Beauty Fix: How to hide tan lines while wearing a strapless dress, mascara with the best curl and prevent your bike helmet from causing a breakout

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I often use waterproof mascara after curling my lashes because I like the way it holds the curl. I hate, however, how stiff it feels and how difficult it can be to remove. Any suggestions for a better formula? Waterproof mascara is a double-edged sword, isn’t it? Nothing holds a curl better than a waterproof formula but nothing can be a bigger pain to thoroughly remove. Even worse, removal struggles can sometimes lead to unintentional lash loss—which is typically not the look many of us are going for. A different (and washable!) formula to try is Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara ($24, sephora.com). It holds a curl all day long while conditioning lashes with meadowfoam seed oil and shea butter—meaning no more brittle or crunchy lashes.

I just realized that the bathing suit I’ve been wearing all summer does not coordinate with the bridesmaid dress I’m wearing next weekend. Help! How can I hide the terrible tan lines? It’s hard not to cringe when you see out-of-place tan lines with an otherwise elegant ensemble. There’s a time and a place for those temporary markings that commemorate past love affairs with the sun, and your friend’s wedding is not one of them! Your best bet is to take a nod from the masterminds backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2013, where Make Up For Ever’s Face and Body Liquid Makeup ($44, sephora.com) was used to even out any tan lines that detracted from the bikinis. Honestly, its waterproof-yet-water-based, lightweight gel foundation will not budge, keeping your dress safe from damage. Tip: when applying to the body, apply a thin layer, let it dry for a few minutes, blot excess product off and then get dressed.

I’m looking for something different from my usual pencil eyeliner for a bit more impact. Any suggestions? I do appreciate a good sense of adventure when it comes to trying different products and playing with makeup, as it’s fun and can usually lead to some truly awesome discoveries that can be even better than what you were initially using. Have you ever considered a cake liner? A product like Chanel’s La Ligne de Chanel Professional Eyeliner Duo in “Noir Lamé” ($47, at Chanel counters) is extremely versatile: it’s comprised of a matte black shade and shimmery black shade, both of which can be applied wet as very precise liner or dry for a softer, smokier look. The best part about cake liner is how the depth of colour can be varied depending on how dampened the product is, meaning you can control how impactful the final look is.

I commute to work on my bike every day as an easy way of squeezing some exercise in, but I’ve noticed that I’ve started to break out on my forehead thanks to my snug helmet. Any tips for making this embarrassing breakout disappear? Biking to work is a fantastic way to get some cardio done before the workday has even begun, so good for you—and huge kudos for donning a helmet! But despite the breakouts, there’s no need to bail on your safety gear. After each ride, clean your forehead with a cleansing wipe, such as Sephora Express Cleansing Wipes ($11, sephora.com), which will remove any sweat and dirt from the skin that causes breakouts to begin. Use one side of the wipe on your skin and the other side of the wipe on the inside of the helmet pad surface that touches your skin. After all, there’s no need to put something sweaty back on your head.

I’ve been suffering from puffy eyes and dark under-eye circles due to this seemingly never ending allergy season. What can I do to make this less noticeable? As a person who is essentially allergic to the great outdoors and everything that falls under the category of “nature,” I feel your pain! Your best bet is a two-pronged approach to treat inner and outer symptoms. First, pop an antihistamine in order to alleviate allergy symptoms such as nasal/sinus congestion, itchy eyes and a runny nose, because frankly, that’s just good sense. Secondly, to depuff eyes, reach for a hydrating treatment. Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector ($49, at department stores) has the most genius cool-to-the-touch applicator that encourages the area to release fluids that have collected and caused puffiness in the first place. Finally, in order to really downplay under-eye darkness, consider turning to a cosmetic corrector, such as Bobbi Brown Corrector ($30, sephora.com). Its peachy-pink tones will cancel out the blue-purple tones of under-eye circles and it can be tapped on the darkest parts of the under-eye area and into the inner corner.