beauty

A DIY blowout and 6 beauty hacks that'll boost your serotonin immediately.

Schwarzkopf Brilliance
Thanks to our brand partner, Schwarzkopf Brilliance

As someone who's been dying her own hair long before the cost-of-living crisis was real, lemme tell you, home care hacks are where it's at. 

Because as much as I love a trip to the salon, my purse does not and it would be far too spenny and time crunching to keep popping in.

Watch: How to clean your beauty products. Post continues after video.


Video via Mamamia.

Enter, the do-it-yourself job. Manageable, affordable and there's just something about personal care that when someone asks "Where did you get that done?" and you say, "Oh what, THIS fresh look? I did it myself", that leaves you feeling like a total boss.

So, here they are. The ultimate and easy beauty hacks that'll instantly boost your mood. 

The do-it-yourself hair dye. 

My naturally frizzy locks were once the bane of my existence, until the young age of 25 when suddenly BAM – add grey hair to the list because damn she's ageing quickly.

I don't even want to think about how much money and time I spent fleeing to hairdressers to get a new colour. 

Then one day, sick of forking out fortunes and wasting away the hours, I picked up a hair dye kit and I’ve never gone back.

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It could not be easier. With gloves that make you feel like a professional mixologist, you simply shake a few products together, whack a towel around your shoulders and you are good to start coating those strands in the comfort of your own home with a cup of tea in hand. 

Even if you want to go bold. Because if you think home-dye-hair-jobs are just for mousy brunettes or dirty blondes, you’re severely mistaken. With the Schwarzkopf Brilliance range, experimenting has never been simpler with plenty of vibrant shades to turn up the heat on your look. Like literally, because with names like Smouldering Red and Burgundy Chic, you just know those locks are in for a good time.

Plus the permanent hair colour comes with a diamond gloss sealer for your post-colour treatment which contains keratin and apricot kernel oil for healthy-looking, stronger hair – so you can rest assured you'll be getting up to 10 weeks worth of colour intensity. 

The five minute DIY blowout.

For a woman whose hair is the lifeblood of her self-confidence, the magical properties of a blow dry are unreal. So, may I present the five-minute blowout tutorial?

This hack is doing the rounds on TikTok at the moment and for good reason. Because by following these simple steps, which involve sectioning out parts of the hair and using an airwrap or curling wand to curl them *before* pinning them up with hair rollers – you’ll be salon ready in no time, without the price tag.

@marenanicole The mousse & rollers combo = 🗝 #blowouthair #hairtutorial #hairstyleinspo #curlstutorial ♬ original sound - 🍪

The permanent brow tint.

Sometimes I dream of a world in which my over-plucked eyebrows of the noughties wake up one morning full of hope and hair.

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That day isn’t today, but let me fill you in on my saving grace.

A permanent at-home tint for brows. And when I say these dye kits are life changing, I’m not exaggerating. Because with the ability to top up your colour whenever you see fit, they’re the next best thing to, you know, actually having eyebrow hairs.

@xomelissatovar beauty on a budget <3 #eyebrowtinting ♬ Slow Motion - AMARIA BB

The coffee scrub.

Not since I visited a hammam, a Moroccan bathhouse in the backstreets of Marrakech, have I ever felt so exfoliated than as I did while using a coffee scrub from head to toe.

Not only do the granules roll against your body like they're buffing away dead cells, but they’re also busy boosting circulation and plumping up the skin.

Without that layer of grime, you’re left feeling all silky smooth and new again. Plus, it's total heaven for your hands. Throw in a cup of peppermint tea and it’s like you're in Morocco.

@katclark Coffee Body Scrub #cleanbeauty #ecofriendly #beautyhacks #simplerecipe #tipsandtricks #diyprojects #learnwithme ♬ Oriel - GOVS

The teeth whitening regime.

Can’t justify the cost of teeth whitening at the dentist? Oh, I hear you. But if you’re willing to put in the time, home care kits can leave you looking and feeling like a million bucks. 

Before any big event, I love popping on whitening strips every day for a week for that Hollywood glow. These kinds of products are not only super easy to use, once you’ve caught up on a YouTube tutorial – but they’re also super light on the wallet if you’re after a quick, short-term fix that’ll leave you beaming from ear to ear. 

@kayleebull Cut those frickers in half baby for non sensy white teeth #teethwhitening #whitestrips #smilehack ♬ original sound - kayleebull

The nail routine.

If you don’t have the patience to watch grass grow, I suggest you look elsewhere. But can I just say that after years of shellac, SNS and acrylics, I am officially done with anything that isn’t good for my nails. 

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Instead, I’ve been investing my time and just a few dollars into keeping my nails lacquered with a nail strengthening polish, cuticles hydrated with a nourishing oil and fingers moisturised with a hand cream. 

And l can confirm, the hack is paying dividends because my nails have never looked as strong, healthy or as long as they do now – and after years of nail breakage, I can’t help but smile to myself every time I look down.

Listen to You Beauty where Kelly shares three of her best kept beauty hacks. Post continues below.

The foot peel.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day... blah blah blah. The point is, give a woman a foot peel and she'll instantly feel good – trust me. 

Now stay with me, because this one is a little gross, but a week or so after you use a mask with chemical exfoliants in it, like alpha hydroxy acid, your old dead skin will start to shed. It's a bit like a reptile... but once that part is over with, you'll be left with feet that are so soft... and an instant serotonin boost. 

Get bold, brilliantly vibrant hair colour with the Schwarzkopf Brilliance range, with up to 10 weeks worth of colour intensity. 

Feature Image: TikTok/@abigaillinnn/@gilliandelzotto1/@opi

Schwarzkopf Brilliance
Take your hair colour to new heights with Schwarzkopf Brilliance!
A range of 27 high-performance permanent hair colour formulas, with up to 10 weeks colour intensity. It comes with the Diamond Gloss Sealer post-colour treatment which contains Keratin and Apricot Kernel Oil for healthy-looking, stronger hair. It’s super simple to do and locks in colour pigment for longer! Available in supermarkets and pharmacies.