7 Craft-Inspired Beauty Hacks

When it comes to hacking your way to beautiful makeup and hair looks, you aren’t restricted to finding supplies amidst your beauty collection. In fact, some of the very best hacks come courtesy of the craft store. Start sorting through the remnants of past projects and art classes for a few select supplies, then give these seven craft-inspired beauty hacks a try.

Beauty Hack #1: Create a Cat Eye with Tape

If you have to pick just one crafty item to have in your beauty arsenal, it should be tape. Just the very basic adhesive stuff will do the trick. For those that struggle to achieve a precise cat eye, tape may be the answer. Place a piece of tape from the outer corner of your eye, up towards the end of your brow. Then take a liquid eyeliner with a felt tip, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner, and apply it using the tape as a guide. When you’re done, carefully remove the tape to reveal a bold cat eye. Of course, that’s not all tape is good for. Keep it on hand for creating elaborate nail art designs or use it to pick up glittery eye shadow fallout.

Beauty Hack #2: Snip Lash Strips to Size with Scissors

Applying false lashes can be tricky to master, especially when the lashes usually don’t come cut quite right for the size and shape of your eyes. Give your falsies a trim to make the length work for your eyes, then cut the strip into pieces to make them a perfect fit. Putting false lashes on in separate sections is easier and allows you to decide exactly where you want them to go. For a more natural look, try only placing half a strip on your outer lashes.

Beauty Hack #3: Give Yourself a Sharp Contour Using Paper

Somedays (or more likely, nights) you just need a super-sharp contour. The best way to bring on the drama is to start with a seriously defined line. Grab the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette, contour makeup brush, and a piece of paper. An old business card, a sticky note, or any scrap of paper will do the job. Place the side of the paper on your face, going from the top of your ear and down your cheek. Using your contour brush, apply the contour shade onto your cheek, blending into the top of the paper. Once you pull the paper away, you’ll see a distinct line. Blend out just a touch more and ta-da—the angled cheekbones of your dreams.

Beauty Hack #4: Stencil on Bold Brows

Drawing on fuller-looking eyebrows doesn’t have to be painstaking if you use a stencil. Find a stencil that matches the brow shape you’re striving for—or create your own—then use a pencil, like the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Shape & Fill Mechanical Pencil, to fill in the stencil. Yes, creating the appearance of bold, beautiful brows really can be that simple.

Beauty Hack #5: Keep Nails Clean with Glue

Polishing your nails at home shouldn’t be the challenge of a lifetime, but it can feel that way, especially if you aren’t so great at coloring inside the lines. While craft supplies can’t exactly make you better at painting your nails, they can make cleaning up around your cuticles a cinch. With a small brush, apply a thin layer of white, washable glue to the skin around your nails. Let the glue dry, then paint your nails as normal. When you’re finished, simply peel off the glue and any stray polish will go with it.

Beauty Hack #6: Get Glitzy while Hiding Your Roots

Whether you need to hide new growth or just want something fun to do with your hair for a concert or event, glitter roots are the answer. Mix your glitter of choice with a hair gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle LOCK IT Extreme Style Gel, and apply the glitzy concoction onto your roots. Spritz with the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle LOCK IT Bold Control Hairspray to lock your sparkling strands in place so that you’re ready to shine bright.

Beauty Hack #7: Use Paint Brushes for Makeup

Hit up your local arts and crafts store for some paint brushes, as these can be used in place of makeup brushes. Now that you think about it, it probably makes a lot of sense. After all, applying makeup is pretty much painting your face. Apply your cosmetics with clean paint brushes, like these: Try fan brushes for applying highlighter, flat shading brushes for eye shadow, and mop brushes for blush. This beauty hack will have you looking like a work of art in no time.