Working Mom Diary

I grew up on the MacGyver series. Each episode, he’d use the most unusual tools to escape from a sticky situation. “Paper clip, bubble wrap, telephone coil—everything I need to make a smokescreen!”

Most of us won’t be allowed to won’t need to make booby traps from office supplies. Now pull a “beauty MacGyver.”

Fix bad hair days and other beauty emergencies with unusual tools. Hand cream? Pigtails? The foundation that doesn’t match your skintone? Magazine editors, makeup artists, and beauty bloggers share their favorite personal beauty improvs.

Prevent racoon eyes

“Set eyeliner with eyeshadow powder. This is a must for those with oily under-eye areas. A hint would be when you go home with smears or ‘runs.’” – Jane Kingsu, beauty blogger, mystylekit.com

Double-duty products

“Brown mascara can also work as eyebrow tint, and a peach or pink lipstick as a blush.” – Melanie Cuevas, editor, Look magazine

“A warm brown eyeshadow can also be used as a brow powder, when applied with an angled brow brush. It also comes in handy as an eyeliner, when applied with a dampened eyeliner brush.” – Ianne Evangelista, journalist

Erase liquid liner smudges

“Erase wobbly lines and smudges with Shu Uemura UV underbase. It’s really a primer/sunblock, but it can dissolve eyeliner without ruining the foundation. Just dab on the line with a cotton swab. I use it to clean up the lip area too.” – Claire Diokno, Shu Uemura makeup artist

Get the most from your foundation

“To make your own tinted moisturizer, squirt some foundation on your daily moisturizer. The result is a natural, evened-out complexion. For powder foundation, when you’ve hit the bottom of the pan, scrape out the corners and sides with a teaspoon and toss into a small bowl. Keep the bowl on your vanity or bathroom counter as loose powder and apply with a big fluffy brush to finish your look every morning.” – Ianne Evangelista, journalist

Bronze it, baby

“For a quick fix, I’d pick up a bronzer more than blush. It’s more practical! Use it for contouring or use on your cheeks for that sunkissed glow.” – Bianca Santiago-Reinoso, fashion editor, Chalk magazine

Prevent cakey eyeshadow

“I find that my eyeshadow sometimes gets cakey in the creases after a long day. Surprisingly, applying a thin coat of toner on the eyelid (especially in the crease) while priming your face helped alleviate this problem. Just use an eyeshadow brush and apply a thin coat. – Michelle Katigbak-Alejandro, editor-in-chief, Metro Weddings

Conceal without concealer

“Putting a lot of concealer under the eye can show lines instead of hiding it. Use pressed powder instead. If you have very dark circles, use a lighter shade of foundation on the area and then apply your normal shade on top.” – Benjie Angeles, makeup artist, Mary Kay

Control frizz

“Use regular hand cream as a hair product sub for an on-the-spot primp. I just squeeze out a pea-sized bit onto my palm, rub hands together, pat hands down over my hair, and run my fingers through ‘chunks’ of strands. Hair looks more tame, polished, possibly even styled–and I at least feel like I did something to make myself look more presentable!” – Tata Mapa, former associate and managing editor, Seventeen magazine / former editor-in-chief, Martha Stewart Weddings

Revive limp ends

“Use your straightening hair iron to curl the tips of your hair and give it a little bounce.” – Andrea Mago, former fashion assistant and staff writer, Metro magazine; blogger,www.ofhomeandhappiness.blogspot.com

Look, ma, no blowdyer!

“Before doing my make up or choosing what I’m going to wear, I apply mousse and tie my bangs and the hair near the crown (kind of like what they do to furry lap dog). When I’m done getting ready, I brush out my hair. It has extra volume because I ‘set it’ somewhat.” – Katrina Holigores, Ystyle Columnist Philippine Star and blogger (The Soul Train); contributing editor, Town and Country

Shower and scrunch

I use a touch of mousse on my roots when my hair is towel dried out of the shower. I scrunch the mousse into my roots and it helps give my hair more bounce when fully dried. – Michelle Katigbak-Alejandro, editor-in-chief, Metro Weddings

Style while you sleep

“To get wavy hair, I divide my hair into two pig tails and apply curling mousse from the nape to the tips. Then I twist each pigtail into a bun just below my ears and tie. I sleep overnight with my “Chun Li’ hair and take out the buns when I wake up. Shake up your hair a bit to loosen the waves and the stiffness. Spritz on hair spray to make the curls last longer.” – Jane Kingsu, beauty blogger mystylekit.com

5-minute curls

“I get compliments on my curls, but seriously it takes only 5 minutes to achieve the look. Coat your hair, from mid-shaft to tips, with a few drops of a smoothing oil like Kerastase Elixir Ultime. Twist hair (especially the ends) into a tight bun. Blast with a hairdryer for 3 minutes. Drive to work, release bun before exiting the car and rock your curls. Use a curling lotion instead if you’ve got stick straight hair.” – Claire Seelin Diokno, Shu Uemura makeup artist

Reinvent the “wrong foundation”

And now, for mine — something I picked up from watching all the makeup artists at the beauty shoots of Working Mom magazine. Lots of them combine foundation colors to get the perfect shade. So if you bought the wrong color foundation (too light, too dark) don’t throw it away. Crush powders and mix with your real shade—and a teensy bit of bronzer—for a multi-toned finishing powder. Mix liquids to create your custom shade. Use the same principle for lipstick!

Photo from earlymama.com

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