The other day my co-worker's chair was squeaking to the point of annoying everyone in the office. It was begging for some WD-40. But since our office is long on beauty products and short on tools, we didn't have any.
To the rescue: Senior Associate Editor Cinya Burton and her stash of Saffron James Monoi Oil. It silenced the squeak, restored our collective sanity, and even left the chair smelling deliciously like vanilla (we'd like to see WD-40 do that!).
Admittedly, this probably wasn't the best use for a $40 organic coconut and vanilla bean body oil, but in a pinch it certainly worked. Which got us asking around about what other beauty products we could use to solve our various household problems.
Not surprisingly, we aren't the only ones resorting to beauty products in home-improvement emergencies. But what did surprise us are all the creative ways makeup artists, hairstylists, and other beauty junkies use their favorite products for quick fixes.
Buh-bye, Home Depot and hello Sephora!
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Fix car dents with your blow dryer
Get ready to impress the heck out of the men in your life. If you have a dent in your car that's on a metal panel (like your trunk, roof, hood, doors, or fenders), you can get rid of it with your blow dryer. Just blast the dent on medium heat for about a minute until the paint feels warm, then reach behind the dent and push it out. Hold it in place for another minute while it cools and there you go -- car repaired! (Source: Total Beauty New York Editor Dawn Davis)
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Hairspray removes stains
Hairspray can remove everything from hair color stains to last night's spilled Merlot. Just spray the stain with hairspray and blot until it's gone. (Source: celebrity colorist Marco Pelusi)
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Get rid of rust with nail polish
Coat the undersides of your shaving cream cans -- or any metal soap dishes or shower products -- with a layer of clear nail polish to keep rust from forming and staining your bathtub. (Source: elle.com)
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Try Vaseline for that shabby chic paint look
If you want a picture frame or cabinet to get that chipped-paint look you could: A.) wait a few years for the paint to actually start chipping or B.) try this cool Vaseline trick. Just apply blobs or Vaseline on the wood where you want it to look distressed (avoid any areas you'd like to keep looking pristine), then apply a top coat of paint. Once the paint is dry, sand off the Vaseline splotches (they'll be easy to spot since they'll be raised). The paint in those areas will come right off when you sand, giving you a weathered look immediately. (Source: sweetpickinsfurniture.com)
The other day my co-worker's chair was squeaking to the point of annoying everyone in the office. It was begging for some WD-40. But since our office is long on beauty products and short on tools, we didn't have any.
To the rescue: Senior Associate Editor Cinya Burton and her stash of Saffron James Monoi Oil. It silenced the squeak, restored our collective sanity, and even left the chair smelling deliciously like vanilla (we'd like to see WD-40 do that!).
Admittedly, this probably wasn't the best use for a $40 organic coconut and vanilla bean body oil, but in a pinch it certainly worked. Which got us asking around about what other beauty products we could use to solve our various household problems.
Not surprisingly, we aren't the only ones resorting to beauty products in home-improvement emergencies. But what did surprise us are all the creative ways makeup artists, hairstylists, and other beauty junkies use their favorite products for quick fixes.
