When you have been backstage at enough red carpet affairs and fashion shows, nothing surprises any longer. Putting cellulite cream on the face? But naturally! Getting into a bubble bath after making up your face for a party? Of course! Using Pepto-Bismol as a face mask? D-uh! Here are some of the staple beauty shortcuts that I have personally seen in operation over and over again. And each one of them delivers fab results!
Get steamy to set your makeup
It sounds counterintuitive but almost every celeb I have met swears by the ritual of applying makeup and then stepping into a hot bath for 10 minutes (no bathtub? Stand near a hot shower!). The steam sets makeup, while the mega-dose of moisture makes skin look plump, fresh and dewy.
Dodge a double chin
Want to get rid of a pudgy chin in a jiffy? Rub a caffeine-rich cellulite cream along the entire jawline. How does it work? Caffeine, being a diuretic, will suck out all excess fluids and reduce puffiness. The effect will only be noticeable for three or four hours but that’s long enough to parade around a party or get through a hot date. Just make sure this stuff goes nowhere near your eyes!
A Pepto-Bismol facial
A tablespoon of the anti-acid Pepto-Bismol (or Gelusil or Digene) not only takes care of your insides before an anxiety-provoking event, it can also save skin. That’s because it contains bismuth subsalicylate – an antibacterial active agent that’s very similar to salicylic acid. So, smooth on some Pepto-Bismol onto your face, let it dry for 20 minutes and then rinse with plain water to help tighten skin, shrink pores and dry out zits. However, it also dries out the skin so use occasionally and not a substitute for a daily acne regimen!
Erase the acne
Have you noticed that celebs never look cakey on the red carpet? That’s not because they always have perfect skin – it’s just that they know how to banish even the reddest zit instantly. Instead of piling on concealer, they dab the spots with nasal spray and Visine (Clear Eyes and All Clear work just as well) eye drops. These contain vasoconstrictors, which shrink blood vessels, thereby taking away the redness and bringing down inflammation – the effect is akin to that of a topical steroid.
De-Bloat with apple cider vinegar
Feeling like a bloated mess and nothing fits? Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with half a glass of water and drink up! Within 30 minutes, the vinegar’s enzymes will slow down your gastric juice production and start flushing away the bloat.
Lash booster
Forget all those controversy-laden lash boosting concoctions – simply dab a bit of flax seed oil on your lash line every night. Flax seeds contain Omega-3, -6, and -9, along with B vitamins and lecithin to repair lash damage and stimulate their growth.
Excellent tips, a few I haven’t heard of! Good job.
Thank you
Did you try any of them????
Great post! I’m definitely going to try that apple cider vinegar trick. Thanks!
Thank you! And let me know how it went!!!!
Wow “Caffeine, being a diuretic, will suck out all excess fluids and reduce puffiness.” Talk about a lack of understanding of basic chemistry and biology. That is not what Diuretic means. “Diuretic: Something that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney.” Not sure how that would dry your jaw out or tighten it up.
Hi Tony, thanks for writing in! However, I beg to differ: Diuretics help your body get rid of unneeded water and salt. Since kidneys are the most powerful detox organs in our body, the flushing ultimately happens through them – and they get rid of all toxins through urine.
absolutely will work. a diuretic *no matter how it is ingested, orally, or as a topical cream* does work to reduce swelling and puffiness as mentioned above. I am a nursing aide and have worked in many places where I have applied certain topicals to legs of elderly women to reduce swelling due to water and trust me, it works. Yes the literal definition is true, but also vague. it does not go into specifics of the hows or the whys of diuretics. my thoughts are don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. i’ve tried it, it works
great post love the ideas!
Thanks so much Sarah for the clarification
The term diuretic is most commonly used as the “Anti-Diuretic Hormone” which is the hormone released to CONTROL the loss of water i.e. to initiate the retention of fluids by the Kidneys. Hence, the term Diuretic would conversely mean the initiation of a loss of fluid. Hence, the terms Diuretic is relevant in terms to referring to a loss of fluid (Water in particular).
Thank you for the really well put together explanation… truly helps!
Where do you get flax seed oil??
Hi Melinda, you should be able to get it in any department store that stocks cooking oils. It’s pretty easily available and quite inexpensive. Where are you based?
Outta Ft. Bragg North Carolina. Would Walmart carry it, or should I lean more towards an actual food store??
It’s def available at Walmart – I know because a friend of mine picked it from there. Let me know if you find it!
anubha can i get this flax seed oil in london…. please let me know!
Definitely – I had picked up a bottle of Webber Naturals Flaxseed Oil at a health shop last year and it was fab!
interesting. the steam and caffeine cream may be worth a try
Let me know how it goes! And I love, love, love your site – super-pretty!!!!
from wer to buy the spots n zit acme curing stuff which celeb use. …m frm delhi. .mail me at nick@suroor.co.in
Thank you
Hi Nick, I didn’t mean a coffee cream but a coffee-rich cellulite cream. These are quite freely available. In India, you should check out the one from L’Oreal.
Where do you get the Caffeine cream? I’ve never heard of it
Hi Christina, I didn’t mean a coffee cream but a coffee-rich cellulite cream. These are quite freely available.
Great stuff! I’m gonna have to try some of this.
And let me know how it goes
I would recommend taking a shot of the apple cider rather than diluting it through a glass of water. Less to taste.
Hi Meg, some people find an undiluted shot too sharp. Hence the suggestion. But I agree – technically, there is no need to dilute. It’s all about your personal taste.
The apple cider vinegar should always be diluted. The main ingredient is acetic ACID and can erode the enamal on your teeth and possible cause burning of the esophagus. It is great to use on occasion, diluted. But is not a cure all to be used every day or straight. It can be pretty nasty stuff if used incorrectly.
It’s better to use diluted. Plus always make sure you are getting raw, unrefined apple cider vinegar – the generic stuff we get in stores is horrid.
wow! such great tricks, love the double chin solution ! gonna try some out.
I am going back to it tonight
the apple cider vinegar trick has always been a favorite in my family! Mom passed that one down and I love to share it with my friends… the fact that it’s here inspired me to try a few of the other tricks, hoping they work just as well!
Hi Amanda, would love to hear more tips your mom shared!
I’ll try the nasal spray and visine , I really need to get rid of my acne
The Visine really brings down the redness of a zit – it’s been my lifesaver so many times. Let me know if it worked for you!
yay
I’ve been using the nasal spray and it worked pretty well 
Thank you for the tip, helped alot 
Glad it helped!!!!!!
HI, these sound like really good tips and am trying them asap. I was wondering if you have more remedies for acme. I cant get mine under control, am 21 and tired of so many pharmacy creams.
I got mine under control for the first time by using coconut oil. I would just put a thin layer over my face every night and it got rid of most of my acne and was a terrific moisturizer.
Coconut oil? Wow! I love coconut oil but wouldn’t have thought it could cure acne. Am going to try this out now! Do you add anything to it?
Coconut oil is amazing! Antibacterial, antifungal AND antiviral! No need to add anything to it, just make sure you’re using extra virgin, unrefined oil.
I use coconut oil all over my body every day, but I prefer jojoba oil and argan oil for my face – they are closer to your skin’s natural oils than coconut oil is. This may be too extreme for you… but if you’re interested in giving it a go, here is how I got the best skin of my life…
No soap or anything on your face, ever. Clean with oil only. I use a 50-50 mix of jojoba oil and castor oil (castor oil is drying and cleansing, jojoba is soothing and moisturizing, so change the proportions as needed). Every evening, rub the oil all over your face and massage it. Get a washcloth hot and steamy and drape it over your face and let the steam into your pores, then gently rub the oil off with the hot washcloth – repeat as needed until your face feels clean.
If you try this (you can find more info by googling “oil cleansing method”) your skin might get worse before it gets better, as any acne that has already started forming may be pulled to the surface sooner, but once that goes away your skin will be amazing. You will never need lotion or facewash or anything else on your skin again!
Anyway… Sorry for rambling a bit! I’m just so thrilled with the results I’ve had that I can’t help going on about it when anyone else seems even slightly interested! I just stumbled across your blog and love it so far, by the way!
No, no… pls keep rambling! This is a fascinating topic and you have given me such great info
Just yesterday, I was in a class with the founder of Stark Skincare and she was talking about how we absolutely don’t need soaps for our face. Definitely gave me pause for thought and now you have given me this great info! Going to try it rightaway.
I’ve used the pepto-bismol mask for years – it works wonderfully to tighten pores before having photographs taken and takes a lot of the shine off as well. In the summer it’s great, especially in humid climates. I love it.
The visine trick is great too. Also, if I have a big red zit the night before I put some plain old toothpaste (the real stuff, not the gel) on it and it reduces the redness. I’m not exactly sure why it works, but it does.
I’ll definitely try the flax seed oil hint. Sounds healthier than any of those expensive serums.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for writing in, Rose… it’s always lovely to see one of these unconventional beauty recipes validated first hand! I have been hearing about the toothpaste one as well but had not tried it till now. After seeing your comment here, will definitely check it out tonight itself on these 3 humungous zits that are covering my cheeks!
Hey for acne you can use an Advil liquid gel. Just open one end and dab on the acne, it will reduce the redness and swelling VERY fast!!! I tried it a few months ago and it works wonders (in just a few minutes!) because i get monster zits that tend to go inward and get huge. The advil on a early stage zit kept it from getting bigger and completely got rid of it when I applied over night. Totally worth a try!
sounds interesting… will give it a try and report back! Tx for the tip
Julie If you have a chronic acne problem it is most likely a food allergy.. The process of elimination is a long one but it is the only way to determine which food is causing the acne. Keep a log book of everything you eat commonly and mark on a calendar when the breakouts occur. Look for patterns. It takes about 28 for things to go entirely through your system.
Thanks for the tip.. will def keep it in mind.
I am going to try the tips.
And then let me know if they worked for you!
Great tips! I love that they’re all super easy and inexpensive
Did you try any of them????
A couple drops of water on 2 asprin tablets + honey makes a way better mask than Pepto and it’s MUCH cheaper. Asprin is salicylic acid and works as you described. Honey is antibacterial and moisturizing so it won’t dry out your face like Pepto.
Wow! That sounds like an interesting combination – am going to try it out!
Good natural tips !!,,and am really concerned most about that part related to Visine eye drops being used as an acne redness-banishing aid !!,,specially that I work at Johnson and Johnson and Visine is one of our products but never thought of exploiting its Vasoconstricting effect in reducing acne redness !!
Thanks for the product (sales) info.!!
Hi Engy, let me know if this results in a new product
)))
Just wanted to share a thought. I, personally, wouldn’t steam to set my make-up. Heat and humidity from steaming your face opens up your pores. Meaning that if you have make-up on your face, your pores would open up and absorb the make-up you’re wearing. That would deeeeeeeeefinitely clog your pores and lead to a break out! Unless you can afford to get a facial after every steam, I’d skip it!
Hmmmm… am not sure whether makeup can actually get absorbed into your pores or if it just sits on top of it, blocking them. It’s an interesting thought – anybody with the answer??
sneaky sneaky celebrities!
hahahahahahaha
Nice tips
thanks ^_^
Use tea tree oil for acne!! This works AMAZING. I dont know if you can get it at walmart or not but they are always at pretty much any healthfood store
Cool – thanks for the suggestion! Does it go on by itself or should it be mixed with a base oil before application??
Tea tree oils side effects are redness, irritation, blistering, and over drying if you apply to strong of a concentration. The recommended dilution for tea tree oil is 5 percent. You can use a carrier product if the solution you buy is over the five percent recommendation such as aloe vera, jojoba oil, or honey. Just add a few drops of the oil to whichever carrier you choose and apply. If you choose the honey do not rinse off, so you should only do this at night. You can find products that contain essential oils such as tea tree, and witch hazel, and other herbal antiseptics in a natural food stores or drug stores.
Hi Heather, thanks for the info! I am sure everyone here will find it extremely helpful as I feel Tea Tree oil is quite potent and effective. And btw, I love your blog!
I added Tea Tree Oil to the Oil-Cleansing mixture that is described in one of the other comments here, and I think it makes the process work even better.
2 drops Tea Tree Oil with 1/2 teaspoon of castor oil and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.
That’s great Nathalia! Thanks for sharing
These are awesome tips! I thought I’d heard them all, but the steamy shower setting makeup one is new to me and definitely something I want to try.
Good piece!
Did you try it? Worked well for you??
Stunning…x Love it.x
I have tried the pepto on the face and it does seem to work. The others I have not yet tried but seem like good tips.
Thrilled to know that it worked for you
RE: the caffeine for your jawline… If my face is looking puffy I mix ground coffee (like the stuff you use in an espresso machine) with a little egg white or live yogurt to make a face mask. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes and voila… de-bloated cheeks and jaw-line. And cheaper than cellulite cream
very very interesting Jessica… I have a face full of bloat after endless travelling, so am going to try this asap. Would this work on other areas of the body as well??
I use the leftover ground coffee from my espresso machine to make a body scrub once a week (or at least I try), to get rid of cellulite, and it really works. It also leaves my skin smoother than store-bought scrubs. I think it’s because there is some oil in coffee, but I haven’t researched that yet.
You are absolutely right – coffee beans do have oil. In fact, cold pressed Roasted Coffee Oil contains a very high amount of natural antioxidants and is also rich in phytosterols, which help the skin retain moisture. Most of the caffeine-based soaps and lotions use this oil in their formulations.
What great ideas! I wonder if the flax seed oil would also work on hair? Definately trying it on my eyelashes.
Hmmmm… that’s an interesting question. Will definitely research and get back to you!
Hello, stumbled here and love the tips! I’m definitely going to try the visine one.
Did you find out whether this flax seed oil thing would work on the scalp? My eyelashes don’t need any sort of boost, but I would like to find out how I can get my hair to grow faster.
sorry, no confirmation yet but a post on how to grow your hair faster is coming up so stay tuned!
Great information you have given, always wondered how those celebs always looked like they had smooth skin day in day out, I thought they were immune to acne..now i know
Oh they are definitely not immune, I can assure you. They just have a great set of people scrutinising their face every single day and tackling any problems that creep up. In fact, they are even more prone to skin problems because of all the heavy makeup and crazy lifestyles!!
wow, very great tips.
Thank u! And I love your blog – def going to try the aloe vera and ginger juice soon!
Love all these ideas. The flax seed oil on the base of your lashes sounds interesting to try. And I also will definitely try the aspirin and honey face mask. The you for all your great ideas
Thank u
Did u try any of them??
These are some really neat tricks, thank you very sharing!
Just so you know, as far as I am aware, vinegar doesn’t actually contain enzymes. That’s not so say it won’t have a helpful effect on your tummy – it just doesn’t have enzymes in it
Sorry to correct you, but I thought it might be helpful to know
Thanks again for the tips!
Hi Hannah, thanks for writing in
You are partly right – the distilled, pasteurised, generic apple cider vinegar doesn’t have enzymes. But the organic, unpasteurized, non-distilled raw apple cider vinegar is actually loaded with enzymes. That’s why one should always opt for the latter.
Ooh I had no idea! Thanks for letting me know, hopefully I can find some of this organic, unpasteurized kind where I live! ˆ-ˆ
You should be able to find it… it’s available in any health food or organic store. Some pharmacies also store it. Where do you live?
I’m so going to try the flax seed oil on my lashes – so much more natural than buying something from the chemists!
Great post!
Thanks
And you’ve got such a gorgeous blog!!!!
I buy my tea tree oil at either Whole Foods or GNC. I put it on full strength and it has never dried my skin out and cleared up my acne. I use it every day after I wash my face, it is 100 percent tea tree, I use a q tip and dab it on the pimple. As for a body moisturizer I love using grapeseed oil, it’s cheap and I like to mix in a bit of orange essence for a great pick me up.
The orange essence idea is superb! I love citrus notes and will definitely try this!!!!
Yes it is awesome and one of the very Inexpensive essential oils you can get so it’s doubly great! The least expensive tea tree oil I have found is at Whole Foods.
I love tea tree oil… will look it up at Whole Foods when I am there next!
Just took 1 T apple cider vinegar, feeling bloated, if it works, will be singing your praises.
Did it work?
Great tips!
Thank u
Very nice tips. though i really doubt they work. especially the flax oil thing. but the zit thing really works! Thank you for that! it seriously saved me.
Glad at least one worked for you
Do you have any advice for tightening pores?
Coming up soon, stay tuned!
Hi. I absolutely LOVE these tips! Especially the steam one. I used a bowl of hot water!
Also, a good trick for healthy facial skin is to mix aspirin, lemon juice and honey. Works a treat…
Have you got any tips for highlighting cheekbones, or making them show through your skin more?
Thank you
I have heard of aspirin + water but not the lemon juice and honey bit but can see how it would work. Guess the honey would soothe and the lemon would lighten… def going to try it out!
I use vaseline on my lashes but will definitely try flax seed oil. I love the pepto mask as well i use it once every 1 to 2 weeks. Works wonders!
So great to know the Pepto works for you. Let me know how the flaxseed goes as well…!
I’ve been using the caffeine cream face trick for years and have fine-tuned it to a T!! Caffeine cream/gel is great.. but other topical actives often combined in such products can have better results than caffeine alone! Many contain seaweed extracts which help push out fluids and break down fat, and may even have topical skin metabolism boosting properties, their mineral content amongst other things can help firm skin in the long term and in the short term their film-forming effect along with their effects on instantly improving cell cohesion and therefore taughtness has instant tightening results. Some products use actual coffee extracts which can sometimes have a more intense action than just generic caffeine. White Tea, Carnitine, and Lotus extracts have also been shown to have topical fat reducing properties, and metabolism boosting effects than can push out fluid. However for the most dramatic effects of topical cosmetic diuretics/fat burners, lookout for products often labelled as ice/cold gels or draining gels.. these are not quite the same as regular cellulite creams. They tend to contain caffeine and sometimes seaweed/algae extracts, however these creams often contain a powerful cocktail of Escin, Guarana, Horse-Chestnut, Butcher’s Broom, Ivy, and vine leaf extracts whjich have very powerful effects on topical treatment of fluid retention! As a make-up artist I have seen on my face and many ladies/men that using these kind of gels has a superior quick-fix slimming effect. In fact sometimes the effect is so powerful I have to be careful how much, where, and when I apply it as it can go as far as to make a person’s face look gaunt!.. too thin!! Obviously such a client would have to be slim to start with… but these do work! NOTE, these latter products tend to be in gel/spray formats which contain a lot of alcohol. This I believe aids penetration and gives a fresh feel. Beware that many cellulite and draining creams contain gums and polymers and humectants which can leave a gummy sticky film on the skin, so trial and error is best. Tips for application: to chisel jaw apply on jawline, under, and behind it. for stand out cheeks apply in hollow of cheek only, not on the cheekbone as this can look too gaunt! do not apply on eye hollow as it can discolour eye area by stimulating circulation and make it look hollow and gaunt. However in cases of puffy eyes and puffy saggy eyelids it can be useful, but eye-contact can sting! for a slimming face effect apply in hollow of cheek AND on temples. In general do not apply where plumpness and fullness are desired. Also I have found that many skins eventually adapt to this trick and the results continue with use, but can sometimes not be as dramatic as they once were.
Hi Chris, this is brilliant. You have truly mastered the subject. Thanks for the great tips!
One thing I would say is if your are on any medications, to make sure any of these natural ingredients do not interfere with the medications, it’s amazing how many natural ingredients in creams or pills can cause harmful effects if you are taking certain meds.
Good point!
Thanks for the tips! I never thought of using cellulite cream for double chin..
Neither did I… but it works!
very nice!
thank you!
great information
love it
thank you!!
Almost all websites contain somewhat similar beauty tips……thanks to beauty gipsy to provide something unique.
Glad to be of service
Hi anubha,
Thanks for the great beauty tips. I am intrigued by the caffeine cellulite cream. Can you reccomend a creat with this ingrediate so i know what to look for?
Thanks
Some options: Bliss Fat Girl Slim, Korres Black Tea & Verbena Gel, Murad Firm & Tone Serum, L’Occitane Almond Delightful Shape
After looking forever on ways to get zits to go down, I finally found it!! Thank you so much!!!
Glad it helped
I definently love all of these tips, the were worth the try , thanks for sharing !!
Glad you liked them
Visine for acne? I had no idea but it’s good to know. Beauty tricks def worth trying. Thanks for sharing
Great post! I am going to try these! http://everywherenigeria.com posted something similar years back but yours is way better!
thank u
These are some great tips! I am definitely going to try Pepto-Bismol mask and the Visine for my inflammation. This is definitely a good read. Thanks for sharing!!
Glad you liked it
Hmm knew about some, but especially liked the hot steam tip, will definitely try. Really liked your article,very well written.
Tks
Thanks
Thanks for sharing healthy beauty tips, with keeping healthy skin getting attractive skin.
no duble chin here….but i wil definitely try the apple cider for bloating!!..steam trick is good also!
let me know how it goes!!
I like the flax seed oil tip! Thanks!
glad to help
Odd, yet curiously interesting beauty tips here.
Hi,
Can I use the flax seed oil on my scalp to help grow our my hair faster?
It can definitely improve the condition of your scalp and hair. This link gives a good overview of flaxseed oil and hair: http://superfoodprofiles.com/flaxseed-oil-strong-shiny-hair
I love steaming my face as part of a facial routine but it never occurred to me to steam my face after putting on my make up. Definitely going to give that a try. And I love apple cider vinegar. I have been using for about a year, I drink it with water and I used it to rinse my hair after washing. It leaves my hair feeling soft and clean.
I am a recent convert to apple cider vinegar and now can’t live without my daily shot
i really love the apple cider vinegar trick.. i will surely try it once
..
thanks so much for this tips…it will be help me when my acne come again on my face….but my face is very sensitive, I want to know Anubha this tips also used on my face??
Hi Monica, yes these all work for the face but if you’ve got sensitive skin I would suggest doing a patch test first.
Hi Anubha.
“StumbledUpon” your blog today and enjoyed reading this post and about you.
Yes some of these tricks were weird, some surprising, some unbelievable
I haven’t tried any of these, but when I was younger someone told me applying castor oil helps elongate eye lashes. I gave up on that in a few days to be able to tell the results… =)
Hi Nisha, thanks for the compliments
I just saw your blog and LOVE it. In fact, am trying to plan a Thailand getaway later this month. Can I harass you for tips if it does come about?
Great tips! would the flax seed oil work for the hair on your head?
It should but I would think that coconut oil is more effective on the head.
I have tried so many of these tricks and omgntheey really work its so wierd lol <3
sometimes the weirder the better
Great post! Had never heard of many of these tips! Thank you!
Great tips. I really enjoyed reading this post. thanks for sharing this kind of content
glad you enjoyed it
very nice i like that thanks for that
Hi! I love this, and I can’t wait to try a bunch of these. I was just wondering though, do you have any remedies for removing acne marks/dark spots? I’d really appreciate it
post on that coming up soon!
wonderful tips, good job!
Thank you
erase the acne? … mmm nice tips.
I should try this
and then let me know how it went