If you’re looking to save some money but still look your best, then you may have considered DIYing your beauty regime already. Perhaps you already take care of various aspects of your look and want to know if there’s anything else you can do. Here, we’ll give you some pointers on your beauty regime. You’ll see what you can do, and what you should always leave to the professionals. Read on to learn more:
- Keeping Your Hair Fresh
There are a few things you can do to keep your hair looking new and fresh, and a few things you should probably leave to the professionals.
What To DIY:
You can potentially DIY your color, depending on what exactly the color is. Home box dyes aren’t the best way to color your hair, as the result depends on all kinds of things, from the condition of your hair to your natural color and whether it has already been treated. If you have virgin hair then you may be able to get a nice color with a box dye, although darker colors are best. Trying to dye your hair a lighter color means having to err on the side of caution. There are certain places online that you can spend a little more and buy customized colors now, so you may want to try that if you have a set color in mind.
As well as color, with a decent pair of scissors, you could take care of your own fringe trims and even split end trims. There are many helpful tutorials online that can help you.
What Not To DIY:
In terms of what not to DIY, you probably should avoid any shade of blond. It’s too easy to get blond wrong, and it tends to look better as a multi-tonal color rather than a black color, which is almost impossible to achieve with box dyes. You may find your hair looks yellow when it’s supposed to be white, or even orange. That’s if it even lifts your hair at all, as trying to put blonde color over dark hair can be nigh on impossible. It’s always better to do this gradually with an expert. Brand new hair cuts should also probably be left to a professional, too. Don’t run the risk of a wonky bob or uneven layers!
- Achieving Smooth, Supple Skin
Achieving smooth, supple skin is possible, but if you want to respect your skin barrier and ensure healthy skin in the long term, there are a few things to avoid.
What To DIY:
One thing you should feel free to DIY – facials! You can massage your skin using a light oil such as JoJoba or Almond oil, before washing off with a cleanser that suits your skin type. You may like to steam your face at this stage. If not, you can then gently exfoliate (not using ST Ives scrub, this is very bad for your face), and apply a mask. Once the mask is removed, you can tone, apply serums from light to heavy, then apply your moisturizer. Wait a few minutes in between each step to ensure each product is sinking in properly. You can even finish off with a facial oil if your skin is particularly dry or lackluster.
Don’t forget to keep up a good skincare regime every morning and night. In the day time, apply SPF before leaving the house and reapply later on in the day. SPF is one of the best ways to prevent premature aging!
What Not To DIY:
There’s a trend in YouTube videos lately: regular people with no medical training doing medical treatments on themselves, such as micro-needling. This could be disastrous for your skin, causing long term damage to the skin barrier. These treatments could make your skin look older, cause scarring, and even bring out infection. It’s a much better idea to have them done professionally if you think you need them.
- Taking Care Of Your Teeth
Keeping your teeth clean and healthy is your responsibility, but taking care of more serious issues is not.
What to DIY:
Your oral hygiene should always be taken into your own hands. Invest in a high quality electric or Sonicare toothbrush, and use it morning and night. Tongue scraping is also a great way to keep your tongue healthy and avoid foul-smelling breath – you can just use your toothbrush for the job, but it is not as effective.
Gentle whitening is something you can take care of with techniques like coconut oil pulling, where you simply swill the oil around your mouth for a few minutes. You could also try using one tablespoon of baking soda with three drops of hydrogen peroxide used as a toothpaste.
What Not To DIY:
Chip maintenance is something that should be left to a professional – don’t take to your teeth with a file or anything of the sort as you may crack and damage your teeth. Intensive whitening and serious dental treatments should all be left to professionals. You can get helpful information here on the sort of treatments you should be having from your dentist. Make sure you keep regular appointments to ensure teeth stay in tip-top condition.
- Essential Bodycare
If you want to keep your body soft, supple, and healthy, these pointers will help you.
What To DIY:
Create your own skin-softening routine and do it most days. Exfoliate using a coffee scrub or body brush, and use body masks to make your skin beautifully hydrated. Try using Vaseline on your feet and a fluffy pair of socks before bed to wake up with insanely smooth feet, no need for a pedicure!
Hair removal can be performed at home, too. You can buy home wax strips for a smooth result, but make sure you follow the instructions carefully.
What Not To DIY:
Don’t try any crazy treatments or fad diets at home in an attempt to change the way you look. Treatments like ‘fat freezing’ rarely work long term and cost a fortune. A simple commitment to eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise will do you the world of good.
If you want more permanent hair removal, treatment at a salon is the better option.
- Uber Long Lashes
Who doesn’t want long lashes to rival that of a camel these days? Here’s how you can achieve them yourself.
What To DIY:
You can get longer lashes in a few weeks/months by applying a serum or oil every night before bed. This should strengthen your lashes and make them more noticeable. You can also buy dye to make your lashes stand out more and dye the blonde tips, making them appear longer. However, you should always use dye meant for this, and not hair dye or any other kind of dye.
What Not To DIY:
If you want a lash perm, leave this to the professionals. You can do this yourself with home kits, but it can be awkward, and if you don’t follow instructions to a T, you could damage your lashes or curl them too tightly, making them look non-existent. You may also end up frazzling your lashes if you leave the products on for too long, causing them to fall out in clumps!
- Perfectly Arched Brows
Everybody wants full brows – these days, it’s usually about looking like you have natural hair, rather than a dark and blocky brow.
What To DIY:
It’s possible to tint your brows yourself if you use the correct product and follow the instructions, and perhaps you can tidy your brows with a pair of tweezers. Applying serum in the evenings can help your brows to grow back if you have over-plucked.
What Not To DIY:
You shouldn’t try to get a brand new brow shape yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s all too easy to go overboard and end up taking too much off in an effort to make them both even!
- Luscious Lips
Gorgeous, full lips can be difficult to achieve if you weren’t born with them, but you have options.
What To DIY:
Making your lips look fuller is a fine art. You can use shading and contouring techniques to make them look bigger, as well as a slight overline – however, don’t go too far as this can look clownish. Glossy lips tend to look larger than matte lips. A dot of highlighter above the cupid’s bow can also help. Some people like to mix a drop of peppermint oil in with their gloss to make lips look fuller.
What Not To DIY:
Never, ever, attempt your own lip fillers. Dangerous videos online make people think this is possible when in reality you will end up with uneven, lumpy lips, and the possibility of occluding a vein and causing necrosis.
Semi-permanent lip line tattooing from a pro could potentially give your lips a fuller look on no makeup days – just make sure they have a great portfolio and reputation!
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