Dear DOLLY, When I was getting ready to go out last weekend I noticed my favourite mascara was a bit gooey - is it off? Can make-up go off?
A: It's annoying when your fave make-up isn't working as well as it used to - especially if you've splashed out big time and can't buy the same one again right away. Beware though, it's smart to chuck out make-up that you notice now has a funny smell, has a different colour, is clumping together or doesn't do what it's supposed to anymore. More than anything, this can be because it's dangerous to use make-up past its use-by date, so yes, make-up can go off.
It seems funny that make-up is able to go off as it's not food. But, if you can make sense of any of that scientific jargon on the back of the bottle you'll see that some of your make-up contains ingredients that include dairy, animal by-products and chemicals that will not be as effective a few months after you've bought them. As a general rule, chuck liquid makeup like glosses, liquid eyeliner and mascara after six months and all of your dry products, like powder, after a year.
Dear DOLLY, I have large pores on my nose and forehead. Is there anyway that I can make them invisible?
A: Unfortunately you can't make your pores smaller. Your pores are not like other parts of your body that can change shape, but this also means they can't get larger, hooray! Yes we know that make-up companies have pore minimising options, but these crafty little gels and creams will simply make pores appear smaller, and some can do this brilliantly well. What will stop your pores looking massive without using makeup? Stay out of the sun, use oil free moisturiser, and believe it or not wanting small pores is another reason to ditch alcohol - the morning after drinking your skin will be so dehydrated from the alcohol that your pores will need some serious treatment before they fade into the background.
Dear DOLLY, I want to lighten my hair this summer, but I'm going to be pretty poor and won't be able to afford many hair appointments to fix regrowth... help!!
A: Whatever you do, don't cover your hair in lemon juice and sit out in the sun. Some of us have had to learn this lesson the hard way, and achieved nothing more than crusty, sticky, and matted hair in need of a good wash! Also, you will get some serious sunburn after sitting there day after day! The best option is to only go one or two shades lighter than your natural hair colour. So what's the best way to do this? You can splurge on a trip to the hairdressers and only get subtle highlights, that way you can enjoy a better and more even colour. Otherwise there are tons of kits and products in the supermarket that you can have fun with. Invite some friends over, take care not to stain the furniture, and dye each others hair for a fresh summer look. Why not make an afternoon of it then head out to a party! Just make sure you test a small bit of hair first.
Words by Kylie Boyd
