Lockdown beauty hacks you will continue to use

[GinGinHooray]

Lockdown life has cut us of from hairdressers and beauty salons and in some cases our favourite brands - what hacks have you discovered that you'll continue using after lockdown?

Stick on false nails! I had to soak off my gel nails pretty early on and have discovered stick on nails which look amazing and stay on for at least a week - 10 days! I'll never go back to expensive gel nails that grow out.

Gradual tan moisturising lotion has also been a revelation, that keeps your tan topped up. I'm not sure I'll ever get a salon spray tan again.

I'm wearing less makeup and my skin is glowing, I'll be trying to go foundation free when I get back to work.

Although my hair is shocking....and I'm in desperate need of a cut and colour!

@BillBaileysBum my bathroom is close to my bed. I have all the cotton wool pads lying at the sink ready for when I stumble through and just wipe everything off my eyes. I probably peek ever so slightly out of one eye then wash everything off quickly. Totally worth the sting!

Painting my own nails.

Semi permanent colour on my hair, over bleached highlights, which i didn't realise I could do. My hair grows so quickly that highlights show clear roots in a month -

this blends so well that I'm thinking I'll now alternate a salon cut and colour with a cut only and save hours in the salon. It also means I can tweak the colour darker a bit I if I want to - total revelation after being ash and dark blonde for years!

@BillBaileysBum best to get someone to help! It’s hard to get all the lashes stuck yourself. Or do one eye at a time. Keep the cleanser and a bowl of water on a table next to the sofa so you can just blindly reach for it if you need to!

Not quite in the same vein, but I hated the way my chin disappears into my neck in Zoom meetings, so I contour under my chin and my jawline

Refs to ok for eyebrows and lashes, trim own hair and do DH (got proper scissors £20 off from Amazon inc thinning), waxing legs and underarms using any ready made strips (leave strips in sun or on radiators to melt slightly). Use a pumice stone and flexitol cream for pedicure. Really want to try a lash lift/perm-any recommendations?

I am interested to now more about the Hollywood Browzer too - what is the regrowth like? I don't understand what the difference is between this and shaving. I don't want Desperate Dan stubble but I do need to do something.

Know*

I'm pretty happy doing my roots myself, and quite liking my hair longer, though I am trimming the ends. I might keep doing the roots as i need it doing so often, and go in every so often for highlights and a good cut.

Also doing brows and lashes, and using st tropez gradual tan. I've just got the tinted one which I'm liking - no more missed bits!

Nails.. been using fancy polish but chips within days. I might look into this gel stuff mentioned here!

Nail wraps! I love all the different designs and they last about a week. No more dried out flaky nails after gel polish at the salon and so cheap

I’ve done my own eyelashes and eyebrows for a while now and I apply to the eyelashes with a mascara wand (short bristles are best) and just have my eyes open.

Eyebrows take less time than eyebrows so I put eyelash dye on, then eyebrow dye, wait for a few mins, take off eyebrows then take off eyelashes. I use baby wipes to take off.

I've been doing my brows and eyelashes at home. I use an old mascara wand, which makes application easier. I've also been doing my roots at home. I emailed my hairdresser to get my shade number and the brand name so I didn't mess the colour up.

@NowIKnowWhataTVDinnerFeelsLike I hope you don't mind me asking but I'd like to try a bralett but I'm not small......what cup size are you ? X

@cicatrix1 there's a skin food light as well if you want a slightly less heavier one for day x

I started using castor oil on my —90’s— brows 4 weeks ago. The difference is unbelievable. I’ll not be getting them waxed for months now.
Have also tinted my brows myself but my best friend is a beautician so probs won’t keep that up

@fuuuuuuck I'm a 30D so pretty small but need a bit of support! Went for an M&S bralette which was listed as new on their website a couple of weeks ago but doesn't seem to be on there now! It was a basic plunge one about £12 each. Maybe they sold out?

@277xo thank you for the recommendation ordered the hard gel last night! Excited to give it a try just need to order some gel colour and a base/top coat! Do you have any recommendations?

@Sunshineonacloudyday20 I just use the Bluesky ones! If you google the code/name photos will usually come up, sometimes the swatches aren’t representative. Some eBay sellers are helpful and put photos though too! My favourite colours are kiss me red (super bright red), coral woo, nude knickers, qxg323, black cherry, CS27. The no wipe top coat can change the colour slightly so I use the regular one and buy the cleanser wipes for after :)

@277xo I am having a look at all the nice colours on my lunch break! Some of those names are hilarious 'nude knickers'.! 'Coral woo' sounds like a cocktail :p

So have I got this right.... primer, then base coat followed by hard gel, then gel colour then top coat?

Sorry for the million questions, newbie here! I do have a light I bought while ago but I gave up when the varnish kept wrinkling.. I have since read its because the layer would have been too thick so I want to give it another whirl!

I’ve broken a 20 year acrylic nail habit and I won’t be going back. My natural nails have grown and are healthier and I’ve been painting them myself. I do find that a faff, though, and I’m shit at it. So I’ll be swapping acrylics for shellac or just a manicure now, I think. Will save me some £££.

Also successfully cut in a full fringe and really pleased with it. Was so easy! No more annoying trips to the hairdressers in between proper haircuts.

@jumpingjenn3h yes some of the names are a bit silly! I lightly file my nails first on the top to take off the sheen, then primer (no need to cure), thin layer of base coat, 2x thin layers of hard gel, however many colour coats you need, then top coat then wipe! You’ll need to cure between each layer and avoid getting any polish on your skin or cuticle or using too much polish and it flooding your cuticle area as this will lift and won’t last. I use a cocktail stick to go round my cuticles to remove any wet polish before curing that might have got on them. Another tip is to do the thinnest coats you can, some colour coats need 3 or 4 layers to get the proper colour! There are lots of good videos on YouTube too

@277xo Thank you for the tips!! Excited to try :D

I used just 4 men beard dye in my eyebrows. Came out ok. But I'm going to order some proper stuff off amazon

Thanks Fuuuuuuck.

Amazing tips here. I have started doing my own SNS nails and I’m getting pretty decent. Might try the hard gel though also doing my own lash and brow tint.