Tips on Q-Tips (and How Not To Use Them)

If the product wasn't opened for you guys to see, you'd think it was a box of tissues or something. I like that it's pretty enough on the countertop for the various makeup uses it provides, but it's also perfectly sized for your standard elongated bathroom drawer here in the U.S. It's obviously your staple bathroom and makeup companion. I guess you have a pretty good idea on the obvious way to use it, but there are also a number of ways you can use this humble, often taken-for-granted everyday tool. Let me start with the number one way NOT to use the Q-tip:

Two words: subconjunctival hemorrhage.

I used it to take out my eye makeup, and I had a freak accident, and poked my eye. Thus, I have been going around with apparent redness in the eye. The doctor said it's nothing serious, and the redness should disappear in a few days. But it's still a sight to behold, and I keep on mentally kicking myself for being so careless.

Now on to the good part. Here are some ideas on how to use these:

1. Dip it in acetone to take off excess polish on the cuticles and skin. If you are into Konad nail art, you can also use this to take off excess image on your cuticles.

2. Use it to smudge liner on the lashlines for a sultry, smokey look.

3. Dip in eye makeup remover to take out stubborn mascara and liner on the lashline (just don't do what I did and poke yourself in the eye!).

4. After filling in your brows, run Q-tip along the edges of your brows to take out residue brow powder for more defined brows.

5. Apply highlighter on inner corners (tearducts) of your eye.

6. For those doing swatches of cosmetic products, use Q-tips to take swatches of your products instead of dipping your oily hands into your eyeshadows or blushes. Dipping your bare hands in your makeup is not only unsanitary but it corrodes the product and gives this rotten-looking film on top.

7. Use this to clean excess lipgloss off the sides of your mouth.

8. Use this to clean your belly button.

There you have it, some ideas but I'm sure you have more that I haven't thought about. The new, cutely packaged Q-tips retails for $3.19 at your favorite drugstores and retailers.