As we all hunker down and fear the worst… we can still try to look our best… or maybe just not completely let ourselves go. While I fear what my hair will become without highlights (spoiler alert: not a natural blonde) I do have some home beauty tricks to share from other parts of my routine. These are things I already do at home on a regular basis, and I’ve perfected my systems.

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Eyebrow Tint

This eyebrow dying kit makes a huge difference and will save you so much money! Mix up a little dye in the cute little cup following the instructions that are included. Paint the mixture on your eyebrows and use a Q-tip to keep it from going out of bounds. Let set for about eight minutes. Wipe off with a dry black washcloth. Then wet another part of the washcloth and wipe off the rest. You will look instantly better!

Remove Your Gel Polish

If you’re like me, you treated yourself to a gel manicure before we all hunkered down. At some point, it will need to come off. I’ve perfected a home removal system that keeps your nails safe. I do this when I’m in between manicures and my shellac has grown out too much. Simply follow these steps:

First, take a good nail file and scuff up your polish all over. This breaks the seal and will aid in removal.
Next, soak off the polish. You can do this two ways, but either one needs to be done for at least TEN MINUTES. Set a timer on your phone. If you peek at your nails, start the 10-minute timer over again. You can either soak in a bowl of pure acetone, or use these handy peel-and-seal packets. I do one hand at a time with the packets. I love them!
After soaking use a tool like this to carefully scrape off any remaining polish.
You can also use your file to buff off stubborn spots.

Also, BONUS BENEFIT… when you do return to the salon you will already have your polish removed so you can get them done in a snap.

Self Tanner

I’ve tried many self-tanning methods but two clear favorites have emerged over the years. I love this product for my face and this one for my body.

Some tips on using the body towels:

Do it right after a shower where you’ve exfoliated yourself really well.
After rubbing it on, obviously wash your hands… but before you do, put the used towel in a ziploc bag. The next morning you can use it to touch up any spots you missed without using another towel!

Save the Trees and Your Skin

I use SO MANY little cotton pads as part of my daily skin care routine, so several months ago I switched to washable ones. I now feel much less wasteful about using a fresh, new pad for each product. I ordered a couple of different sets, but these reusable pads are my favorite.

The pads come with tiny laundry bags, but I wanted something different to make sure they get thoroughly clean. I use this set of two bags. One is for clean cotton pads, and one for dirty. When the dirty one starts getting full I throw it in the wash with my other white towels. Once washed and dried, I empty the clean pads in to the clean bag. It works like a charm!

At-Home Dermaplaning

I mean… what could go wrong?!?!? Ha! Every few weeks I use a blade to gently remove dead skin and any fuzz (ew) from my face. Just gently scrape clean skin at about a 45-degree angle. Please be safe and only go up and down, never side-to-side, obviously. For a budget version, I like these blades. I recently upgraded to this tool (you’ll want refills too) and I am a huge fan. You do need to replace your blades early and often for best results.