Beauty hacks you won't stick with

In the never-ending quest to rein in my vanishing youth, I'd like to think I haven't overlooked a single beauty hack. I mean, if someone says 'it works' or shows me how great it makes them look, I'm going to be online in a flash, hunting down whatever product it is that I need to get the same result.

In fact, I make the peregrine falcon look like a rank outsider in the race to swoop up the latest 'in' cosmetics. I remind myself of an over-eager jumble sale goer, primed to tackle a pile of musty old ponchos rugby scrum-style. I envisage myself buried beneath a mountain of ghastly patterned knits only to rise up like a phoenix, hand outstretched and clutching for dear life (right next to the 'everything 50p' table)... a super-sized bottle of Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation. Or, perhaps, the Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette.

There is something dangerous about watching too many YouTube videos and shopping channel presentations - they compel you to part with oodles of cash. Especially if you are a woman of a certain age who can't quite accept that it's 'all over'.

It's about getting from Z back to A and having the intuition to know, really know, what cutting-edge products are going to get you there the fastest - if at all. And it can't be just me who feels like a faded hydrangea in the late 'vintage' stage of decay. For us beauties turned reluctant frumps, there's always that glimmer of some sort of redemption; hope that the next 'big thing' in cosmetics will make us look and feel fabulous again. You know, be the head turners we once were.

But... Even I, the wannabe reincarnation of Benjamin Button, have had to draw the line somewhere. Some beauty hacks are just that little bit too much of a faff. Products that bring out the 'Can I really be bothered?' in me. And, because of my over-arching desire to turn back the clock and usual reluctance not to miss a trick, I figure the same products are likely getting the cold shoulder from you too.

So, what is it that turns off the most ardent Anti Agers?

Eyelash Curler

For something that resembles a mini gynaecological implement, I'm amazed the lash curler ever took off. Yes, it curls the lashes and makes them look longer - if you want to chance pinching your eyelids together. It's a sort of crude press but so revered that it is now commonly thrown in with make-up bundles. You are unlikely to find a beauty influencer who doesn't use one.

It's like reversing around a corner for a nervous driver - and then being compelled to wallow in the competency of an expert overly keen to show off their prowess. 'I'll just pop the lash curler on' - and two seconds later they've achieved First Class Honours in being Perfect.

With diminished youth comes diminished eyesight and I, for one, would not bet on a curler even reaching my eye - let alone the lashes. It's a tool that strikes the fear of God into me. I can't believe you can even buy heated ones!

And, you know... You don't need an eyelash curler. A mascara primer will lengthen your lashes and a mascara with a curling wand will shape them nicely.

Lip Liner Pencil

They drag, always need sharpening and most often don't match the lipstick you want to wear. The lip liner pencil is something that gathers shavings at the bottom of cosmetic bags, perhaps dug out once in a blue moon for a special occasion.

For a product that is supposed to define the lips and make them look fuller, it seems odd that I've only ever used one in a bid to stop lip tints from 'bleeding'.

The truth is liner wax is nearly always too dry to easily apply and wears down so quickly that lips are forever in mortal danger of being scratched by the pencil's sharp edges.

Retractable liners are easier to use but not as easy as the straight edge of a new lipstick.

Brow Styling Soap

This isn't a bad product if you want to flatten and shape your brows. It works. In much the same way as Vaseline but without the blinding sheen.

The issue is that it is yet another make-up routine step. A few flicks with a brow pen will often do the job. Who has got the time to then roll an angled spoolie brush in soap and manicure brows like the hairs on a Crufts contender? Not me!

Eyeshadow Primer

This one pains me. As an out-and-out eyeshadow addict, eyeshadow primer should be a daily staple of my routine. Alas, it is not.

Apart from face primers and concealers doing just as good a job, they have a distinct disadvantage for busy - or disorganised - gals. Primarily sold in small tubes, they have a knack for getting lost.

I've currently got two tubes - somewhere. The fact that I am not going out of my way to locate them says it all, doesn't it?

Beauty Hacks

The web is littered with beauty hacks - some good, some bad. The truth is that the ones we are most likely to stick with are super-easy, don't cost much and offer true benefits. The knack is finding them.

Eyeshadow Tutorial