Fairy liquid, dental floss… and duct tape: what makeup pros swear by

When it comes to DIY beauty, it can turn out well… or it can turn out really, really bad. 

It takes you outside your comfort zone, and as that can be very scary, it can also be where the magic happens. 

We've discovered you can use pretty much any household item to create a beauty masterpiece and many of the pros do too!

Popsugar spoke to the make-up masters at New York Fashion Week to find out the best uses for all the stuff you find in your home. 

But would you be brave enough? 

 

Washing-up liquid

Bok Hee, lead hair stylist at the Tracey Reese show admitted that she has washing-up liquid on hand during fashion week. "Sometimes the models' hair can be very oily when coming from another show.

"That can get tricky when the model has to have squeaky clean strands for the next runway! It cuts right through the oil."

 

Paint rollers

We know they're made for painting your walls, but they just as easily paint your body! Val Garland, lead make-up artist for MAC and Herve Leger, keeps them handy at show time. You can use them as a much easier and quicker way to apply tan all over your body. 

 

Dental floss

We know this sounds like a strange one! But Tom Pecheux is famous for using it as a make-up tool during fashion shows and photo shoots.

You can use it to line your lips or to apply liquid eye liner. Just dab your liner onto the floss, and press it up to where you want your flick to go. Hey presto, straight eye liner!

 

Mascara wands

Yes, they might come in handy for your mascara (obvs), but it can also be used to make really cool nail art.

Jin Soon Choi, lead nail artist at Derek Lam, uses them religiously, "I apply lacquer to the wand and stamp it on the nail," she explained. "Sometimes I'll bend the wand first to get a more irregular shape." 

 

Needle and thread

Sewing isn't restricted to clothing: Anthony Cole, for Sebastain Hair, explains that he often uses it if he's creating an updo. 

"If I am doing an updo, I will take all of the hair and pull it back in a rubber band. Then I use the needle and thread to make Xs through it, and pull pieces out to create shapes." 

 

Duct tape

Duct tape is typically used to seal up leaks and cracks around the house, but it can surprisingly be used in make-up too.

Polly Osmond, MAC make-up artist uses it on the eyes. "It’s like latex and makes really nice eyeliner," she shared.