O kay, I have to confess – I’m a certified beauty junkie. I buy, try and use as many beauty products as humanly possible. Granted, there are often hits and misses, but I’ve learned along the way that sometimes a girl needs a bit of help.
Here are 6 totally weird but incredibly useful beauty tools to try out (and trust me, they work wonders!):
1. Mascara guard
Kai Hello Kitty mascara guard, RM18.19, from Rakuten Global
Problem:
It’s frustrating when you’re applying mascara and accidentally get some on your eyelids.
Solution:
Curl your lashes, and after doing your eye makeup, place the plastic guard on your eyelid and apply mascara as usual. No smudging whatsoever! You can even use the attached lash comb to separate clumpy lashes.
2. False eyelash applicator
Eyelash clip, USD2.59, Ebay
Problem:
You have absolutely NO idea how to apply false lashes, but they just look soooooo nice! (We faced the same problem too, until we discovered this!)
Solution:
After trimming it to fit your eye, place the false lash upright (with lashes pointing upwards) on the stand, and use the clip to pick it up by the ends. Line the lash bone with glue, and apply on your eyelid when the glue is semi-dry.
3. Pore cleansing brush
Tosowoong Spot Pore Brush, USD25, Ebay
Problem:
The blackheads around your nose are getting more and more prominent. They need to go, stat! But the thing is, your skin is sensitive so you can’t really use a scrub.
Solution:
This is the current craze in Japan and Korea. Instead of using harsh scrubs on your face, choose a pore-cleansing brush instead. The bristles are so fine, they reach into every nook and crevice of your pores to cleanse them thoroughly for smoother, blackhead-free skin.
4. Slimming slippers
Magic diet slimming slippers, RM29.90, Zen Zen Dream
Problem:
Your lifestyle is too sedentary for comfort. Working hours are spent sitting in front of the computer, and at night you’re just too tired to even think of exercising. You feel your muscles wilting away as we speak.
Solution:
Put your leg muscles to good use. Even after months of wearing these slippers (which look like kids’ slippers because the soles are so small), I still feel a painful (pain is good!) stretch in my calf and thigh muscles. Apparently these slippers help with cellulite, too.
They even come in cute designs like these!
5. Foam hair rollers
Heart-shaped rollers, USD11.99, from Amazon
Problem:
a) You want to give your straight, long hair a change, but don’t want to invest too much $$$ in an electric curler or a perm.
b) It’s been 6 months since your last perm, and your waves are looking lanky and stringy.
Solution:
Foam rollers to the rescue! Divide your hair into 6 or 8 sections, and roll each section up with a foam curler. To prevent your hair from unraveling, loop an elastic band around the curler. These are so soft, you can even sleep in them. In the morning, remove the curlers and gently shake out your curls.
Foam rollers come in a myriad of shapes and colours. We love these cute strawberry-shaped ones, too!
Strawberry soft sponge rollers, USD10.30, from Amazon
6. Hair donut
RM4.90 each, from Chamelon
Problem:
You want to try the topknot bun, but you don’t have enough hair to create such a gigantic pouf.
Solution:
Take it from us – the hairdos you see in the magazines are done using extra hairpieces. So are the styles you see on celebrities. To pull this off in real life, pump up the volume of your bun with this hair donut. Backcomb your ends to get Karlie Kloss’ messy updo, or slick it back with serum for Kate Bosworth’s polished ballet bun.
You can even take it a step further and use two donuts for a larger-than-life bun (as shown below).
The final word
These tools can usually be found at pasar malams (night markets) or Daiso for a much lower price. You won’t believe how ridiculously expensive these things are at retail stores or international online shops! So be a smart shopper and compare prices first before purchasing (this rule applies for everything under the sun!).
(Additional photos: aliexpress.com, beautyukcosmetics.com, beautyeditor.ca, fashionistafortunecookie.com, ph.makeupandbeauty.com)
