5 beauty ironies

Beauty paradoxes we never realised before

We all go to the ends of the earth for the perfect hair-dos or flawless skin without ever questioning our beauty regimes. If you look closely, you’ll see that almost all common beauty practices are laden with ironies that will make them seem pointless. Read on to find out how prevalent ideas of beauty aren’t what they appear to be.

Short for long



This is perhaps the oldest irony in the books. We’ve all been told that if we want to grow out our hair, we must trim it off regularly. From beauty experts to our grandmother, everyone prescribes getting a cut at least once every two months to get rid of split ends, dryness and damage.

Don’t touch it



As soon as we spot a pimple, our impulse is to get rid of it by squeezing. But did you know that the more you squeeze out the bad stuff, the more it spreads? So if you want to free your skin from acne, try not to touch the area until the pimple diminishes by itself.

To dye or not to dye



We’ve all been there. Everyone experiments with hair colour at least once in their lifetime. Some of us even try out different hair colours to determine which ones compliment our features and skin tone best. In reality, however, hair experts claim that the best colour is always the one you were born with as there is no chance of it not looking good.

Say no to fakes



Spending time and money on fake lashes or lash extensions is never a good idea. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, getting fibres glued onto your real lashes can actually cause swelling and infections in the cornea and eyelids. In fact, fake lashes can actually permanently damage your real lashes, causing them to fall out during the entire process.

Not new enough 



Surprisingly, a lot of ingredients marketed these days boast of being refreshing, new techniques for beauty. The use of turmeric powder, for instance, is the latest USP for modern skincare products although our ancestors have been using it for decades to improve their skin quality and complexion.

Did You Know?

The more lip balm you use, the more and more you need it? Surprisingly, using lip balm over and over again creates a harmful cycle that does no real good to your lips and dries them out even further. What happens is that when skin sleeps, your body signals its bottom layers to produce fresh cells. But if you have applied balm, the moisture that has occurred is lost leaving the dead top cells to dry out slowly. As a result your skin fails to send any signals for more new cells. Once the balm wears off, there aren’t any new cells to replace the dead ones, leading to excessive dryness.

No-make up palette

Ever heard of a no make-up palette? This involves using just the basic make-up products that compliment your skin tone. If you’re interested, follow these simple steps and ace the palette procedure. After all, less is more when it comes to make-up!

Step 1: Moisturise and even out your skin by applying a base of a slightly darker shade. For visible breakouts or deep under eye circles, use a pigment rich concealer.

Step 2: Use a cream-based blush in warm peaches or pinks to give a natural, pink glow. Remember not to go too pink though!

Step 3: Define your eyelids and lips by using pencils to make them stand out. Use soft, brownish tints to enhance your eyes’ natural contours without creating shadows. Also use a lipstick that matches your natural lip colour, dab it onto your lips with a finger and it will look better than applying the lipstick directly.

Tip: To make sure you’re using the lightest touch, do your makeup in daylight, if possible.

Neha Javed is a textile designer. She likes to write about fashion and beauty in her free time.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, June 14^th, 2015.