Hack Your Beauty and Fashion Routine in 7 Easy Steps

“I woke up like this,” sings Beyonce, but let’s face it, looking put together takes a little more effort for most women, and truth be told, even Beyonce needs to work at it.

To get gorgeous with the most ease, here are 7 hacks that you can put into action now:

Use a credit card ( or any plastic card, really) to get the perfect cat eye. That immaculate line that draws the eye up around the corner of your outer eye can be impossible to get right – until you try this credit card hack. Just place a credit card at an angle against the outer edge of your eyes, and run your eye liner along it for a perfect cat-eye look.
Make your own lip-plump with peppermint oil. Yes, you can spend $30 on lip-plumpers but just adding a little peppermint or cinnamon essential oil to your lips will do the trick just as well. These essential oils contain plant compounds that stimulate blood flow, so your lips will look more lush naturally.
Add moisturiser to foundation you’ve purchased that is too dark, or just wait to use it in the summer-time. The moisturiser can be added in smaller or larger amounts to lighten up your foundation. This way you don’t have to throw it out, and you’ll match your skin tone better when you are darker with a summer tan.
Multipurpose products are a busy woman’s best friend. Think BB/ CC creams (moisturisers, sunscreen and coverage in one). 5 in 1 moisturisers, like Cinch “Cheater” moisturiser, that moisturises, illuminates your skin, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, minimises pores and primes your skin ready for perfect makeup application! Yes!
When in doubt, focus on great shoes. If you are strapped for extra shopping cash or the time to figure out what to wear when you are getting ready in the morning, look to your accessories. A great pair of shoes, stylish belt or scarf, or a nice handbag can make even the most mundane, tired outfit, look like a million dollars. Similarly, spend extra cash on accessories so that you can apply this hack repeatedly to your dressing routine.
Use your stapler or double sided tape. This is more for fashion emergencies, but if you’ve ripped a hem in a skirt or pair of pants with your stilettos, and can’t get to a tailor to fix them, staple them along the seams vertically to keep them in place until you can fix them properly. I had to do this with a broken zipper on my work pants at work one day. So embarrassing!
Keep a roll of scotch tape on hand. Those slick black pants or your favourite Navy cashmere sweater will inevitably get covered in lint (or in my case, fur), making you look like you just rolled out of a pile of laundry, instead of the fashion-icon you truly are. Keep a roll scotch tape handy in your purse or car, and just tear off a strip to get rid of lint. Just gently press it along your clothing, lift up, and press down again, and little pieces of fluff or clothing fibres will simply lift away.