** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **
There are so many beauty helpfuls out there that make applying products easier or allow you to achieve that professional finish. One of my favorites: cotton swabs. It’s so versatile and useful!
Here is my list of beauty uses for Q-tips or cotton swabs:
- Perfect your manicure. I was not blessed with steady hands, and cotton swabs dipped in nail-polish remover work great for cleaning up the edges.
- Remove stubborn eyeliner. Have liner on your lash line even after removing your eye makeup? A cotton pad is too big to reach in there! Dip a cotton swab in eye-makeup remover and run it across your lash line.
- Get rid of raccoon eyes from eye shadows. Try tapping off excess product from your brush, and if you still get color under the eyes, dip a cotton swab in remover to clean up your makeup.
- Get rid of creased eye shadows. See your eye shadow creasing? Instead of using your finger (it could be dirty, and it could smudge your shadow more), try a cotton swab.
- Smudge your eyeliner. If you don’t have a smudging brush, a Q-tip works, too. But because it’s designed to absorb, smudge lightly or it could erase the line altogether.
- Apply Vaseline or other potted lip products. Just like Mary, I don’t really like swirling my finger in pots. Feels like you’re contaminating the product. But a cotton swab here works great!
- Fix your mascara. Blinked and got mascara on your cheeks? Dab it off with a cotton swab! If the mascara has dried, dip the swab in makeup remover.
- Smooth out liquid eyeliner. Don’t fret if your liquid eyeliner looks uneven. You can also clean that up with a swab and remover.
Cheap Brand vs. Q-tips
Don’t think you have to use Q-tips. I’ve tried a cheapie cotton swab brand, and it’s actually better for some tasks. The head of Q-tips tends to be fluffier, so it’s not as precise for cleaning jobs. Sometimes cheaper products work better!
This list is just a starter; we’ll be expanding it. And if you have any suggestions, please put your two cents in. 🙂
