By Shannon Ray, Allure
The other night I was watching that dude walk on a tightrope across the Grand Canyon, and a few questions occurred to me: First was why exactly I was watching that spectacle and not Mad Men; and second was what tough/scary beauty things everyone should try at least once. It's easy to fall into your blahsville beauty rut-ine (get it? har har), but it can be exhilarating to try something possibly way outside the box. This is like the beauty version of burning your sweatpants and slipping on some sequined hot pants. (Except I'm totally keeping my sweatpants on for this.)
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Liquid courage.
I remember my first time (using liquid eyeliner, of course). That mess was crazy intimidating, like I was prison tattooing myself or something. But guess what? Practice makes perfect when it comes to getting liquid liner right. If you've never tried it—or feel like it's impossible to apply without looking insane—there are some tricks. Drawing on the shape you want first (cat eye, regular, whatevs) with a pencil liner makes things easier. You can also fix unevenness with a pencil. And you can dot said pencil between lashes to keep your liquid liner from looking spotty. I wear liquid liner almost on the daily, and it doesn't have to be all Amy Winehouse, party of one.
2.
Extreme color hair-apy.
You probably have your standby everyday hair color that you usually sport, old sport. (Old Gatsby habits die hard.) Have you ever tried something a little more extreme? Whether it's platinum blonde, raven's-wing black, or something even more unconventional, like cotton-candy pink, trying a wild hair color can totally rock your world. I would suggest consulting a professional on this one, lest you end up looking Carrot Top-esque (unless he's your personal hair idol, in which case I have a trunk you can borrow for your gag props).
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Nailing it.
There have been some supercrazy nail trends of late, imeanamiright? You've got everything from caviar manis to stiletto nails to studs and charms flying around the mani-verse out there. I know it's easy to keep it classy and stick with your standard nude or red polishes, but maybe take a crazy leap of faith and try a whackadoo nail trend. Your nails only live once, and maybe they want to Lee Press On some weirdness once in a blue moon.
4.
Live the lash life.
Have you heard the good word about fake lashes? I'm sure you have, although maybe you haven't tried them on account of worrying that you'll glue your eyelids shut. Just like with the liquid eyeliner, applying faux lashes takes a little time, love, and practice-ness to get right, but they can totally make for more fun face times. If you're leery of all of this madness, seek a knowledgeable friend, makeup artist, or cosmetics counter employee for initial help. But really, here's the down low low-down: Line them up from the outer corner of your eye, don't use too much lash glue, and press them right up to the lash line. You can do this (if you want).
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Bold cuts.
Have you ever wanted to try blunt bangs? Or the Susan Powter/Miley Cyrus look? Or maybe even the Flock of Seagulls haircut? (Hey, it's your world, I just report on it.) Here's the thing: It's just hair. It will grow back. And if it doesn't, you can always do the Dolly Parton (or Amanda Bynes) and throw a wig on it. Have fun with it—it's your head.
6.
Weird-science beauty.
We've all read about the cutting-edge beauty treatments out there. Stepping outside your comfort zone of DIY face masks or facials at the spa can be fun sometimes, even if you discover it's totally not your thing. I once tried dermaplaning, which is the use of a scalpel (by a professional—definitely not me) to exfoliate the facial skin and remove peach fuzz. It was kind of cool, and I can say I did it. I'll leave the vampire facials to you guys, and you can let me know how that scariness works, mmmkay?
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Trendiest trend that ever trended.
I am so that person that says, "If the trend doesn't work for you, don't do it." But getting a little cuckoo crazy and gluing rhinestones on your face area can be an exciting change. OK, so maybe file that ish under "too much," but you get my point. Trying the craziest beauty trends can be really fun, and make you look like a semicrazy badass. Try it. Let's all get on the crazy train together. Toot, toot, baby!
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