Emergency Cosmetics
Emergency Cosmetics
Question: I run out of make-up and cosmetic products because I forget to put them on the shopping list. I don’t want to leave the house looking ugly. Sometimes I decide to go out on a date after work and don’t have touch up make-up with me. Do you have any suggestions?
Mimi: You are not fully dressed without your make-up, earrings, and a smile. Here are some emergency measures.
Emergency: You have run out of powder. Put about 1/8 teaspoon of cornstarch in the empty powder container. Scrape the edges of the container with a knife to get all the crumbs. Mix with your powder brush.
Emergency: You have run out of foundation base. Put one drop of baby oil and three drops of water in the bottle. Run your fingertip over a bar of soap. Put your soapy finger over the bottle opening and shake. The little bit of soap will help the water, oil, and make up mix. Stand the bottle up side down so the little bit that you have will pour toward the top.
Emergency: You have run out of cleanser. Use baby oil, Crisco, or Vaseline. Remove with a hot wet washcloth.
Emergency: You have run out of toner. Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar with 1 Tablespoon of water. Or mix 1 teaspoon of gin or vodka with 1 Tablespoon of water. Of course you could just drink the gin and then you wouldn’t care that you were out of toner.
Emergency: You lost your eyebrow pencil. Fill in with a soft lead pencil. The gray matches nearly everyone.
Emergency: You can’t find your lipstick. Dab on a little lip-gloss. Dot on pink eye shadow or blush.
Emergency: Your mascara is all dried up. Put a drop of baby oil on the brush. Return it to the tube. Swirl and pump. This should soften up the old, dead mascara well enough to get one more application. NOTE, this will not be smudge proof.
Emergency: Your cuticles are ragged but you don’t have time for a manicure. Mix salt and cooking oil together to make a paste. With your thumb, pick up some of the salt mixture and scrub each nail and cuticle. With the salt/oil on your thumb, push back the cuticles with your thumb. Wash your hands. Your nails will be shiny and the cuticles smooth.
Emergency: You need to remove badly chipped nail polish but you don’t have acetone polish remover. Apply a coat of nail polish; wait a moment; then wipe off with cotton. The fresh polish will dissolve the old.
Emergency: Nail polish is chipped but you don’t have time to remove old polish and re-do with fresh. Dot polish on just the chips. Allow to almost dry, and then apply a fresh layer of polish all over.
Emergency: Nail polish is thick. Thin with alcohol. Do NOT thin with polish remover. It will weaken the polish and cause it to chip.
Emergency: Your gray roots are showing on dark hair. Touch up with mascara.
Emergency: You are out of body lotion. After your shower, leave your skin damp and rub on baby oil, mineral oil, olive oil or another cooking oil.
Emergency: You are out of toothpaste. Use baking soda. Out of mouthwash—swish with hydrogen peroxide. No time to brush or rinse? Chew on a peppermint leaf. Always keep some growing under a drippy outside faucet.
Emergency: Out of deodorant. Use baking soda underarms and sprinkle some in your shoes.
Emergency: Your hair is greasy and you have no time to shampoo. Rub cornstarch or talc on your scalp. Scrub. Brush it out. Brush outside or in the shower to keep the dust from flying all over.
Emergency: Your hair is flat and lifeless, but you don’t have time to style or you don’t have styling tools. Lean over at the waist and brush your hair toward the top of your head. Spritz with water, cologne or hair spray. Gather your hair up into a ponytail at the very top of your head, clear up at the crown. Spritz again. Leave up for 15 minutes until totally dry, and then take out the ponytail. This will give you lift and volume.
Emergency: You are out of hair conditioner. Rub a tiny bit of baby or olive oil between your palms to warm it up and rub into the very ends of your wet hair. Or mix a little fabric softener in warm water and use it. OR you are out of fabric softener. Mix a little hair conditioner with warm water and use it.
Emergency: You’re totally out of shampoo. Wet your hair and scrub just as if you had shampoo. Often that will rinse away products and dust. Or, when your hair is wet, put only a drop of dish soap on your hands. Rub your hands together to lather, and wash. Don’t use dish soap like shampoo. It is too stripping and drying. When you are out of shampoo, add water to the shampoo bottle. Swish and wash. It’s amazing how many more sudsings you have left in the bottle. Do the same with your conditioner and body wash. This works with bottles of dish and laundry detergent and softener also. You paid for it; you might as well get your money’s worth out of every bottle.
When a tube of product seems empty, slice it open with scissors and scoop out the leftovers.
The ultra quick emergency fix—You are walking down the street with no make-up on when you see your ex-boyfriend walking toward you. Pinch your cheeks to bring color up and bite your lips. This will bring blood to the area so you have a healthy, rosy glow.
When all else fails, just remember your most important accessory and you will look “maavelous.” Always wear a smile.
Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands.
Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.
