A part of growing up is testing out the worst beauty tricks known to man and running with them. It’s a rite of passage every teenage girl goes through – or at least they did in the 90’s. The noughties have been full of carefully contoured teens with foundation matching their neck colour perfectly. Personally, I think it’s an outrage. Surely they should be sporting glitter eyeshadow, orange foundation and non-existent brows like we all did? Anyway, over my 28 years, I’ve been given my fair share of terrible beauty advice and thought it would be fun to compile a little post about the worst of the worst and share them with you all, including the reasons why I wouldn’t recommend them now I’m a little older and wiser!
So here we go with the 7 worst beauty tips I’ve ever been given and why you should avoid them!
1. Use hairspray to set your makeup
This was like a miracle to me when I first heard about it. Hairspray? On my face? And it’ll seal my makeup all. day. long?! This is an oily girl’s dream come true, surely?! Wrong! Sure, your trusty can of Elnett will seal your makeup in place for a good while, but did you know that most hairsprays have a type of plastic in the ingredients which make them a nightmare for skin? Along with other ingredients, hairspray frequently contains alcohol which is a huge irritant for skin. So although it might set your makeup for a good few hours, it can actually damage your skin in the long-run. Instead, try purpose-made makeup setting sprays that both work and are kind to your skin. I love Ben Nye’s Final Seal for this, it’s my go to product and smells fresh and minty too!
2. Use the back of your hand to match your foundation to
No! For one, your hand is a completely different colour and texture to your face so this is a bad tip. And for two, you should be matching your foundation to your neck and chest area for the most natural look. You can always afford to go a slight shade lighter on your face, but never one darker. I’ve been shamefully guilty of this one when I was in high school looking for my first Dream Matte Mousse foundation, and looking back, there’s no wonder I had the face of an Oompa Loompa and the body of Casper. Just don’t do it.
3. Try toothpaste to dry out spots fast
This used to be one of my favourites during my teenage years and I can’t tell you how many pillowcases I bleached by accident using this technique. While it’s true that toothpaste will eventually dry out your spot, it’s not kind to skin and can actually cause more irritation to your skin. Salicylic acid is brilliant for treating spots and can be picked up at a pharmacy. In the meantime, a honey and aspirin face mask works wonders – read my recipe here.
4. Use peanut butter for a smoother shave
This one just floors me every time. Not only will peanut butter clog your razor up, cause a sticky mess and block up your pipes, it’ll also waste peanut butter! Now, I have an allergy to nuts anyway but even without that in mind, this sounds completely crazy to me and it’s not something I’d ever wish to try. What I do suggest though, is using hair conditioner to shave your legs with as it’ll help to nourish and moisturise as you go.
5. Try self tanning with gravy
Hold on a sec while I make up a batch of Bisto before my date…what the heck is this all about?! Not only will you resemble a walking gravy bone should you come across any dogs, but what if it rains? This is just a bad idea on so many levels. For one, you’re putting consumable food onto your skin and expecting to leave it there for hours, and for two, it’s going to look god awful. Stick to the products that have been made and manufactured with tanning in mind and you’ll be much safer. If you don’t have much time to tan, I really recommend the St Tropez In Shower tan. I read a load of mixed reviews about this, but four tubes down the line, I’m still sticking to my initial thoughts that it’s bloody good.
6. Make your own lipstick with Crayola crayons
This whipped the internet into a batshit crazy frenzy and YouTube was full of videos on how to make your own Crayola lipstick (many of which have been taken down since Crayola released a statement telling everybody that they wouldn’t recommend this). The thing is, crayons, pencils…anything else that isn’t specifically a makeup product doesn’t go through the rigorous testing methods that cosmetics are put through, and cannot be deemed as safe for use on the skin, or god forbid, in or around the mouth. Pretty sure we all knew a Shane in little school who liked to eat crayons on wet playtime, but still, Crayola don’t recommend it and neither do I.
7. Use a pan scourer to scrub off fake tan mistakes
You’ve got to be kidding me, right? You know the type I mean, the wiry silver pan scrubbers that feel like needles of death on your skin if you accidentally catch yourself while you’re scrubbing away. This is quite possibly one of the worst pieces of advice I’ve been given. Not only will it rip your skin to shreds, but you’ll then be prone to infection through the cuts it’ll cause and have very sore, unsightly skin. Instead, try a gentle sugar scrub – I love mixing lemon and sugar together and gently exfoliating. You should never over-exfoliate or be too hard on your skin – be gentle and your skin will thank you.
So there you have it, the 7 worst beauty tips I’ve ever been given and why you should avoid them. At all costs.
© This post is copyright of Rachael Divers 2016.
