Beauty Fix: How to prep for an after-work date without leaving your desk and more answers to your beauty questions
Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is tackling questions about flyaway hair, peeling fingernails and the problems caused by a too-bright concealer. Plus: the only two products you need to prep for an after-work date while you’re still in the office. Read up for all the answers and more! In need of a beauty fix yourself? Email us at [email protected].
My nails keep peeling. Is there a way to prevent this and is nail polish hurting the problem or helping?
As a person who has often experienced nail peeling, I asked my nail guardian angel Leeanne Colley, owner of Tips Nail Bar, to shed some light on this: “Some nails naturally peel, and the best way to combat this is to keep them shorter; the longer your nails, the more peeling you will have. Nail polish will not cause your nails to peel more. Be sure to use a strengthening base coat before applying enamels or opt for brands that have vitamin-enriched formulas.” A polish formula to try to combat peeling and nourish nails: Revlon Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel ($7, at drugstores).
My hands are dry and scaly with this temperature drop. How do address this? Moisturizer isn’t cutting it.
It can be downright painful to feel cold wind hit your skin when the thermostat takes a dip, am I right? Once it starts, you feel the air just suck the moisture out of any exposed skin, which is clearly leaving your hands susceptible to becoming dry and scaly. A great treat for skin is Elizabeth Grant Prestige Salt Hand Peel ($34, elizabethgrant.com), which contains allantoin (an ingredient that binds moisture to skin), shea butter and coconut oil, that can penetrate skin as the salt in the product exfoliates dead skin away.
I feel like I have virtually no time to polish up my look between the office and after-work events. What are some products that can help me transition quickly?
The after-work scene really is one that leaves you pressed for time, since it can seem like you blink and instantly need to be at a post-work event or social event. What is essential in these time-starved moments is to build upon the makeup you’re already wearing. An eyeshadow palette like Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in “Night Golds” ($60, at Dior counters) contains three day-friendly shimmery brown colours (which is plenty for lid, crease, and highlight options). The best part of this palette is the deep brown shadow with gold flecks (centre) and a coppery-bronze shimmer-flecked shadow (top right), which you can add to your day look when the evening rolls around. Simply tap the deep brown shadow along the lashline and crease, and add the coppery-bronze shade lightly to the centre of the lid.
Topping up your mascara can be a quick and simple way to spruce up, too. A mascara that can be worn in two very different ways is M.A.C Haute & Naughty Too Black mascara ($24, maccosmetics.com). Simply pull the wand through the small opening for daytime-appropriate lash definition or through the large opening for nighttime dramatic volume. The formula layers well, even if the second application is hours after the initial swipe.
How do I brighten my under-eye area without a reverse raccoon effect?
We’ve all seen it. You may have even experienced it yourself. You’re flipping through Facebook pictures and the reverse raccoon effect stands before you: lovely girl in a great outfit, but her eye area is significantly brighter than the rest of her face and it looks a little ridiculous. There are a couple things at play here: the camera flash may be causing her under-eye concealer to flashback and the concealer may not be quite the right match. A great way to conceal and brighten the under-eye area without falling victim to the notorious reverse raccoon effect is to reach for a multi-tasking concealer like Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer ($8, at drugstores). It has self-adjusting technology to match to your skintone once applied and doubles as an illuminator for your under-eye area—while still providing coverage in the correct colour.
My hair tends too look like I’ve been electrocuted with a million flyaways. How can I tame these pesky pieces?
As a person who has more than a few wiry hairs (especially after chemical straightening, blowouts, colour treatment and general environmental damage), I hear you loud and clear on the “just fried from electrocution” sentiment. I always find these hairs to be the worst immediately following heat styling—they stand out the most because the majority of your hair looks so sleek and smooth, save for a few hairs that spoil the whole look. I’m not huge on adding products to hair post-blowout, but this one is well worth it: John Frieda Full Repair Touch-up Fly Away Tamer ($16, well.ca). It’s an extremely lightweight colourless gel that contains Omega-3-rich Inca Inchi oil to help repair hair. The product is stroked on with an oversized mascara brush-type wand to tame any stray hairs that are misbehaving, also making it perfect for touch-ups throughout the day.
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My hands are dry and scaly with this temperature drop. How do address this? Moisturizer isn’t cutting it.
It can be downright painful to feel cold wind hit your skin when the thermostat takes a dip, am I right? Once it starts, you feel the air just suck the moisture out of any exposed skin, which is clearly leaving your hands susceptible to becoming dry and scaly. A great treat for skin is Elizabeth Grant Prestige Salt Hand Peel ($34, elizabethgrant.com), which contains allantoin (an ingredient that binds moisture to skin), shea butter and coconut oil, that can penetrate skin as the salt in the product exfoliates dead skin away.
I feel like I have virtually no time to polish up my look between the office and after-work events. What are some products that can help me transition quickly?
The after-work scene really is one that leaves you pressed for time, since it can seem like you blink and instantly need to be at a post-work event or social event. What is essential in these time-starved moments is to build upon the makeup you’re already wearing. An eyeshadow palette like Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in “Night Golds” ($60, at Dior counters) contains three day-friendly shimmery brown colours (which is plenty for lid, crease, and highlight options). The best part of this palette is the deep brown shadow with gold flecks (centre) and a coppery-bronze shimmer-flecked shadow (top right), which you can add to your day look when the evening rolls around. Simply tap the deep brown shadow along the lashline and crease, and add the coppery-bronze shade lightly to the centre of the lid.
Topping up your mascara can be a quick and simple way to spruce up, too. A mascara that can be worn in two very different ways is M.A.C Haute & Naughty Too Black mascara ($24, maccosmetics.com). Simply pull the wand through the small opening for daytime-appropriate lash definition or through the large opening for nighttime dramatic volume. The formula layers well, even if the second application is hours after the initial swipe.
How do I brighten my under-eye area without a reverse raccoon effect?
We’ve all seen it. You may have even experienced it yourself. You’re flipping through Facebook pictures and the reverse raccoon effect stands before you: lovely girl in a great outfit, but her eye area is significantly brighter than the rest of her face and it looks a little ridiculous. There are a couple things at play here: the camera flash may be causing her under-eye concealer to flashback and the concealer may not be quite the right match. A great way to conceal and brighten the under-eye area without falling victim to the notorious reverse raccoon effect is to reach for a multi-tasking concealer like Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer ($8, at drugstores). It has self-adjusting technology to match to your skintone once applied and doubles as an illuminator for your under-eye area—while still providing coverage in the correct colour.
My hair tends too look like I’ve been electrocuted with a million flyaways. How can I tame these pesky pieces?
As a person who has more than a few wiry hairs (especially after chemical straightening, blowouts, colour treatment and general environmental damage), I hear you loud and clear on the “just fried from electrocution” sentiment. I always find these hairs to be the worst immediately following heat styling—they stand out the most because the majority of your hair looks so sleek and smooth, save for a few hairs that spoil the whole look. I’m not huge on adding products to hair post-blowout, but this one is well worth it: John Frieda Full Repair Touch-up Fly Away Tamer ($16, well.ca). It's an extremely lightweight colourless gel that contains Omega-3-rich Inca Inchi oil to help repair hair. The product is stroked on with an oversized mascara brush-type wand to tame any stray hairs that are misbehaving, also making it perfect for touch-ups throughout the day.
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