If you are looking for a bright side to the new normal, this might be it: Being forced out of your usual beauty routine gives you the opportunity to change it up for the better. Now is the best time to experiment with different beauty techniques—like a scalp detox or intricate nail art—while you’re staying safe at home. You never know, maybe you’ll pick up a habit you’ll love even after quarantine ends. Ahead, 15 essential beauty skills to learn right now from celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists, and manicurists.
Perfect a Zoom-Ready Updo
“If you spend an extra five minutes on your ponytail you can make it more special than a gym hairstyle. I sent Dakota Johnson to the Oscars in this ponytail, and to this day I still get questions about it. It’s a ponytail–but it’s all about the details. You need to use at least two elastics. By the time you’ve wrapped the elastic around a ponytail two or three times you’ve already stretched it out and it will slide. The first elastic is used to create the ponytail and the second elastic is to hold it in place. After that it’s all about the hair in front of the ears and at the nape of the neck. If you have a ton of flyaways there it’s not ‘romantic, ‘it’s messy. You can use a little spoolie brush coated in hairspray to sweep all of those little hairs into the ponytail.” –Mark Townsend, hair stylist.
Try a Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment
“This is a really good time to try pre-shampoo treatments. My clients usually tell me they never have time for it. But if you’ve ever colored your hair before you have some damage. So slap conditioner in your hair and put a shower cap on. No one’s seeing you! You can do a treatment on damp hair or dry hair. Try any type of heavy coconut oil conditioner on the mid-length to ends. If you’re not going to be able to get a professional haircut in a while, you’ll need to take great care of your ends. Look for natural nut oils— almond, coconut, macadamia—because they’re full of fatty acids that actually make up the hair, and they have a smaller molecule so they can get into the hair instead of sitting on top.”
Indulge in High-Tech Skincare Tools
“I’m a big advocate of at-home tools. I love love LED lights. I have every LED light under the sun. I have Celluma, Dr. Dennis Gross, The MMSphere by Dr. Marmur. They are not only relaxing and regenerating to the skin, it’s very healing and has so many beneficial properties. I also have at-home microcurrents like the NuFace and the pure lift from FaceGym, which I love. The thing you have to keep in mind is that you’re not going to use LED lights or microcurrents for a week and look like you’re 15 again. These are things you have to do with consistency and it takes time to notice a difference. It’s a hard space to navigate and there are a lot of gimmicky tools and it is also an investment because these tools are not cheap. But those are two treatment that I use that make a difference in my skin. So now that we have plenty of time and we’re wearing less makeup, it’s the perfect time. Put aside ten minutes (I’m a little bit extra, so I would do 30 minutes) and once you see improvement and how good it feels to take care of your skin you can go from there.
