Beauty Bits on a Budget

Beauty Bits on a Budget

I wrote this piece for the University of Limerick newspaper, An Focal. Enjoy! 

How to lighten a dye job:

We’ve all been there, you go for that darker colour hoping to look like Megan Fox but end up looking as washed out as a sixth year during exams. So how do you fix it? Another expensive trip to the hairdressers? Thankfully it’s not necessary, as pouring diet coke over the dye job will lighten the colour. But be warned, it may remove the dye completely, so be careful with how much you use!                                                   

Hair coffee:

If you would like to lighten your natural highlights without a salon appointment, extra-strong coffee does the trick! After the liquid has cooled, pour into a spray bottle and spritz all over your hair. Ideally you should sit out in the sun afterwards (we can all dream during the Irish winter)!

Lipstick remedies:

Breaking a lippie on a night out is the epitome of a first-world problem. However this heartbreak can be softened. Take the broken part of the lipstick and wave a lit match underneath it. When it begins to melt slightly, place it back on to the base.  Then place it in the fridge uncovered for half an hour.

It’s all in the eyes:

Running low on mascara? Coating your eyelashes with olive oil is a remedy for helping them two weeks for best results.

For those late nights when the mascara seems determined to cling onto your eyelashes only to dramatically streak on to your face the following morning, use olive oil or baby oil to remove it. The oil will also leave the area around your eyes feeling rejuvenated. Wash off gently with water afterwards.

A blotch job of a tan:

Instead of paying an arm and a leg for an exfoliator, body scrub and tan removers, rubbing a lemon wedge over the area will solve this as the acid from the lemon will lighten the tan colour. The more vigourously you use the lemon, the more tan comes off.

Oh honey, those lips!

A fast way to make lip balm, and yes you read that right, how to make lip balm, is by mixing two tablespoons of Vaseline with half a tablespoon of honey and microwave it for 15 seconds at a low setting. When finished, stir thoroughly and allow to cool.

To make your lips look more luscious simply exfoliate them with your toothbrush! It might seem crazy at first but the bristles really do soften your lips and get rid of peeling. Pop on some lip balm and it’s gorgeous lips in seconds!

Problem pits

Running low on shaving foam? Use conditioner! You will get the same results but the conditioner may clog up the razor so it’s best seldom used.

"Laois? Laois."

Now that I've become more worldly and travelled (yes, I go to college in Limerick), I have noticed that very few people are aware of where Laois is, or if it is a county at all. I have decided to reply to some of the most commonly asked questions.

1. "Is Laois a county?"
Ah yes, many people outside of the Midlands do not know or acknowledge that Laois is an actual county, not just a stop-off on the way to Dublin.

2. "Is Laois in Portlaoise?"
Another popular question I've been asked. To clarify, Portlaoise is the county town of Laois, whereas Laois is the actual county. Portlaoise is just 'Da Town'. 

3. "Laois and Leitrim - I always get those two mixed up"
No, you can't just stick us in with Leitrim because we both major in farming industries, or have a passion of going to the bog and enjoy using the words Yoke, Savage and describing a person as "Yer Wan". 







4. "Why do people from Laois have a flat accent?"
If you know anyone from Laois, you have probably realised that t's and d's are dropped from words like there's no tomorrow and the 'th' may as well be forgotten about. For example, the popular brand of snack, Tayto, is pronounced as Tay-ho. The same applies for pronouncing the river Thames as the river 'Tames' and 'this, that, these and those' as 'dis, dat, dese and dose'. 

5. "Is that the place with the Prison?"
Other towns and cities across Ireland may have cathedrals, castles and historical monuments- Laois has Portlaoise Prison. People from Laois can boast that it is Ireland's only high security prison and this remains a highlight for Laois' tourism industry. Claim to fame: John Gilligan rang Joe Duffy's Liveline from inside the prison which made many Dublin listeners aware that there is such a place as Laois.