Quick fixes to common beauty mishaps

No one is immune to beauty mishaps every now and then, no matter how hard we may try. In fact, some may by unavoidable while others are plain embarrassing. Worry not as most of these can be fixed with a little knowledge and understanding of how things work. Don’t let them get the best of you or ruin your day. Here are a few common beauty mishaps that may happen to most people at one time or the other and how to fix them.

Smelly, sweaty armpits. On hot days, it’s common to feel sweaty and smelly, especially if you’ve been out and about. Or it could be that you were in a rush while getting ready and forgot to put on a deodorant. In such cases, hand sanitizer may come in very handy.

Squeeze a small amount of hand sanitizer on your hands and simply pat some under your arms. Once dry, the alcohol in the sanitizer usually helps dissolve any odour. Nonetheless, don’t make this little beauty trick a habit. Use it only for emergencies. If it’s common for you to get sweaty during the day, carry a deodorant in your purse to freshen up.

Too much perfume. We all love to smell good and this has probably happened to the best of us. A spritz here and there and before you know it, you can’t stand being in your own clothes because of the overpowering scent. In some cases it could trigger an allergic reaction like sneezing or even leave you with a headache, not to mention the bother it could be for those who have to spend time around you.

This is another case that can be remedied by hand sanitizer as most fragrances are made with alcohol bases. Rubbing alcohol on the areas of your clothes or skin where you applied the perfume helps to lift the scent. In addition, you can also wipe the areas of your body that you perfumed with a wet wash cloth or wet wipes.

Runny mascara. Having black streaks around your eyes or running down your face can be quite unsightly and embarrassing. This usually happens with black and other coloured mascaras, if you’re in a humid place, happen to cry, get your face wet in the rain or rub your eyes causing smudges. It also happens with some mascara that claims to be waterproof. Blot the runny mascara away before it dries up on your face.

Place some tissue under your lower lashes if you happen to be in an emotional situation and your tears are continuously flowing to absorb the mascara. Wipe away any streaks on your cheeks with a damp cloth or using a little petroleum jelly on some tissue or cotton wool. Avoid applying mascara on your lower lashes to prevent this problem in future as it is what usually causes it to run.

Wardrobe malfunctions. Some wardrobe malfunctions can hardly be avoided. Here are a few quick fixes to common problems we’ve all probably encountered with clothing. A black or brown marker or felt pen can fix scuffed shoes (if they are black or brown). Keep some thread and needle in your handbag for mishaps such as popped buttons or a fallen hem that could be potentially dangerous as it could make you trip. Safety pins also come in handy for popped buttons and fallen hems, so invest in these and keep them in your handbag as well.

Having lint all over your suit is not a good look. This can be fixed by wrapping the handle of a hair brush with masking tape and rolling it along the areas that have lint. Re-apply the tape once or twice to remove any excesses. When wearing pants that are too tight or that won’t fit properly after lunch, unbutton and loop a rubber band through the buttonhole of the pants and attach both sides of the rubber band to the button to help you breathe.

No one likes to have visible sweat stains on their clothes. Thus, powdering your armpits when wearing sleeved clothes can help you avoid embarrassing sweat stains. The trick with most beauty mishaps is to be prepared with a few of the mentioned materials and act as swiftly as you can. Remember, these can happen to anyone at any time so don’t take them too seriously. Learn to laugh about them.

Published on May 2013