Hopelessly Heather

This beauty tip comes to you courtesy of the 1990s! 

I hear it from people all the time: I don’t think [fill in the blank with a beauty product] is working. In today’s society, we expect immediate and dramatic results and if they aren’t obvious to everyone around us, then it must not be working!  I get it – I’m even sometimes guilty of it!

One tip to test out if something is working or not: try it on one part of your face/body.  Similar to the tanning bed days of the 90s with the stickers of Playboy bunny ears you’d put on your hip to see how dark you were getting, using a lotion or cream on only a portion of your “problem” area will help you determine whether or not you are actually achieving results.

Example: When testing out eye gels that take away puffiness, apply it to only one eye, then check in the mirror after 15 minutes to compare both of your eyes.  If you apply it to both at the same time the results may not seem dramatic, but the difference will be much more obvious if you can compare one treated eye to an untreated one.

Not sure whether a particular moisturizer is doing its job compared to your old one?  Use the new one on half of your face and your old one on the other half over a couple of weeks.  Compare sides and make your determination.

For things that can’t be tested out in bits like above, take before and after photos. Photographic evidence doesn’t lie. Do the best you can to take photos in similar lighting and at similar angles to make the comparison easier.

Or use some other form of measure.

Example: Testing out a new lash serum?  Use a piece of white paper under your lashes when taking the photos so that there is no other visual “noise” to determine whether or not it’s actually working and, if so, how well.

Being able to compare and contrast before and after use of a product is key to determining its true effectiveness.  Instead of only seeing lack of results we were hoping for, we see actual results.

What tips do you use to decide whether a certain product is working or not?  Let us know in the comments!