Stop your lipstick from bleeding
Short of a lip liner but don’t want your lipstick to bleed everywhere as you go about your day? The solution is simple: Q-tips! Dipping the cotton swab in translucent powder or setting powder that matches your skin, and running it around the outline of your lips, will give your lipstick serious staying powder without a lip liner.
Loosen a stubborn zipper
Stuck zippers are endlessly frustrating, especially when they seem to be caused by nothing in particular. If you’ve got a zipper that’s stopped moving, but there’s no fabric or threads trapped in it, then try rubbing it with a Q-tip that’s been dipped in olive oil or shampoo. This should loosen the zip without making an even more annoying mess.
Tame unruly eyebrows
Ever since the 2010s began, the trend has been for thicker, fuller eyebrows, rather than the pencilled-on, ultra-thin brows of the early 2000s. To achieve this look while still looking professional and put together, try dipping a Q-tip in a little bit of Vaseline and swiping it across your brows. This will tame stray hairs and encourage them not to budge.
Remove scuff marks from shoes
Everyone has been there at least once; you’re about to head out to a job interview, an important meeting or a fancy dinner, and you realise your favourite shoes are scuffed. However, you don’t need to delay and bring out a whole shoeshine kit to fix things. Simply dip a Q-tip into a little bit of nail polish remover and rub it over the spot.
Make lashes appear more voluminous
Everybody wants longer lashes, but there’s only so much that mascara by itself can do. If you apply a coat of mascara as normal, then swipe your lashes with a Q-tip dipped in a sparing amount of translucent powder, your second coat of mascara will make your lashes look thicker and fuller. A Q-tip can also be used to separate clumping.
Stop nail varnish from getting messy
An at-home manicure is a great way to save money and get exactly the design you want, but if you’re not accustomed to doing it all the time, chances are you’ll go at least a little bit outside of the lines. The good news is, a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol can be swiped around the nail to clean up.
Clean up eyeliner mistakes
No matter how long you’ve been successfully doing your make-up, everyone has those days where they just can’t get their eyeliner to even out, no matter how hard they try. Next time you make a mistake, don’t just make the other eyeliner flick bigger, and instead use a Q-tip dipped in concealer or lotion to erase the error.
Light a candle with a short wick
Many people abandon their candles before they’re even halfway used up, simply because the wick becomes too difficult to light with a conventional lighter. However, it’s simple enough to light a Q-tip and then reach into the candle to light the wick from the bottom with it. No more sad abandoned candles!
Carry perfume for on the go
Everyone wants to smell good all day long, but carrying around bulky, heavy perfume bottles is a pain, especially since most formal purses can’t accommodate them. Avoid lugging a backpack to the posh dinner you’re headed to, or paying extortionate prices with the bathroom attendant, by spritzing a little perfume on a Q-tip ahead of time and applying it to your pulse points periodically.
Clean a dusty hairdryer
When it comes to household cleaning, a hairdryer is one of those things that often gets skipped over, despite how often it’s used. Getting it to go from dusty to like new again isn’t all that difficult though, as a couple of Q-tips can be used to clean out the dust, gunk and built-up hair without the need for disassembly.
