Did You Know?
To erase pen marks from clothing, spritz some hairspray before laundering.
As a makeup fanatic who loves to hoard makeup, you do tend to accumulate a lot of those lipsticks and never-used blushes in your cupboard. Sometimes, you just wish there was one multitasking product, which would do everything.
While we are nowhere close to inventing a single cosmetic product that does it all, we can try multitasking cosmetics that can do more than one thing. Not only do these products save loads of space in the bulging cosmetic bag and bathroom counter, but also help you save quite a few bucks.
The Best Double-duty Beauty Products
Double-duty beauty products refer to those cosmetic products that perform more than one function. This eliminates the need to invest in multiple products. Most of these products would probably be there in every makeup lover's kit.
Highlighter and Bronzer Duo
There are a number of cosmetic manufacturers who have come up with a combination of highlighter and bronzing duo. Half of the product is a bronzer and rest of it is a highlighter. This product is perfect for getting those perfectly contoured cheeks. For bronzer application, start at the top of your forehead. Use a bronzer brush to dust the bronzer along your cheeks, and then sweep it across your jawline all the way to your chin. Use the highlighter along the cheekbones and bridge of your nose.
Some great highlighter and bronzer duos include:
- Benefit 10 Powder for Highlighting & Bronzing
- LORAC TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo
- Hard Candy Glow Away Duo Bronzer
Neutral Eyeshadow as Brow Definer
You can give the most striking look to your eyes with neutral eyeshadows. What you can also do with matte eyeshadows in neutral colors is to define and fill in your brows with it. Instead of buying a special brow-enhancing makeup product, you can easily use a dark eyeshadow instead.
Dab a matte brown or tan eyeshadow with an angled brow brush. Gently dab the eyeshadow on the sparse areas of the brows. Ideally, the arch of the brows and the tail should be the darkest, while the inner corners should be sparse and light. Never ever use a dark black eyeshadow or eye pencil for your brows.
Some great neutral eyeshadows that can be used for brows include:
- MAC Quite Natural Paint Pot
- Mac Cork Eyeshadow
- Mac Wedge Eyeshadow
Cream Blushes for Lips
Cream blushes provide a beautiful flush of color to the cheeks. What these blushes can also do is double up as a lip color. Blot the cream blush on your lips using your fingers or a lip brush for a stained lip look. If it is very dry, then apply some lip gloss on top. There are some manufacturers that produce cream products meant for both lips and cheeks.
Some great cream blush and lip products include:
- Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks
- Benefit Benetint
- Too Faced Full Bloom Lip & Cheek Crème Color
Lip Balms for Cuticles
Lip balms are a savior for dull, flaky lips. It adds moisture to the lips and keeps them supple and soft. While safeguarding your lips, they also work very well to moisturize cracked cuticles and prevent hangnails. The ingredients in lip balms, like beeswax, add moisture to the cuticles. So, instead of getting a special cuticle cream, you can easily use a great lip balm to do the job. Moreover, due to the presence of concentrated moisturizers, lip balms can be used to heal dry skin on elbows, feet, and knees as well.
Some amazing lip balms include:
- Kiehl's - Lip Balm #1
- Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
- Aquaphor Lip Repair + Protect
Translucent Powder for Toning Down Makeup
Translucent powder is great for reducing shine and impeding production of excess oil. The ingredients in the sheer colorless powder diffuse light and provide a soft glow to the face. It is also good for setting your makeup or even toning it down a bit. Here are some great uses of translucent powder.
▣ Have you gone overboard and applied too much eyeshadow? Instead of wiping it all away, pat some translucent powder on top to mellow the color.
▣ For people with oily lids, translucent powder helps in controlling the shine and keeps the eyeshadow in place.
▣ Make your lashes look thicker by applying the powder before the mascara.
▣ Give your lips a matte look by dusting translucent powder on top after applying lipstick.
▣ It can be used for blurring the edges of smokey eyes.
Here are some great translucent powders in the market.
- Shiseido Translucent Loose Powder
- MAC Select Sheer/Loose
- Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara
What if you suddenly decide that you need to lengthen your eyelashes and add volume to it? A number of cosmetic manufacturers have two-in-one mascaras featuring the best of both. Having two separate brushes, these mascaras give you thin, lengthened lashes with the lash-lengthening mascara formula and thicker and noticeably darker lashes with the volumizing brush and formula. By the way, mascaras are not just for the lashes. You can use them to tame unruly brows as well.
Some great 2-in-1 mascaras include:
- L'Oréal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara
- Rimmel London 2-In-1 Mascara Extreme Black
- MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara
Foundations as Tinted Moisturizer
While foundations are perfect for the flawless face, not everyone is comfortable with a thick cover-up on a daily basis. So, what do you do with the expensive bottle of foundation that you bought? Should you just sideline it and get a tinted moisturizer for everyday use? Instead of getting multiple products, mix a pea-sized amount of the heavy-duty foundation with your moisturizer. Smooth it all over the face and blend it well. Not only will it cover facial imperfections, but it will also keep your face hydrated for a longer time. Moreover, some of the foundations contain sun protection as well.
Some of the best foundations that you can use include:
- Le Metier de Beaute Classic Flawless Finish Foundation SPF 8
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Make-Up
- Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Foundation
Multiple Uses of Pigments
Eyeshadow pigments are amazing products. These highly concentrated, loose eyeshadow powders can be used for adding a subtle wash of color on the lids or used for a more dramatic effect. Other than using it as an eyeshadow, pigments can be used for a number of things. This beauty product is truly versatile. Here are some varied uses of loose eyeshadows:
▣ Mix the pigment with clear nail polish to create your own polish. Apply a clear top coat after applying this nail polish.
▣ Mix the pigment with clear mascara to make your very own colored mascara.
▣ Use a red or pink pigment, and mix it with clear lipgloss to make your own one.
▣ You can use pigments as body shimmer.
▣ Mix a small amount of pigment with your foundation to get glowing skin.
▣ Use the pigment as a blush. Dab the pigment with a blush brush, and sweep it across your cheeks.
▣ Use the pigment as a liner. Dampen the liner brush, and dip it into the pigment. Line your upper lids with it.
Some good pigments in the market include:
- Mac Pigments
- Ben Nye Pigments
- NYX Loose Pearl Eyeshadow
Cream Eyeshadow as Eyeliner and Eyeshadow Base
Thick and creamy, cream eyeshadows are extremely popular, and many big beauty brands have some or the other type of cream eyeshadows. Other than using them as eyeshadows, you can also use the cream eyeshadow to line your upper lash line. Since most of these eyeshadows are long-lasting, they tend to work well as eyeshadow primers and base.
Some excellent cream eyeshadows that you can use are:
- Stila Smudge Pot
- Make Up For Ever Aqua Black Waterproof Cream Eye Shadow
- Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24hr Cream/Gel Eyeshadow
Clear Nail Polish as Top Coat and Base Coat
Instead of buying different top coat and base coat polishes, use a clear nail polish for the job. You can also add multicolored confetti to clear nail polish for a gorgeous and inexpensive glitter top coat.
That's not all. Clear nail polish can be applied on top of costume jewelry to extend its life, or at the bottom of the show cream tub to avoid the rust rings on the bottom. When applied to the center of the buttons, it prevents the threads from coming out. Clear nail polish can also be used for sealing envelopes, and keeping belt buckles bright and shiny.
Some good clear nail polishes include:
- Orly In A Snap
- Deborah Lippmann Addicted To Speed Top Coat
- OPI Top Coat
Other Great Multitasking Beauty Products
▣ If you do not want to hide behind a layer of thick foundation, then use BB and CC creams instead. These creams have the benefits of a moisturizer, sunscreen, wrinkle creams, pimple creams, all rolled in one.
▣ You thought conditioners can tame only the frizzy hair? Well, you can also use it as a shaving gel to get a clean and smooth shave.
▣ Petroleum jelly is an amazingly versatile product. Apply it at night on the lashes to get thick, voluminous lashes. It also acts as a quick fix eyeshadow! Just apply it on the lids for that gorgeous shine.
▣ If you do not want to apply lipstick all day long, then use a tinted lip balm instead. These balms hydrate the lips and provide that slight hint of beautiful color.
▣ Coconut oil is a product that everyone from your mom to the red carpet celebrities seem to love. Moisturize your hair, body, and face, or use it to take off stubborn makeup.
▣ While you can use a face mist to hydrate your skin that has dried out from central heating, you can also use it to set your makeup and revitalize your hairstyle.
These efficient and amazing double-duty beauty products are a lifesaver for a busy woman who needs to travel light and save those extra bucks while looking and feeling good of course. So, stock up on these great products that act as the ultimate multitaskers.
