We put on a full face of makeup using only Q-tips

Let’s be real, I’m lazy when it comes to applying makeup. Although my ultra freckly complexion inhibits the wearing of foundation, even my eyes-only makeup regiment can seem tedious at times. I’m constantly losing my brushes (not that I know what any of them are supposed to be used for) and I never have more than five or so minutes to do my makeup.

Because of this, I am always looking for super easy makeup hacks that even an amateur like me could pull off in a pinch. After finding myself using an excessive amount of Q-tips for various things, I wondered if it was possible to apply an entire face of makeup with only Q-tips. That’s when the fun started.

Two makeup gurus and friends of mine, Lauren and Kiernan, bravely and politely agreed to help me on my journey to the truth. Their methods and reactions are as follows.

Step 1: Foundation

The gals both applied liquid foundation with their Q-tips and found it a little difficult to manage. The Q-tips made the application take forever, blending was tough and their faces looked “cakey.” They did appreciate that the product was applied evenly but not the tiny surface area of the Q-tip. Lauren’s only tip for foundation is “the liquidier the better.”

Step 2: Contouring

Initially, they tried concealing their under-eyes and contouring their cheekbones, which ended up wiping off foundation instead of blending it. It also added to the existing thickness and weight of the makeup, which is not exactly the look they were going for. After little success, they decided instead to go with nose contouring, which worked much better because the Q-tip “is more precise and makes nicer lines than the contouring brushes.”

Blending also proved to be a challenge on the nose contouring, but did not have as big of an impact as the cheekbones.

Step 3: Eyeshadow

This proved to be the easiest of all the makeups to apply using a Q-tip. Untouched, the swab provides a cut crease, which makes the look more dramatic. If you pull the cotton apart a little bit, the powder blends better and you can wet the Q-tip with your mouth to prevent any eyeshadow from falling off while you’re applying it, and to create a richer color.

Kiernan commented that even though she loves all her makeup brushes, a Q-tip would easily work in a dire situation or in a time crunch.

Lauren’s sunset smoky eye actually turned out really well.

Step 4: Eyeliner

Lauren tightlined her eyes with a dark brown eyeshadow while Kiernan opted for a pencil and then smudged it out. The Q-tips worked well for the liner and gave the eyes a more smoky and finished look. Fortunately for them, I did not force them to use the Q-tips to apply their mascara.

Final looks

Their finished looks were relatively easy and exceeded all of our expectations. The Q-tips worked best for nose contouring, eyeshadow and eyeliner, and worked worst for blending foundation.

Lauren commented that that it would be possible to succeed and “only have one brush for blending and use the Q-tips for the rest.