40 Weird But Genius Beauty Hacks You'll Wish You Knew About Sooner

Soap for your brows? Who knew. You might have seen this beauty hack on TikTok, which involves using soap to set your brows in place. Ownest’s setting soap is particularly popular with Amazon reviewers (it has over 5,000 five-star ratings), as it was specifically designed for this purpose. Fans of the product say they’re amazed by how much fuller and fluffier their brows look, and for many, it nixed their desire to use brow pencil or filler. The gel is clear, so it can work on any brow shade, and waterproof, so there’s no need for touchups throughout the night.

When you’re doing your eye makeup with different color shadows, use this clever sponge to remove residue from your brushes between switching colors. It requires no waiting time whatsoever and fits easily into your makeup bag. The best part? It’s less than $10 on Amazon.

Here’s a fun hack: You can use a nourishing, shimmery lip balm to hydrate your lips *and* to achieve those sun-kissed highlighted cheek bones. Made with shea butter and jojoba oil, these pink-hued balms go onto your skin clear and leave behind a hint of natural-looking shimmer with a dewy finish. Grab this three-pack for less than $10 on Amazon — way less than other highlighters.

This Pink Gel Coat from Perfect Formula is brightening, strengthening, and sealing. You can apply it over and under any polish to lock it in, or, wear it on its own to give your nails a brighter, healthier look (perfect if you love the naked manicure trend). The keratin-rich formula is made with an optical brightener meant to reduce any yellowness, so your nail beds will have a rosy tone and your tips will look extra white. The ultimate low-effort nail hack.

Hopping on the colored eyeliner trend just got a lot easier. A makeup hack from TikTok, Inglot’s Duraline sealant helps you turn any eyeshadow into a liquid eyeliner. And both Amazon reviewers and social media users say it actually works. Thanks to its smudge-proof quality, it’ll ensure your eyeliner stays on point all night long — and it couldn’t be any easier to use. Just mix a drop with your eyeshadow of choice and use a thin precision brush to apply.

Apply these half-moon shaped under-eye patches before starting your eye makeup to prevent shadow fallout and save time on touch-ups. (I love that these also help me avoid mascara marks when doing my lower lashes.) You can also uses these patches as a guide for your eyeshadow or liner to give you a pro-level result. Hot tip: For easier removal of the patches after use, only pull off the top portion of the adhesive backing before applying them to your face.

Turns out diaper rash cream is so much more than its name suggests. Beauty hackers use diaper rash cream, like this one from Pipette, to treat everything from dry patches to razor burn. Pipette’s cream is fragrance-free and made with ingredients like soothing zinc oxide and nourishing shea butter, and is meant to glide on easily to help aid dryness, rashes, irritation, and more.

Just add water to the MakeUp Eraser cloth and you’ll be able to remove the most stubborn makeup with ease. Yup, even that mascara you always find smudged on your pillow. One Amazon reviewer even raved that this cloth removed a full face of drag makeup in less than two minutes, and it has over 9,000 five-star ratings overall. Simple but useful tip? Make sure you get it wet enough.

Here’s a hack you don’t necessarily even need to open your wallet for. As long as your skin has been properly moisturized, you can use any type of creamy lipstick in lieu of blush (matte lipsticks won’t work as well here). This Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick comes in thirty different shades and is formulated with shea butter, which allows it to glide onto your skin much more easily. Dab a few dots of your chosen lipstick onto the apples of your cheeks and lightly blend with your fingers or a brush for a flush to rival many actual blush products.

Save your time and your money with a root touch-up powder like Protege’s Beauty Room Touch Up. You’ll be spending way less time at the salon once you learn how easy it is to do touch-ups at home. This particular touch-up powder is water resistant and comes in black, brown, auburn, light brown, and blonde. Even if you don’t have unwanted roots poking through, you can use it to fake a fuller, more even hairline — another pro-hairstylist hack.

Grab that eyeshadow you hacked into a liner and try using a fine-detail paint brush for the smoothest, most flawless application. There are a lot of considerations when it comes to choosing the right brush for your eyeliner, and professional makeup artist Erin Parsons told Elite Daily that the brushes in this set “are small enough for precise application” and make great eyeliner brushes. Plus, you can get the whole set of 15 high-quality brushes for just $15. The brushes are all different shapes and sizes so you can experiment with different looks, too.

If you struggle with drawing on a cat eye, this is the tool for you. The Flick Stick by Lovoir is an easy-to-use stamp that helps users achieve a quick winged eyeliner look without much effort involved. All you have to do is line the stencil up from the corner of your eye to the end of your eyebrow and you’re golden. Each set comes with two waterproof pens, one for your right eye and one for your left (labeled as which). You can also choose between their three size options, depending on what style you’re going for.

Beauty lovers will know, dry lips are not something you want to mess around with when you’re trying to apply a lipstick or gloss. Turns out, instead of those buzzy lip scrubs, you can use a standard washcloth to exfoliate your lips even more effectively. All you need to do is wet it with warm water and rub it lightly across your chapped lips, and the dead skin comes right off. You’ll want to make sure you’re using a clean and quality washcloth with a bit of texture, though. If you need to stock your makeup cabinet, grab this 12-pack on Amazon, which are perfect.

Have you ever applied your makeup in a dark New York City apartment? Well, I have, and I had no idea how badly I truly wish I had one of these sooner. Lighting is everything when it comes to applying makeup, and this LED-lit Beautyworks Vanity Mirror has multiple settings, plus double and triple zoom options. Amazon reviewers say this one is light, compact, and pretty much the best ever, and it’s even available in multiple colors to suit your bathroom decor.

If your brows tend to lose their shape throughout the day, this hack is for you. According to TikToker Jackie Aruajo, this genius makeup hack will keep your brows in place and help them look less drawn-on. Simply swipe a bit of translucent finishing powder over already-filled brows and then apply your favorite gel — or hey, maybe some soap instead?

As a brunette who lightens her hair in the summer, I am all too familiar with the brassy tones that tend to come through as I wash, swim, and sweat. Discovering blue shampoo was a game-changer for me. Turns out, there are thousands of Amazon reviewers who agree with me. MATRIX’s Total Results Brass Off Color Despositing Blue Shampoo is suitable for all hair types and is formulated to reduce orange, brassy undertones after just one wash. Blondes, on the other hand, will want to go with the brand’s So Silver purple shampoo.

There’s not a lot as frustrating as making a mistake on a freshly applied face of makeup. Enter: these makeup remover Q-tips from Almay. Each one is filled with makeup remover, and they’re about to make your life way easier. Instead of reaching for a washcloth or tissue, you can use one of these fragrance-free, aloe-infused sticks to erase smudges or mistakes without disturbing the rest of your look. Amazon reviewers say they save them a ton of time and clean off anything from eyeliner and mascara to lipstick and liner. The package is small enough to throw in your purse and the sticks are single-use, so you can just toss them when you’re done.

Sensitive skin? You don’t need to use a harsh physical scrub or chemical exfoliant for a smoother, brighter complexion. Toyo’s Cure Aqua Peeling Gel is a water-based exfoliator made with gentle ingredients like rosemary, aloe, and ginkgo extract, and it also happens to be the number-one best-selling exfoliator in Japan. Simply apply to dry skin, massage it in, and watch as it removes the buildup of dead skin cells and impurities right before your eyes. And it isn’t just for your face, either. You can use the gel on your elbows, heels, or anywhere else that’s flaky or dry.

Not only do these tiny acne patches help create a hydrated environment for optimal healing, but they also help reduce redness and inflammation. Just having one of these patches over a pimple can prove extremely useful in preventing any picking, scratching, or outside bacteria from getting in. The recommended use for these is at least 6+ hours, and you can even leave them on overnight – if you do, fans of the patches say you can expect visible results in the morning. Apply the patch to clean, dry skin, and remove it once it turns from clear to opaque white.

In an Instagram video, Courtney Cox revealed that she has some efficient and effective beauty hacks up her sleeve (more on the other one later). We’ve already learned that you can use lipstick as blush, but Courtney Cox uses blush as highlighter. She loves this cream blush from Stila in the dusty-rose shade ‘Lillium.’ After using it as a blush, she applies it to her forehead, chin, and nose to add dimension and structure. If this shade doesn’t suit your complexion, the best-selling blush is available in seven other colors.

For an extra dose of shine, grab one of these easy-to-use serum capsules. Each tiny capsule contains moisturizing oils like argan, avocado, and macadamia nut, and vitamins to keep your hair looking healthy, smooth, and shiny. The best part? You don’t need to rinse it out. Simply squeeze out the serum, distribute it evenly through damp, clean hair, and then style as usual. If you’re traveling this summer and don’t want to lug another serum with you, throw a few of these capsules into your bag and you’ll be good to go. You can also keep a few in your purse for post-workout showers and last-minute sleepovers.

Another useful beauty hack from Courtney Cox’s makeup routine, these blotting papers are perfect for oily skin (or even dry skin in a humid climate). The papers help to absorb any unwanted shine or excess oil, and the packaging is extremely portable. You can use them to blot at the end of your makeup routine, and they’re also great to have on hand for midday touchups. And for less than $20, you can get a set of three (with 40 sheets each) on Amazon.

Whether you want to add a new hue to your hair or just boost an existing color, Keracolor’s Clenditioner Hair Dye can help you out. Another salon-skipping hack, this hair dye cleanses and conditions your hair and adds color, all while you’re still in the shower. It comes in 20-plus colors, from natural to bold shades, and works instantly. Get ready to stretch more time between salon appointments, without sacrificing your color.

Catching a theme here? Most things that you can do at a salon, you can do at home, too. All you need is the right product, like these Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Stencils. If you’ve gotten your brows shaped at any Anastasia location, you know they are the experts. But these brow stencil kits make it beyond easy for you to do the expert work on your own.

The kit comes with 5 different patented eyebrow shapes based on Anastasia’s Golden Ratio Eyebrow Shaping Method to help you achieve the perfect arch without much effort (or skill) involved. Tip: Try a new one out each day to see which shape suits your face best.

If you love the way a subtle glow looks, but don’t want a full-on fake tan, opt for these best-selling self-tanning drops from Isle of Paradise. You mix a few drops in with your moisturizer, which results in the most gorgeous, natural, streak-free finish. Better yet, the formula is made with good-for-skin ingredients like grapefruit, chia seed, and avocado oils. Choose from three shades: light, medium, or dark.

Definitely falling into the “weird but genius” category, you can actually use Weleda’s iconic Skin Food moisturizer so many different ways. Obviously, you can apply a light layer to restore moisture anywhere that’s dry, whether that’s on your face, elbows, knees, or elsewhere. But you can also use it as a lip mask or face mask — just use more product than you normally would, and either leave it on to sink in or blot it off with a tissue. Here’s another hack: Pro makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes uses it as a shimmer-free highlighter on her cheekbones and legs, and also to clean up makeup mistakes by dabbing it onto a Q-tip.

Freezers aren’t just for food — you can (and should) stash some beauty products in there, too, like PerfeCore’s gel face mask. Not only does this help calm unwanted redness and puffiness, but it also feels great if you have a headache, sinus infection, or a migraine — or, if you’ve simply spent a long day in the heat and want to unwind. Plus, it’s a beauty hack that doesn’t require any effort. Just lie back and relax.

Eyeliner included, no glue required. Skip the lash extensions and grab a set of these reusable magnetic lashes instead. Made of faux silk, they couldn’t be any easier to use: Simply apply the magnetic eyeliner (genius, right?), use the included tweezers to apply the lashes, and that’s it. Each set gets you lashes that vary in terms of length and drama, and they’re reusable as long as you care for them properly.

Hair is at its most vulnerable when it’s wet (meaning it’s more prone to breakage), and this towel was designed with that in mind. It dries your hair not only more gently, but also more quickly, because microfiber is an ultra absorbent material. The soft, gentle towel can also help cut down on unwanted frizz, and is much lighter weight and more comfortable on your head. Because it’s so light and compact, it’s great for travel, too.

Just like the rest of your face, your eyelids need to be prepped, too — at least if you want your makeup to stay in place all day long. So pick up a tube of Elizabeth Mott’s best-selling Thank Me Later Eye Primer, which boasts over 20,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. The waterproof formula is lightweight, which is super important in an eyeshadow primer if you want to avoid heaviness around the eyes. While anyone who wears eyeshadow will benefit from this primer, it’s practically necessary if you have oily lids.

Anyone else tend to skip the exfoliation step of their shower routine? This GOSHI Exfoliating Shower Towel makes it easy to reach areas that you’ve long been neglecting to exfoliate. It’s long enough to reach your back, rough enough to exfoliate, but delicate enough not to harm your skin. If you’re still reaching for a regular washcloth, loofah, or hand brush and not feeling like you’re getting a deep enough full-body exfoliation, give this towel a whirl.

Mix up an at-home mask with Fleur D’extase’s Aztec Healing Clay for the ultimate DIY self care day. The only ingredient in here is bentonite clay, which is meant to rejuvenate, purify, and deep clean your skin. (Just add a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or water.) You can use the clay on your face, of course, but you can also apply it to your hair or use it in its powder form for a foot bath. One ingredient for a full-on spa day.

Portable, eco-friendly, *and* stylist-recommended. What’s not to love? Superzero’s shampoo bar is deep-cleansing, nourishing, and smoothing, and can be used on any type of hair (though the brand does make bars for more specific concerns like dandruff and thinning). One bar of this soap is actually equivalent to two to three bottles of shampoo. At less than $20 per bar, that’s definitely a money-saving hack. Plus, the packaging is plastic-free and recyclable.

This ACV hair rinse is like the deep-clean you didn’t know your scalp needed. With ingredients like lavender extract, aloe vera, and argan oil — in addition to the hero ingredient, apple cider vinegar — it removes buildup, adds volume, and leaves you with that clean, just-left-the-salon hair. Added bonus: it’s color-safe and can be used on all hair types.

I don’t want to be dramatic, but castor oil changed my life. Or at least the life of my hair, brows, and lashes. Heritage Store’s Castor Oil treatment is cold-pressed from castor seeds, and can be used on all of the above areas to promote stronger, healthier hair. You can use castor oil as a mask for your hair whenever you want an extra-hydrating boost, and it can be left on overnight if you don’t feel like sitting around and waiting to rinse. (Keep in mind, though, you’ll definitely need a thorough shampoo after this one.) To apply it to your brows and lashes, you’ll just need some spoolies, which you can buy in bulk on Amazon for cheap.

You don’t need to spend a day at the ocean to achieve Instagrammable beach waves. Instead, use a deep waver like Bed Head’s Makin “S” Waver, designed specifically to create loose, beachy waves without any effort. The S-shaped barrel takes your look from polished and proper to beachy and relaxed in minutes. Start at the root and lightly clamp small sections of your hair between the barrel, holding each section for just a few seconds. No curling wand skills required.

Not only does this Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist help set your makeup and hydrate your skin, but it also will give you a dewy, shimmer-free glow. This particular spray is made with just three ingredients: glycerin, vor-mag water, and roses. It can be used on all skin types and comes in multiple sizes, including a travel size that fits easily into any purse or carry-on bag. Mist a few spritzes onto your face anywhere, anytime for healthy, dewy skin.

A mask for your feet? Sign me up. This Dermora Foot Peel Mask sheds away dead layers to reveal smoother, fresher skin underneath. To use, apply the mask to your feet and leave on for one hour. Over the next week, the old layers will peel off and you’ll be left with baby-soft feet. Choose from a selection of fresh scents, like Jasmine, Lavender, and Peach.

Bring the salon to your living room with this MEDIHEAL Hair Sheep Steam Mask. The mask goes on over your hair like a shower cap and then creates a steam to open your hair cuticles and let in the nutrients from ingredients like collagen and goat’s milk. These are perfect for when your hair is craving a deep condition and you don’t want to shell out the money (or the time) for a treatment at the salon.

Yup, that’s right. A spoon. Here’s another beauty hack that’s worth test driving next time you’re doing your makeup. To achieve the perfect cat eye, place the spoon where you would typically draw a line, and trace it with your eyeliner of choice, no stencil required. Not all spoons will work for this purpose, though — but this one has the perfect shape.