Champagne Living beauty hacks

You bought it, you hate it…NOW WHAT?

We’ve all been there. You see this amazing lipstick on a fellow shopper & stop to ask her what the color is, once bought you put it on and it makes you look like you’re ready for the 3 ring circus, or that shampoo & conditioner that says “moisturizing” that leaves your hair looking like a hay field. What do you do with that bottle, tube or jar of MISTAKE that’s cluttering up under your vanity?

Baby Wipes:

I have Perricone Neuropeptide by my sink – BUT, I also have Pampers Sensitive Wipes? What do they have in common? I’ve been known to go to sleep without taking my make-up off (GAH), so I began buying those facial cleansing towlettes. I switched to the Pampers baby wipes when I realized that they do the same thing for a fraction of the cost (facial wipes average 33¢ each, while baby wipes average 5¢ to 6¢ each). The only difference is that they don’t work on waterproof mascara.

Shampoo & Conditioner:

I am sent a lot of different shampoos and conditioners to review – a LOT. Like EVERY MONTH a lot. I have very short hair & Mr. S has….well, NONE. What happens if the products are not up to my standards (those that you rarely see here on Champagne Living)?

• Conditioner: Goodbye head hair, hello shaving lotion. That’s right, I don’t think I’ve bought shaving cream/lotion in 5 years. My legs are silky smooth (much more moisturizing than traditional shaving cream) and I don’t have to deal with rust rings in my shower.
• Shampoo: Where do I start? The obvious would be cleaning out your makeup brushes, hair brushes & combs, but I’d STILL be left with a bazillion bottles. Instead of on my head you’ll find my shampoo poured into my hand soap containers by the sink, a bottle by the washing machine (EXCELLENT for removing small stains from clothes without having to pour from the BIG detergent jug), it also makes a great lingerie wash (much more delicate than harsh detergents), etc.

Lip Balm:

It seems that every table at every conference seems to give a tube of lip balm, the same with hotels in ski areas and of course those balms that I get to review. THANK GOODNESS, because these sticks are perfect for so many fashion & beauty hacks. Yes they’ll unstick a zipper, but they’re also great for taming those eyebrow hairs, keeping lipstick from bleeding into the cracks, mixing with your eyeshadow to keep it on ALL day & night, and applying around the hairline before you color your hair at home – so you don’t end up with helmet head.

Mascara:

There are so many times that I’ve been in a rush to put on my mascara and left little black dots along my lash line. That made me realize that I don’t need to toss that “midnight blue” mascara because it doesn’t show on my “jet black” lashes. Instead I just grab a thin liner brush and dip it into my mascara tube. A toothpick works well too (just be careful). BTW – black mascara will cover scuff marks on your black shoes (just use a paper towel and rub it into the scuff) for that fashion faux pas emergency.

Lipstick:

Shoot…I bought the wrong shade AGAIN! I used to have a drawer full of the “wrong color” until I realized that the wrong color on my lips might be the RIGHT color on my cheeks. Just make sure to blend, blend, blend.

Photo credit: Foter.com / CC BY-SA