Ask Annette
Lipstick bleeding? Mascara smudging? Nails chipping? Hair frizzy? Tootsies tatty? Skin spotty? You need to ask our beauty expert, Annette! Send in your hair, makeup, skincare or nail care questions to our Beauty Editor, Annette McKenzie and she'll answer the top three every month.
Q. I'm working long hours and always seem to have bags under my eyes. Will an eye cream help? When and how much should I apply?
The only true cure for bags and dark circles under the eyes is sleep and relaxation. Unfortunately, even then they don't always go away.
Eye creams (especially those fortified with Vitamin K) may help with dark circles as they have a lightening effect on your skin. Vitamin C based creams are also useful as they even out skin tone and creams with light-reflective ingredients like mica or titanium dioxide will also reduce the appearance of dark circles. Always follow product guidelines to the letter as there's no one rule for applying eye cream.
Q. How can I make my nail polish last?
Always keep your nail polish in the fridge or a cool, dark place. Heat, light and air are the enemy of nail polish and will cause it to do all manner of nasty things like separate, fade and harden. Nail polish is another type of paint so it needs to be kept in an airtight container away from heat and light. Q. I hate shaving, but would rather not spend a fortune at the salon. What's best for in-home hair removal?
Basically you have three options. Waxing, cream depilatories or electronic epilators. All have their pros and cons. Creams are quick, painless and leave you skin feeling smooth and soft. On the downside the hair grows back quite quickly and the creams can have a nasty smell (although Priceline does now have some 'nose sensitive' brands). Home waxing gets easier with practice and is quite effective as the hair is removed by the roots. There are hot waxes or cold strips that you use straight from the box. The third option is probably the best if you can afford to invest in an electronic epilator. These nifty devices extract the hair by the root and only need to be used every couple of weeks. The epilator soon pays for itself because it's a one off purchase, but best of all it's no mess.