Ten beauty commandments, half serious and half humorous, once set out a simple idea: everyone has a few rules they wish the world would follow. They cover eyeliner at the lash line, brows that are not pencil-thin, blush kept on the cheeks, and a fragrance that smells like a freshly cleaned bathroom. Whether they are law or just opinion is up to the reader.
Why personal rules work
A short list of firm preferences is useful because beauty advice is usually too vague. “Do your brows nicely” means little. “Do not over-pluck them” is something a person can act on. Most of these commandments are about restraint: less product, less drama, fewer irreversible choices.
They also come from lived habits. A short haircut makes conditioner hard to keep off the scalp. Naturally dark body hair makes the dream of a smooth finish a long project. Good rules start from the problem a person actually has.
The commandments, and how to follow them
Hair
The first commandment is a hairless body, apart from the head and brows. In September 2010, Kim Kardashian told Allure she was devoted to laser hair removal on her arms, bikini line, legs and underarms. The writer admitted to the same wish, and to constant tweezing of upper-lip hair. Darker, denser hair generally needs more sessions, so expect a long process.
A second rule is to skip conditioner if it makes the scalp itch. With short hair, product easily reaches the roots. A leave-in treatment applied after the shower, kept to the lengths and ends, is the workaround.
A third is to avoid limp, two-toned hair. Salon visits are expensive, and a pale blonde that grows out badly means constant touch-ups. Choose a shade that ages gracefully.
Eyes and brows
Eyeliner belongs at the lash line, not floating above it, because a flash of bare skin shows with every blink. The fix is easy. Curl the lashes first, lift the lid gently, and use the brush to work the colour between the lashes.
Brows should never be tadpole-thin. The commandment warns against the single-line, sky-high arch that makes a face look permanently surprised or angry. Bushy and ungroomed beats over-plucked, since hair can grow back slowly but a mistake is hard to hide.
Lashes should not be Snuffleupagus-sized either. Seen from above, a thick strip of falsies is all anyone notices, and a dramatic signature look can overwhelm the person wearing it.
Cheeks, hair height and scent
Blush and bronzer are for the cheeks. A light dusting on the nose bridge and brow bones is fine, but not across the whole face. Even a favourite pink should not turn the cheeks into a traffic cone.
The poof, made famous by Snooki and the Jersey Shore cast, gets a conditional pass: fine in Jersey, and in Singapore the high-headed style had its own fans long before. Just keep the height reasonable.
On fragrance, the commandment is cheerfully contrary. Favourite scents that friends say smell like clean, fresh toilets are still favourites. Clean and airy has its appeal.
The last rule is no long nails. They are poor for scratching and leave red marks, so the writer chose scar-free skin over lacquered length.
Common mistakes
- Lining too far from the lashes. A gap shows the moment the eye closes.
- Treating bronzer as foundation. It adds warmth in small amounts, not coverage.
- Plucking in a hurry. Brows are easiest to ruin when over-groomed in one sitting.
- Applying conditioner at the scalp. Keep it to the mid-lengths and ends if the scalp itches.
- Chasing a trend that grows out badly. Hair colour is the costliest to fix.
Everyone can write their own ten. The best commandments are specific, a little funny, and based on something that has actually gone wrong.