Google is what we use to answer some of life’s biggest questions like, “Is Mercury in retrograde again?” “How old is Justin Bieber?” and, more importantly, “Do dogs have best friends?” (We really need the answer to that last one.)
This mighty search engine also has our back when we have pesky beauty questions that have gone unanswered for far too long. Thanks to Google’s annual list of the biggest beauty search trends, we’re able to feel a little less alone about not knowing how to properly apply fake eyelashes or figuring out if putting coconut oil in our hair is worth it.
It’s time to leave the confusion behind in 2019 as we’ve got answers to the top-trending beauty searches — straight from the makeup experts themselves. Head's up: You might be surprised by some of these questions that made the list.
1. How Do I Apply Color Street Nails?
If you haven’t heard about Color Street yet, prepare for it to be everywhere. They’re the popular press-on nail kits that everyone and your Aunt Susan have been selling across social media lately.
Even beauty professionals are fans. “I absolutely love Color Street nails,” says celebrity makeup artist Tassja Cadoch. “They’re the number one Google beauty search because they make maintaining a professional-looking manicure easy at home.”
To properly apply them, the first thing you’ll want to do is wash your hands and cleanse your nail beds with nail polish remover, she says. “From there, buff and file your nails and push back cuticles as you normally would. The goal is to ensure there are no excess oils or lotions on the nails, prior to application.” Doing so will ensure that your Color Street Nails last as long as possible.
For Cadoch, applying her Color Street nails has become a fine-tuned system. “For optimal fit, I always start at the pinky and work toward the thumb, doing the thumb last. Be sure to slightly fold the strip under the edge of your nail, prior to removing the excess edges with your nail file.”
2. "Is There an Easy Way to Put On Fake Eyelashes?"
There’s a reason many beauty vloggers can’t finish a makeup tutorial without carefully applying their gorgeous fake eyelashes. They help the eyes look more awake and glam and they’re a lot cheaper than eyelash extensions.
Here’s how to properly apply falsies, according to makeup artist Stephanie Ivonne, a licensed esthetician who serves on the advisory board for Smart Style Today.
Step 1: Measure the eyelash strip to your eye and trim to size only trimming from the outside corners, never the inside. Using nail scissors that are dedicated solely for your eyes not only work well but also avoid the spreading of bacteria.
Step 2: With the tool you will use to apply the lashes (this could be tweezers or an actual eyelash applicator tool) hold the lash strip in place with its wide grip and apply a coat of the adhesive. From there, wait 15 to 20 seconds, depending on the brand to become tacky for easier application.
Step 3: Using a magnifying mirror placed down on a table or your vanity, look down to see your lash line and carefully place the strip on the center of the lash line, pressing down gently. Next, you'll apply pressure on the inner corners of your eyes then finish it up with the outers.
Step 4: Once the glue is dried completely, apply a coat of mascara to the under base of your natural lashes, brushing upwards to blend them with the faux ones.
Step 5: Using the side of the applicator tool or the sides of your fingers, gently push up to 'curl' the lashes a bit so you don’t risk them losing the adhesiveness to your eye. Then voilà! Your lashes are ready to be shown off!
3. "How Do I Put on Blush?"
For most of us, the process of applying brush involves dabbing some onto our cheeks, swirling it around with a makeup brush and simply hoping for the best. Not surprisingly, there’s a lot more to it than that. When done right, you’ll be giving your beauty routine a serious pop.
“To apply blush, you should have a blush brush,” says Mindy Green, makeup artist and owner of MGBeauty. “Smile to locate the apples of the cheeks. Start on the apples and work upwards and backwards, simulating an oval and staying along the actual cheekbone.” If you over-blush, don’t fret, says Green: “You can use powder to blend it out.”
Also, save these tips for later for more dimension: “Apply highlighter on the top of the cheekbone for added shine. Add a bronzer, contour powder or darker foundation under the cheekbone for more definition.”
4. "How Do I Apply Toner?"
It shouldn’t be surprising that toner made the list since most people don’t know how to apply it, much less what it actually does.
Thankfully, we had the pros weigh in. “Toner is meant to remove any excess oil or makeup from the skin,” says Cadoch. “Its purpose is to balance your skin’s natural pH levels and prepare your skin for serum and moisturizer.”
As for how to use it, Ivonne advises the following: “Apply toner on a cotton pad or spritz on face and gently pat dry with the palms of your clean hands.”
She also offers a few tricks to help your toner do more, such as applying toner on thoroughly cleansed and exfoliated skin since this will allow for better penetration. Additionally, she recommends using toner as a makeup finishing spray for whenever you want a dewy and refreshed look.
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5. "What's the Best Way to Apply Liquid Foundation?"
When done right, foundation is a must-have beauty product that covers blemishes and corrects skin tone. Used incorrectly, however, and it can become a dangerous weapon to have in your beauty arsenal. We’re talking a face full of foundation that is streaky, not blended or not even the right shade for your skin tone. Thankfully, Green is here to the rescue as she shares how to properly apply liquid foundation.
The first step is to use a foundation with the correct undertone, adding that for most people, this will be a yellow undertone. “The foundation should blend with the color of the neck, not the face since this is the area it must meet,” she tells Lively.
You want to avoid foundation that looks like a mask (too much product can also cause this, adds Cadoch). Green suggests applying foundation with a foundation brush or with this Blend Smart Rotating Makeup Brush since it does a lot of the work for you.
Using either, “Dot your foundation on the forehead, cheeks and chin. Take the brush and blend the forehead, then move down around the brows and down towards the cheeks. Blend down the nose and under the eyes. Lastly, blend the cheeks down to the chin.”
6. "How Do I Apply Individual Lashes?"
If you thought applying fake eyelashes was tough, enter individual lashes. The process may be more difficult, but they’re said to be a serious game-changer.
“This form of faux lashes allows for customization which is huge!” Ivonne tells Lively. “Adding a few more longer ones on the outsides of the eyes can create a sexy cat eye where shorter ones throughout will give you more of a natural look. It's just too easy not to try it out!”
Here, she shares how to apply them.
Step 1: Start by tilting your head back slightly in front of a mirror for a better view of your lash line.
Step 2: On a clean surface, place a small amount of adhesive to gently dip the single eyelash and with angled/flat tweezers (it’s very important that you don’t use pointy tweezers since this could cause eye damage) and apply to the lash line in between or directly above your natural lashes.
Step 3: Repeat with each individual 'cluster' of lashes, balancing out the amount on each eye to achieve the most natural and aesthetically pleasing appearance. If you need to rearrange one, it's okay! Individual lashes make it possible for you to customize them without having to remove the entire eyelash strip.
Step 4: Once the glue dries, slowly and carefully apply a coating of mascara, allowing your natural lashes to blend and lock in place. Using tweezers or the side of the tweezers, gently curl your lashes up.
7. "Should I Put Coconut Oil in My Hair?"
There’s a reason coconut oil is still as popular as it was a few years ago — especially when it comes to its uses for the hair.
“Coconut oil is similar to our hair's natural lipid structure so it penetrates more into the hair than any other oil,” Cadoch tells Lively. She notes that the best kind of coconut oil to use is unrefined or pure coconut oil.
“When applied two to three times a week for normal to coarse hair and one time per week for thin fine hair, the coconut oil enhances the hair's lubrication, which makes it easier to comb and manage.”
While there are several different ways to apply coconut oil to the hair, the method Cadoch likes to use takes place at night.
“Before going to sleep, I like to take coconut oil and rub it on the ends of my hair while my hair is dry.” If you have dry scalp, she says you can rub a little into your scalp but if your scalp is oily, avoid this area with the coconut oil so that the hair doesn’t look or feel too greasy.
“Once applied, use a shower cap or a head scarf to wrap your head in. I like to lay a towel on my pillow so if any oil seeps out it won't stain my sheets. Wake up and wash hair as usual,” says Cadoch.
8. "How Do I Apply Self-Tanner?"
Since self-tanner can be super unforgiving if used incorrectly (just consider Ross’s attempts at tanning from Friends), knowing how to do it right is very important. The first step to looking like a bronzed goddess is to choose a shade that complements your skin, says Green: “If you are fair, choose light to medium. If you are olive toned, choose medium to dark.”
To avoid looking “orange,” apply self-tanner in layers. It also involves having the right equipment, such as a large, dense body brush and gloves. Cadoch adds that you should also exfoliate, shave and moisturize before applying tanner.
“Apply the self-tanner and use the brush to smooth over the skin, making sure you don’t have any streaks,” explains Green. You’ll want to apply product sparingly on areas like the knees and elbows since these areas tend to grab color, she adds.
“Also, keep your knees straight when you apply the tanner, or the knees will be too dark. Allow the tanner to dry completely before you get dressed to prevent streaking and transfer onto your clothing.”
9. "How Do I Properly Apply Mascara?"
There’s a lot more to applying mascara than just a flick of the wrist. Here, Noreen Taylor Diani, celebrity makeup artist for the Emmy award-winning series The Bay, breaks down just how you can “lash out” of your comfort zone with some mascara tricks you might not have known.
Step 1: Decide what you want out of your mascara. There are mascaras for volumizing, lengthening, defining, faster growth and waterproof – just to name a few. Take a look at your lashes and decide what sort of enhancement they need.
Step 2: Once you have chosen your type of mascara based on your lash needs and color, remove the wand from the mascara tube by twisting back and forth instead of pumping it up and down.
Twisting will allow the brush to pick up the mascara, which is what most people think they are doing when they pump the brush in the tube. What they are actually doing is forcing air into the tube, which dries out the mascara.
Step 3: Wipe off excess mascara on a tissue or on the lip of the tube. Too much product can lead to clumping. Giving the wand a little wipe will leave you with just the right amount.
Step 4. Look up to lift your lashes. You should still be able to see yourself in the mirror out of your peripheral vision. If you are afraid you are going to blink when you approach your lashes with the wand, open your mouth since it's harder to blink when your mouth is wide open.
Step 5: Place the wand against the base of your lashes and wiggle it back and forth a little. You want the most product applied at the roots, since it will make your lashes look longer and keep them from getting weighed down on the tip. The wiggle will also help lift and curl your lashes.
Step 6. Don't neglect the lashes on the inner and outer part of your eyelid. A lot of times, people apply mascara only to the very center of their eyelid, which can actually make your eyes look narrower.
10. "How Do I Apply Primer?"
You don’t have to be a makeup artist to use primer. This amazing-yet-mysterious product that smooths out the skin and keeps makeup in place is the perfect starting point for whatever look you’re going for.
Before buying the first one you see in the store, Diani says that it takes a bit of beauty self-reflection to select the best primer for you: “Decide what you want your primer to accomplish. Are you most concerned with wrinkles and fine lines? Discoloration? Toning down shine on oily skin?”
For example, “if you are worried about enlarged pores or wrinkles, search for pore-reducing and anti-aging primers.”
Once you have your perfect primer in hand (and a clean face), apply your primer after applying your toner and moisturizer. “I like to mix mine with my foundation as it helps my foundation last longer,” she says.
Have large pores? “I recommend applying your primer first to minimize them and then apply your foundation. You can also purchase a primer spray, which I love to use to set my makeup on top of using a cream primer.”
You got this!