Liquid lipsticks are some of the best long-lasting lipsticks on the market, which also makes them one of the hardest lip products to remove. No matter how much you scrub, many long-wear formulas leave an unattractive stain behind. Rubbing your lips raw with makeup remover can leave lips too chapped to wear lipstick the next day. The fix? Petroleum jelly. Applying a bit of Vaseline helps remove lipstick while moisturizing the skin underneath.
Step 1: Apply Vaseline to your lips, and let it sit for a few minutes.
Step 2: Take a warm washcloth and wipe your lips in a gentle, circular motion.
Step 3: Rinse the washcloth and repeat until all of the lip color is gone.
Step 4: Apply a moisturizing balm or another layer of Vaseline on your lips.
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How to Remove Gel Manicures
Gel manicures can last up to four weeks, but once it's time to switch up your color, you'll have to make another appointment with your salon to get your mani removed. Removing the gel requires soaking your nails in 100 percent acetone, which isn't readily available in stores (tip: you may be able to find it in a hardware store). While it's recommended you remove gel manicures at the salon, if you want to save the $15, Beth Fricke, manicure artist for OPI with ArtistsbyTimothyPriano.com, shares how to remove gel manicures at home.
Step 1: Soak a cotton ball with acetone.
Step 2: Place the cotton on the nail and wrap each finger in aluminum foil, which will soften the gel lacquer. Leave on for 5 minutes. Alternatively, Fricke also loves CND Shellac Remover Wraps, $3.99, which are cotton pads that have adhesive tabs so that all you have to do is soak them in acetone and wrap them around your nails.
Step 3: Remove the cotton and foil, and scrape off softened gel with a birchwood stick.
Step 4: If the surface of your nail is rough, gently buff the nail.
Step 5: Apply a nail strengthener, then generously apply cuticle oil to the nails and cuticles. We recommend CND SolarOil, $7.99.
While Samira Asemanfar, founder of Bellacures, says this process can be drying, it's a far better option then peeling off the gel polish. "For the love of nails, do not peel them off!" she says. "While it seems like an easy way to remove the gel layer, without soaking them in acetone, you'll end up peeling off the first layer of your nail bed as well, which will severely weaken your nails."
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How to Remove Eyelash Extensions
Eyelash extensions should fall out naturally after two weeks, but inevitably one or two stubborn lashes hold on. Yanking them out is not only painful, it will also cause you to pull out your natural lashes along with the fake ones. Instead, try loosening the lash glue at home with this trick:
Step 1: Wash your face, avoiding your eye area.
Step 2: Fill a bowl with boiling hot water, place your face over it, and cover your head with a large towel. Keep your face above the steamy water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3: Dip a cotton pad in olive oil and gently swipe your lashline, which will encourage the extensions to slide right off.
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How to Remove Glitter Nail Polish
While a glitter manicure is supercute, the removal process, which generally involves sitting for half an hour scraping off glitter is enough to keep many women away from the sparkle. But removing glitter nail polish doesn't have to be labor-intensive. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: Soak a cotton ball in nail polish remover with acetone.
Step 2: Place the cotton on the nail and wrap each finger in aluminum foil. Press down.
Step 3: Leave on for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Pull the foil and cotton ball off and your glitter polish will glide off, too.
Step 5: If there's any glitter left on your nail, use a nail buffer to get rid of the rest.
Alternatively, if you wear glitter manicures pretty regularly, you might want to consider picking up a nail polish remover like No-Rub Power Gel Acetone Polish Remover for Glitter & Nail Art, $7. The formula calls for wearers to dip fingers into the formula and wait four minutes for it to dissolve flashy flecks.
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How to Remove Makeup Residue
Whether it's long-wear foundation or concealer that doesn't want to budge, getting off every last drop of makeup can be tough. And while repeatedly washing your face with cleanser can leave you feeling thoroughly clean, it can also be seriously drying. Instead, slather on a layer of cold cream when you want to remove makeup residue. Cold cream was originally created to remove makeup and it's still a great option. It's a mix of oils and emulsifiers that soothe skin while leaving your face clean and makeup-free -- and the cooling sensation makes for a great, relaxing face mask.
Step 1: Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, then pat dry.
Step 2: Slather on a thick layer of cold cream. We recommend Pond's Cold Cream, $4.49. Let it soak in for a few minutes.
Step 3: Wipe off the cream with a warm washcloth to remove stubborn makeup residue.
When it comes to long-lasting makeup, many of us have a love-hate relationship with the smudge-proof products that take us from nine to way-beyond-five.
The last time we tried to remove our budge-proof liquid lipstick, we found it impossible to swipe off all the traces of the impressively immovable formula -- even after a significant amount of scrubbing with the best makeup removers and showering!
And it's not just liquid lipsticks that are a total b!*ch to get off. Gel manicures, eyelash extensions, even waterproof mascara all fall into that category. Whether it's removing makeup or a semi-permanent treatment that you love up until that distinct moment when you want it gone, the removal process can be time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes even painful.
That's why we've rounded up these genius hacks to remove even the most stubborn makeup at home. We talked to experts and trolled the Internet for hours to find the best makeup remover tricks and hacks. Here's how to remove waterproof makeup and every other tenacious treatment that lasts longer than we want it to.
