effect as it dried. Our favorite thing to do was to pick out a silver crackle nail polish to layer over neon pinks or oranges. It’s giving Avril Lavigne energy!

4. Lip Tattoos

Lip gloss, who?! Lip tattoos let you rock everything from pink zebra stripes to a glittery cheetah print on your lips. Why this existed, we don’t know, but they were definitely a fun novelty at the time.

5. Makeup “Phones”

Claire’s took so much of our money in the 2000s for these little makeup-packed phones. Beauty met tech (kind of…) with these makeup compacts disguised as flip phones – because what’s more 2000s than touching up your lip gloss while pretending to take a call?

6. Bouncy Blush

Not quite a cream, but not quite a powder, bouncy blush was a weirdly satisfying cheek color with a wacky, squishy texture. It made applying blush feel like playing with putty, which made our teenage hearts sing. Half the fun was just poking it in the pan between uses.

7. Hair Crimpers

Somehow, hair crimpers snuck their way into 2000s beauty trends, all the way from the ‘80s. They were the go-to styling tool! With just a few squeezes of those zig-zag plates, your hair totally transformed – but if we tried one now, it’d totally make us look like Weird Barbie.

8. Lip Smackers

Every 2000s kid had at least five Lip Smackers floating around in their backpack! We were loyal to the classic Dr Pepper, but the brand dropped many more wacky flavors like Coca Cola, Skittles, and Fanta. They truly weren’t just lip balms – they were status symbols at every sleepover and middle school lunch table. Bonus points if you had the jumbo ones.

9. Hair Chalk

For those who wanted to be rebels (but didn’t want to totally upset their strict parents), hair chalk was the #1 way to bring bold, colorful streaks to your locks without major consequences. While it did give a cool effect, it really didn’t stay on your strands for very long.

10. Sun-In

You were so cool if you brought a bottle of Sun-In to the pool party. This lemon-infused lightening spray was the ultimate DIY highlight hack, but looking back now, all it did was damage our strands. We’ll never forget that smell, either!

1. Not Using Primer

A good primer helps create a smooth base for makeup application, minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and allowing your products to glide on effortlessly.

So, if you skip this critical makeup step, your products may just settle into any fine lines (think on your forehead, near your mouth, or at the edges of your eyes).

There are plenty of primers available on the market that offer various effects, such as a matte finish or a dewy glow. We recommend opting for a formula that's specifically designed for mature skin to fill in and blur fine lines.

2. The Finger Application Method

Beauty blenders and other modern makeup tools obviously weren't around decades ago. Even so, the classic finger application method may be aging your skin.

While using your fingers can be a quick and convenient way to put on products like foundation or blush, it can transfer bacteria to your face. Moreover, tugging and pulling at your skin with your fingers on a daily basis might contribute to skin sagging over time.

The best way to blend your makeup is with a damp sponge. By keeping your sponge moist, you'll get a smoother application and prevent the tool from soaking up too much product.

3. Overdoing Your Brows

It's true that eyebrows can thin as women age, and defining your brows may help brighten your face and make your eyes seem bigger.

At the same token, though, you should avoid overdoing it. In 2016, heavily outlined and filled-in eyebrows were extremely "in." Contrary to this trend, mature faces benefit the most from a more natural look.

You can definitely still use an eyebrow pencil to fill in any sparse areas. Just avoid making your brows look too bold or heavy. Lighter, feathered strokes are the way to go, as you can always build up the pigment gradually.

Then, once you're satisfied with the shape, lock your brows in place with a clear brow gel.

4. Going Heavy With Eyeliner

If you want your eyes to appear more open and awake, light eyeliner should be your go-to.

Heavy, black eyeliner, especially on your lower lash line, may cause your lids to look tired or droopy. So, to maintain a fresher appearance, say goodbye to eyeliner under your eyes. Then, for your upper lash line, swap out your black liner for a softer shade of brown.

You can even use a smudge brush to blend it out as opposed to going heavy-handed with a thick line from the start. This will leave you with a more subtle and lifted effect.

5. Using The Wrong Under-Eye Concealer Shade

If you regularly wear makeup, then concealer is probably a staple in your routine. However, many women make the mistake of using a concealer shade that's too light and think it'll erase any under-eye darkness.

Unfortunately, the opposite tends to happen. Instead of brightening up your under-eye region, the area will look chalky, and your fine lines and dark circles may become exaggerated.

As a rule of thumb, you should select a concealer that's only one shade lighter than your skin tone to achieve a natural brightening effect. Warming up the product on the back of your hand can help you blend it more smoothly as well.

6. Applying Plenty Of Powder

After you apply your liquid products, it may seem logical to lock your makeup in with a setting powder. However, a little goes a long way, and using too much can quickly make you look older by giving your skin a drier appearance and accentuating any fine lines.

Our advice? Skip compact powders and use loose powder instead. Also, use a big powder brush to apply it rather than flat fabric puffs to avoid caking the product onto your skin.

7. Being Heavy-Handed With Blush

It's natural for our faces to slim out as we age. In response, many women rush to apply more blush in hopes that their cheeks will appear fuller and more youthful.

Yet, when applied too heavily after the rest of your makeup is finished, blush can have the opposite effect. The bright pigment may draw even more attention to mature cheeks and cause you to appear older.

The key is to apply a cream blush earlier in your routine, specifically before you put on any foundation. This will make your skin look rosy and glowy without the flush becoming too overwhelming.

8. Using Dark Contour Shades

Finally, there's nothing worse than trying to contour your face and realizing you've been left with a ton of dark, unblended streaks. Improper application techniques are sometimes the culprit. But, more often than not, the issue is that you're using a contour shade that's simply too dark for your skin tone.

Instead of sculpting your face, the darker hue can appear harsh and sunken, making you look more mature. So, if you want to contour, make sure you select a product that's only two shades darker than your true skin tone, with a formula that's lightweight.

1. Cookie Presses

Williams Sonoma Cookie Press Set

The cookie press was once a must-have for home bakers hoping to create perfectly-shaped cookies. All you had to do was fill the canister with dough and pull the trigger to squeeze out cookies in fun shapes and designs, oftentimes themed for holidays like Easter and Christmas!

But while this tool has some nostalgic charm, it's typically seen as more of a novelty than a necessity nowadays. Modern bakers have gone back to rolling out dough by hand and using cool cookie cutters or other tools like rollers that offer more versatility.

2. Butter Molds

Antique Carved Wooden Butter Mold

Butter molds, typically made out of wood, featured ornate designs like flowers or wildlife and were prized for their ability to shape butter into beautiful patterns. Then, the decorative butter was often used to impress guests at dinners or other formal occasions!

Outside of antique stores, though, this kitchen tool is rarely seen today. The convenience of pre-packaged butter and the move toward minimalist kitchens among homeowners have made these fancy molds almost obsolete.

3. Breadboxes

IKEA Magasin Bread Bin

You probably remember your grandparents' decorative breadbox sitting on their kitchen counter – it was designed to keep loaves fresh by protecting them from air and light while still allowing for enough ventilation.

The invention came during an era when bread was usually homemade or purchased fresh on a regular basis. But today, the availability of pre-sliced bread and the widespread use of plastic packaging have caused the breadbox to fall by the wayside.

4. Egg Poacher Pans

Eggssentials Poached Egg Maker

Next up is the egg poacher pan, which had small cups to hold eggs as they gently cooked in simmering water. The tool was supposed to simplify breakfast prep without the need for precise technique or timing.

Yet, as home cooks became more skilled in the kitchen, they realized the same result could be achieved using just a large pan of water and a dash of vinegar. This has rendered the egg poacher pan pretty obsolete.

5. Cake Breakers

Vintage Cake Breaker

First invented during the 1930s, cake breakers were designed to help people slice through delicate cakes without squishing them. The tool almost looked like a very long-toothed comb and would be used like a knife.

But, much like with the egg poacher pan, the evolution of baking techniques and the rise of better gadgets have caused the cake breaker to be replaced by things like sharper knives.

6. Cherry Pitters

OXO Good Grips Cherry & Olive Pitter

People who frequently enjoyed fresh cherries once viewed the cherry pitter as a must-have. Instead of battling with a knife, the contraption used hand-crank technology to pull the pits out.

Nonetheless, cherry fans can now find pitted cherries readily available in supermarkets, so de-pitting them at home is no longer a typical chore.

7. Hand Mixers

SMEG Hand Mixer

You probably have memories of cranking a hand mixer to whip, beat, or mix ingredients. Thankfully for your forearms, more efficient appliances have been released that rendered the hand mixer unnecessary.

Obviously, there are electric hand mixers and even more heavy-duty stand mixers on the market, like the famed KitchenAid. Plus, some people use regular blenders or immersion blenders to achieve the same result!

8. Toast Racks

Apollo Chrome Toast Rack

Last (but certainly not least) is the toast rack! This quaint kitchen item helped hold slices of toast upright, allowing the bread to cool without becoming soggy.

It was particularly well-used in more formal settings or when multiple people were being served at once. Nowadays, it's just less convenient, as home cooks can lay their toast out on larger cooling racks to save time and space in their kitchens.