Great things have been achieved with the simplest of inventions.
Like the wheel. And ink. And simple beauty tools that make life so much easier and happier. Imagine removing facial hair with a spring, pinning up your hair with Velcro, or using tape to reinforce or alter the shape of your eyelid.
Epistick Facial Hair Remover
If I were the manufacturer, I’d have named it The EPICstick! — because the results I get from this little spring are nothing short of epic. Lodged between two rubber handles is a tightly coiled metal spring that works to remove those little hairs on your upper lip, cheeks, chins, and forehead.
To use the Epistick, grab it at both ends, and bend it into an inverted U-shape. Then, roll it in an outward motion along the surface of your skin to remove the hair in that area. Simple instructions for one of the most amazing tools ever invented to remove facial hair.
The sensation is similar to threading, a little prickly, but oh-so-worth it. I find it hurts less than threading actually because how much pain you endure during threading depends on the skill of the person performing the procedure. When you do it yourself, you can always pause in between for a breather. I usually do it while watching TV to distract myself from the pain, and because, well, I don’t have to look at myself in the mirror to know where my upper lip and chin are.
Having a face clear of obvious facial hair not only makes you look fresher and cleaner, it also allows for a smoother canvas for makeup application. WE WANT!
Mascara Guard
Ever done a fantastic rainbow eyeshadow look only to ruin it by accidentally getting mascara on your lids? And do you also avoid applying mascara on your lower lashes to reduce the risk of getting the product on your under-eye area? Hell, YES to both questions!
But those sad times are a thing of the past ever since I got the Mascara Guard. This oddly-shaped piece of plastic fits the contours of the eye area so that you can apply mascara without fear of staining your eyelids and under-eyes. Because I don’t have to be as careful when I use it, it also effectively cuts down the time it takes to apply mascara on my lower lashes. I don’t like to be careful because careful takes time. The double-sided comb on the other end can also be used to comb out mascara clumps or separate individual lashes.
Hair Fringe Velcro
What do you use to pin up your hair when you apply makeup? Bobbi pins, butterfly clips, a hairband?
Me? I use this.
This lightweight accessory has Velcro on one side to firmly but gently keep hair in place. Most importantly, it doesn’t leave a mark behind. Say buh-bye to kinks on the fringe and spending time blow-drying to get your hair back in shape. I can’t even figure out an easier way to describe how to use it than to say, “ just stick it on your hair.”
Double Eyelid Tape
An eyelid tape or sticker may seem strange to someone who naturally has a crease that coincides with their orbital rim (a double eyelid), but for many people of Asian descent, a flatter, smoother bone structure with more fat content under the lid results in the formation of a crease nearer to their lash line, or, in some cases, no crease at all (called a monolid). There are interesting differences in the crease and contour areas between some Asian and Caucasian eyes.
The word “crease” is used less often in Asia, and “double eyelid” is a more commonly used term. Many people with monolids use eyelid tape to create a double eyelid, which some find easier to work with when it comes to applying eye makeup. I have double eyelids, but my left one can be unstable sometimes and can turn into a triple eyelid or hooded eyelid. It has a mind of its own, I tell ya. In such cases, I also use an eyelid sticker to “coax” it back to its original state.
Eyelid tapes come in mainly 2 forms — pre-cut strips, and in a roll for those who prefer to cut it their own way.
Grease Pencil as “Picker-Upper” for Nail Art
Sweating profusely, I cursed at my nicely painted nails, which were ruined by tweezer marks and the upturned rhinestones that slipped off the tweezer. Casually, my dad came up to me and asked, “Why don’t you use this?” with a grease pencil (aka a China Marker) in his hand.
“Huh?”
He effortlessly picked up a stone from the mess with the tip of the China Marker and placed it on my fingernail. And beamed with pride.
For those who have struggled with tools like tweezers and toothpicks that never seem to be able to pick up the small rhinestones for nail art, struggle no more! Because they are made of hardened, non-toxic wax and rarely scratch surfaces, grease pencils, or China Markers, are widely used by artists and handymen to draw on plastic, ceramics, and glass, among other things.
The wax not only sticks to the rhinestone long enough to allow you to set it on a stronger adhesive (your wet nail polish), it is also extremely gentle to the surface of the stones, so you can be sure to have accurately placed gleaming gems on your nails!
Who would’ve thought that such an unassuming, plain-looking wax writing tool would be such an awesome tool for nail art?
And there you have it! 5 wacky but extremely useful beauty tools. Which one(s) have you seen or used before?
This guest post was written by Juli
Hello! My name is Juli and Bun Bun is my alter-ego. I’m a pint-sized girl from sunny summer-all-year-round Singapore, and I blog to share my love for makeup, how to apply it, and what works or what doesn’t work, all from an Asian perspective. My first makeup product was a shimmery light blue lipstick which I proudly wore all over my eyelids and lips. It cost $2.50, felt like $250, and made me feel like a million bucks.
This post was SO interesting for me! I’ve never even heard of any of these devices! The mascara guard and the hair thing are definitely on my wish list now. Thanks so much, Juli!
Kind wishes,
Antonia
Hello Antonia! You will definitely luuurrrvvveee the mascara guard and hair fringe velcro!
I use the velcro hair strips EVERYDAY when washing my face and putting on makeup! Best thing I discovered and every time I’m at a friend’s house or somewhere else and bust it out, people look dumbfounded but they realize the genius behind it when I have no dent marks in my bangs! ^_^
I get that too! LOL. People ask me with a bewildered expression “what’s that THING on your hair?!?” Yes, the best thing about it is that it leaves no trace of its pre-existence on the hair. =)
Wow, nice post haha! 😀 Interesting tool, lol 😀
omg, where to purchase these things!
That Epistick looks soooo cool! I must say, I’ve tried mascara guards and they’re more harm than good, for me.
Extremely informative! Love it.
Ooh the mascara guard looks so awesome :O
Amaaaazing post. I looked up the epistick and apparently there’s an “epi roller” and an “epi long,” too! Here’s a link for the epi long on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Long-Body-Epilator-women-bikini/dp/B004WW3W66/ref=zg_bs_234944011_26
I’m thinking about trying one of these for my legs but I’m having a really hard time finding reviews!! Does anybody have any experience with either?
The link about Asian versus Caucasian eyes doesn’t work FYI. Just want to point out it’s not just white people that have double eyelids…
Thanks for the alert Phina, it doesnt work on my iPhone too! But it seems to work fine on my computer. Oh yes, I 100% agree that not just white people have double eyelids. Coz I’m not white and I have double eyelids. =)
Oh oh, and if it still doesn’t work on your end, here’s the link:
http://bunbunmakeuptips.com/crease-and-contour-eyeshadow-asian-eyes-vs-caucasian-eyes/
The link works fine for me.
You’re right, other races do have double eyelids; however, in Asian cultures, one has to remember the race that they were exposed to were Caucasian. They weren’t just any Caucasian race, they were those of Northern European descent, which is what most American Caucasian people are and, of course, the English are. Northern Europeans are especially known for being pale, having light eyes and having double eyelids. The primary reason why so many Asian countries have a problem with people using harmful products to make themselves paler and having double eyelid surgery is due to colonization from Europeans. Europeans in these areas were always aristocrats so many of these countries learned pale = wealth. That idea still permeates these countries today. While the Western ideal of beauty is being baked (which I find disgusting. Sorry, I shouldn’t be putting in my opinion so scratch that.), the general Eastern ideal is to be white and have a double eyelid.
I cannot speak for other communities, but in terms of part of Chinese communities, that might not be the case. For thousands of years, the mainland China have been contacting various group of people who have double eyelid, ranging from Turkic peoples, Slavic peoples and of course South East Asian. In fact a lot of people of Hong Kong, having single eyelid is consider to be a Northern Chinese trade: the stereotypical Cantonese is said to be have “heavy brow and big eyes”.
Your dad is genius! What a great write up, got a few great gift ideas too.
Yes he is! Thanks for reading Renae!
That hair remover looks awesome! I will definitely look into it next time I’m at a Japanese import store (or give in and buy one on eBay).
I’m one of those unlucky Caucasians without double eyelids. I’ve got eyelid glue, but I’ve never tried the tape! It seems quicker.
Gasp im loving these wacky things especially the mascara guard ::starts googling…
Coming from Malaysia, I have seen these tools but haven’t seen the Epistick.
Where did you buy these products? I have determined I NEED them in my life. Great article, btw!
Hello beckie, thanks for reading! You can go to my blog for more details on where to get them. =)
http://bunbunmakeuptips.com/where-to-get-beauty-tools-mentioned-in-guest-post/
Great article Juli! I have the epistick and it really works wonders. The Velcro for the hair is the next thing on my list!
This is an awesome post! Where can I get the Velcro hair band?
Thanks for doing this! I am definitely looking into the mascara guard!
Hello everyone! As I have received quite a few questions and emails on where to get the items mentioned, I thought I should just do a quick post on my blog to share where I got them from.
http://bunbunmakeuptips.com/where-to-get-beauty-tools-mentioned-in-guest-post/
And do subscribe to my blog! Thank you! =D
Mascara guard is now at the top of my “To Buy” list. Didn’t even know it existed.
Great post! I’ve been meaning to get an epistick and I have the velcro thing for use with clients. I really want to get that mascara guard now! 🙂
I have always written off the epistick and the velcro as being a silly gimmicky item that’s priced too cheap for you to mind the waste.
Now I’m so tempted to try!
Thank you for the great post!! I haven’t seen any of these, but now I want the hair velcro and the upper lip hair remover!!!
I have and tried the first four tools mentioned in this post and I love them all to death!
The thing I hate about the Velcro is that sometimes I forget it’s even there and I walk out of the house looking like a crazy person and I won’t realize until I look into a mirror cause no one is willing to tell me!
I really liked the Mascara Guard & Facial Hair removers stick. I always have to extremely careful while applying mascara otherwise I mess it up, this guard will definitely will be a savior for me. Thanks for the post 🙂
I am SO picking up the Mascara Guard & epistick, what a great post, thank you! 😀
That was a great post. I was interested the whole time
I love this post! I have never heard of the items on here before but have already ordered my mascara guard to give it a try! Thanks for the advice!
i own the velcro fringe strips — pretty handy!
Thank you for the post, Juli. It was really interesting as I’ve never heard about several tools you’ve written about. I had no idea that Double Eyelid Tape even existed.
Have to say that I am NOT a fan of eyelid tape. I’m a young woman of Chinese descent. My eyes look fine and NORMAL just the way they are and I do not need to tape them into strange configurations in order to fit into an archaic Euro-centric idea of beauty.
The bit about your dad was so sweet!
And I will definitely be buying the velcro fringe thingy. Have you tried a similar product that promises to straighten hair?
Hello Shiny! Hmm… a flat iron? o.O
Epistick and Velcro cool…..Double Eyelid Tape, are you serious? I’m hispanic and do not need this, but I think Asian women are soo unique and quite gorgeous due to their eye shapes which vary widely…..it’s not even about vanity with the tape or the westernizing surgery I hear going on, it’s just having too much time on one’s hands…
OK i *need* the mascara guard and the velcro in my life!
Not sure if its just me, but i’m white hispanic and also have hooded eyes, so i wonder where i got this from. But anyway, I have tried the eyelid tape and its great for giving me that much more space on my eyelid especially for a thick eyeliner look. And i’m loving the mascara guard! I’ve just been using pieces of paper haha
What’s the name of the eyelid tape brand that you use? I NEED eyelid tape that works! Please help me! Awesome post!
Hi Rin! I really just grab any random brand of eyelid tape, no particular one. They’ve all worked fine. You can refer to my blog post on where to buy the beauty tools mentioned. =)
http://bunbunmakeuptips.com/where-to-get-beauty-tools-mentioned-in-guest-post/
Sephora has something very similar to the Mascara Guard. It’s called Lash Amplifier (or Volumateur de Cils in French) and I adore it :-).
Yay! Thanks… Such a useful article!
My roommates laugh at me when they see me wearing the Velcro strips. They have never seen them or heard of them before.
I somehow missed this fun post. I totally want a mascara shield. I wonder if the Japanese dollar stores here (Ichiban Kan or Daiso ) would have this.
I want ALL of this! hair velcro and mascara guard seems especially useful 🙂 What an awesome post! Totally bookmarked!
Totally Cool post!!
Keep it up gal!! 🙂
This was awesome, THANKS! Can’t wait to see more. 😀
it honestly bothers me so much as an asian to hear that asian beauty ideals have anything to do with caucasian influence. yes, it is a fact that caucasian beauty has historically placed emphasis on pale skin and big eyes, and these traits are often more common in people of caucasian descent than of asian descent. it is also a fact that asian beauty ideals place emphasis on the same pale skin and big eyes. however, this is nothing new; it is not something introduced to asian culture through european colonization, and asians do not aim actively or subconsciously to resemble caucasians when they want to be pale and have big eyes. historically, being pale meant that you were able to stay inside and avoid the sun; therefore, you were rich and did not have to do work. similarly, plumpness meant the same thing; you had lots to eat and not much work. plumpness is clearly not a racial characteristic, but it was equally coveted around the world for its anthropological symbolism. the epicanthic fold above a person’s eyes emphasizes symmetry between the eyes, defines them and makes them look bigger; more youthful. once again, it’s universally true that people of all races find symmetry beautiful and covet youth. NONE of this is about looking caucasian!
i just bought the epistick from ebay! that must be awesome! thanks for the tip, you’re going straight to my rss reader 😛
I LOVED that mascara Guard, awesome!!!::)
I just ordered the Epistick from eBay. Actually I got 5 for $1.00 plus a couple of bucks for shipping (from China, of course). It was cheaper to buy several than just one. If it works, I will be giving episticks to my 2 daughters and maybe a couple of co-workers. Can’t wait to get it and try it out…facial hair has been an ongoing problem for me, for several years. I am curious about the hair velcro thingie, I will check into it more, Great blog, Bun Bun! 🙂
Have you used that hair removal tool? That looks painful! I’ve read about on threading at: http://www.taaz.com/trends/trends.html but definitely have never seen that tool.
Instead of that fancy mascara guard, I use a business card and just round it over my eyelid.
I TOTALLY HAVE A MASCARA GUARD ! Never seen anyone else talk about one before! :3 Only issue is that I’m completely blind without my glasses, and don’t have a stand up mirror therefore I CANNOT see what I’m doing 😉
Contacts are a big no-no considering I have flat pupils ! 🙁
Really would like to get the epistick!! I’ve had the mascara guard thing forever and just never understood how to use it! haha.Great post!!
x
Tammy
well actually its the double eyelid tape which leads me to irreversible triple eyelids now. my eyes look even smaller after that. plus the shape is a little bit weird
its has been 4 years and i still dont see any possible solution to deal with that. ;( im thinking probably the crease is formed permanently becoz of the skin sagging ;\\\\\\
seriously im so unhappy everyday waking up looking at my eyelids.
what is the name/brand for the eyelid tape that you used? The ones i bought on e-bay are too soft to hold the upper lid thus won’t create a crease.