5 Beauty Secrets Every Woman Should Know

Thanks to Publix and Dove for sponsoring this post via Lunchbox.

As a little girl, I’d watch in complete and total awe as my mother applied her lipstick or curled her hair. She seemed like a glamorous movie star to me, and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to fit into her high heels and steal her red lipstick. As I counted the days until I’d be allowed to wear makeup, I asked her to share her beauty secrets with me. Every day, she’d patiently explain what she was doing, and she’d even let me try out the products myself. Of course, she’d make me wipe off my lipstick before we left the house, but I felt so fancy and elegant – even if it was only for a second. As I grew older, I continued to learn more beauty traditions from my mother and grandmothers. They were all so timelessly beautifully, and I wanted to grow up to look exactly like them. Now that I’m grown, I still use my family’s beauty tips and tricks nearly every day, and today I’m sharing five of my favorite beauty traditions with you! They’re simple and straightforward ways to solve everyday beauty problems that actually work!

Tip #1: Never go to bed without washing your face

All of the women in my family consistently reminded me to wash my face each night before going to bed. Sleeping in your makeup can lead to breakouts and uneven skin texture, and this extra step in your nightly routine only takes a minute or two. Whenever I’m too lazy to wash my face, I always regret my decision. I may get two extra minutes of sleep, but I wake up with splotchy skin and blemishes that last the entire day! My grandmother always told me to stick with simple cleansers, like Dove soap. She swore that washing her face daily with a bar of Dove soap kept the texture and tone of her skin smooth and even without any irritation. For years I resisted her advice and tried every single gimmicky face cleanser on the market, but my face was always left irritated, red, and dry. Then I heard a famous dermatologist mention that the only item in her skincare routine was Dove soap, and I realized that my grandmother had been right all along. Find a cleanser that’s easy to use and gentle on your skin, and your skin will thank you!

Tip #2: Choose Makeup Colors that Are Flattering Instead of Flashy

I still remember the day that I bought my first makeup set. My mom took me to the local drugstore, and I quickly filled the cart with bright blue eyeshadow, neon pink blush, and purple lipstick. She explained to me that you have to choose your makeup based on what flatters your skintone and not what catches your eye. Sometimes the most flattering blush might be a boring color like a pale and dusty mauve, but that bland color transforms into the most beautiful natural flush on the cheeks. If you’re not sure what colors work best for your natural coloring, make an appointment at your local beauty counter and try on a variety of shades. You’ll be surprised that sometimes the colors that excite you the least end up looking the best on your face!

Tip #3: Always Have A Beauty Emergency Kit

Growing up, it seems like there was a beauty mini-emergency nearly every day. Whether I had a run in my stockings, a giant hair sticking up on the side of my head, or a random zit on my forehead, it seemed like my mother always had the solution to my problem in her purse. She stocked her handbag with the beauty essentials: hairspray, clear nail polish, lip balm, lotion, lipstick, and maybe an aspirin or two. Here are a few examples of how these simple items can solve nearly every beauty problem:

• Hairspray: Of course hairspray can smooth your hair and lock your hairstyle in place, but it can also be used to stop runs in stockings and remove stains from leather items. Hairspray can also be used as a finishing spray to keep your makeup in place all day long! I keep a bottle of Dove hairspray in my purse at all times because I love the formula and scent of their line. It solves so many of my beauty problems, and it works miracles on my hair!
• Clear Nail Polish: Clear nail polish instantly adds shine to bare nails, but it can also be used to smooth out mistakes in your polish application with other colors. This beauty can also smooth loose threads, attach a button, stop a run in stockings, and camouflage ragged cuticles. I’ve even seen clear nail polish used as an emergency replacement for tape or glue!
• Lip Balm: Lip balm is famous for replenishing the moisture in your lips, but it can also be used to moisturize and soothe irritated skin on your face and hands. I’ve used lip balm to smooth my cuticles and to add a youthful sheen to my cheeks over blush. You can mix your favorite lipstick with lip balm to create a sheer tint for your lips or cheeks, and it can also smooth loose of flyaway hairs!
• Lotion: Lotion is obviously wonderful for moisturizing dry skin on your body, but it can also be used to soothe dry skin on your face or hands. You can also use a dollop of lotion to smooth your hair and prevent flyaway hairs or split ends. If you’re stuck with the wrong shade of foundation, you can dilute the color with a bit of lotion to create a more sheer tint that will blend in with your skin tone!
• Lipstick: My grandmother always mentioned the importance of adding a bit of color to your face. A rosy glow on your cheeks and lips instantly makes you look healthy and awake! Instead of packing a bag filled with a variety of colors, the women in my family would simply pack one mid-toned pink lipstick. For a light pink glow on your cheeks, simply rub a tiny bit of lipstick between your fingertips and pat the color onto the apples of your cheeks. If you want to achieve a natural lip color, simply dab the lipstick onto the center of your lips and distribute the color with your finger. For a more dramatic look, apply the lipstick straight from the tube!
• Aspirin: Aspirin works wonders for headaches and general pain, but it can also be crushed and applied topically to reduce redness and swelling from blemishes or sunburn.

No matter which products you include in your beauty emergency kit, think outside the box and look for every single way that you could possibly use a product. Keeping your kit small makes it more convenient to travel with and easier to use!

Tip #4: Protect Your Skin From The Sun

Some children get reprimanded for sneaking candy, but I’d get in trouble for getting a sunburn. My mother would slather high SPF sunscreen on my face and body every day when I was a child, but I hated every minute of it. I wanted to be tan, so sunscreen seemed liked the enemy. As a young teen, I’d head to the beach with friends and purposely leave the house without sunscreen. I was dying to achieve a dark summer tan, but I’d come home looking like a red lobster instead of a tan beach goddess. I’d inevitably get a lecture from my mom about skin cancer, wrinkles, and sun spots, but I’d roll my eyes thinking it wasn’t a big deal…until I noticed my first wrinkle. I still remember calling my mom and apologizing to her for all of the times I’d fought with her about sunscreen because she was 100% right. Guarding your skin from the sun with sunscreen, hats, and SPF clothing helps to prevent skin cancer and premature aging. If you’re looking for the most effective way to keep your skin looking young and beautiful, wear sunscreen every single day regardless of the weather!

Tip #5: Don’t Take Beauty Products Too Seriously

While my mother and grandmothers encouraged me to keep my look timeless and classy, they always reminded me that makeup, hair, and nails doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Getting dressed up is supposed to be fun! If you want to wear purple nail polish, go for it! If you’ve always dreamed about rocking neon pink lipstick, do it! If you don’t like the finished result, you can simply wipe it off and start over again. One word of advice, though: if you’re going to try a new look, don’t choose an important day to start experimenting. No one wants to have bad hair on their wedding day or look back on their graduation photos in horror!

My mother always reminded me that the best beauty products didn’t have to be expensive. She’d simply pick up her favorite items from the drugstore or Publix, so I do too. Publix has the best deals on my favorite Dove soap and hairspray, so don’t forget to check out their beauty aisle when you stop at the store for groceries!

While all of these tips are incredibly useful in my everyday life, the most important family tradition I learned about beauty is that it comes from within. My mother and grandmothers always reminded me that no amount of makeup can make a rude or mean-spirited person beautiful. They reminded me that true beauty was shown through kindness and love and that sharing a smile was far more beautiful than any shade of lipstick!

You can learn more beauty tips and tricks by liking the Discover More In Store page on Facebook! They’re sharing an amazing video from Dove right now, and they want to hear from you! Right now, if you leave a comment with your family beauty secrets and your love for shopping at Publix on the Dove video post, you’ll have the chance to be featured on the Discover More In Store Facebook page in the form of a beauty mantra graphic! Don’t forget to share what beauty means in your family as well as your family’s beauty secrets on social media. Use the hashtag #DiscoverMoreBeauty, so that I can follow along with your conversations!

What does beauty mean in your family? Do you have any family beauty secrets that you’d like to share?