Inevitable Makeup Stains & How to Deal with Them

This has happened to all of us. You’ve been getting ready, when your eyeliner brush slips out of your hands and lands on your blouse. Or you notice an old lipstick stain on a kerchief. Makeup can easily transfer on to clothing, whether it’s eye shadow, blush or splash of liquid foundation or mascara. There are many ways you can get makeup on your clothes.

And why just your clothes – makeup can get onto your bedsheets, bed linen and towels, too, if you don’t remove your makeup completely at the end of the day.

Here are our top tips for avoiding makeup stains, and a guide to treating them with Vanish.

There are often three big offenders when it comes to getting makeup stains on your clothes.

• Eyeliner and mascara
  You can easily smudge your eyeliner or mascara with a finger, especially when you’re in a hurry. These smudges can be difficult to remove from your clothes and linen.
• Lipstick
  Lipstick stains are tough to remove because of the waxy and oily residue in them, more than the pigment the lipstick contains.
• Foundation
  Most women make the common mistake of putting on their clothes after wearing their makeup. This often results in the foundation getting smeared all over their clothes, especially around the collar. The foundation is stubborn and clearly visible against your clothes.

Makeup stains are inevitable but they are not impossible to remove. You can try and minimise the stains by avoiding them in the first place, but if you can’t, then these tips should help you keep your clothes and linen smudge-free.

• Wear primer
  Apply a base layer of primer on your skin so that your makeup stays on your face and doesn’t stray everywhere else! To maximize its hold, apply a fixing powder or spray once your makeup is done.
• Blot
  Blotting helps those who have oily skin. Blotting the skin throughout the day helps reset any loose makeup.
• Avoid touching your face
  The less your fingers touch your face, the less likely your makeup is to stay in place instead of getting transferred to your hands and clothes.
• Carry baby wipes
  An essential beauty item, baby wipes are brilliant for cleaning up any makeup spills or smears before they stain the clothes. Use these or cleansing wet wipes to remove makeup fully before bed so you don’t wake up to a stained pillow cover!

No matter where you are when you notice a stain, you can minimise the stain’s spread by following these top tips. You can then go home and give the stain a good once-over with Vanish.

• Eyeliner and mascara
  If the stain is due to eyeliner or mascara, take a fresh paper towel and blot the stain to remove excess moisture. To treat charcoal eyeliner, a rub of salt on the cloth will reduce the appearance of the product until you can remove the stain thoroughly with Vanish.
• Lipstick, Foundation & Concealer
  For best results, apply hairspray to your lipstick stain and allow it to set for about 10 minutes. Try coating with baby powder, chalk, or baking soda to reduce the appearance and spread of the stain until you can fully remove it with Vanish. These measures also absorb excess moisture.

When it comes to foundation and concealer, the hairspray tip mentioned above will also help neutralize the stain until you can fully remove the stain.  Once home, it’s important to treat your stains as soon as possible. Apply the fast acting Vanish that gets to work in just 30 seconds: mix ¼ scoop of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder with ¾ scoop of warm water. For best results, rub the paste on the front and back of your stain and leave for up to five minutes.

For tougher makeup stains, mix 4L of warm water with 60ml of Vanish Oxi Action Gel and allow your garments / linen to soak for an hour.

Follow these tips to prevent makeup from ruining your best clothes. So the next time you get makeup on your clothes or linen, kiss your stains goodbye with Vanish!