Well, I don’t like to be seen with bare toenails, and I’ll do ridiculous things not to be seen with bare toenails. Case in point: before my anniversary dinner last week, even though I was running late, I still painted the two nails — just the two — on each foot that were going to be visible with the shoes I was wearing. And I used nude polish so no one could tell what a messy, fly-by-night job I did (because I wasn’t wearing my glasses).
Truthfully, the reason is because I feel like my feet look like monkey paws on account of my freakishly long toes. 🙂
How about you? What’s one of your weird beauty quirks?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Katie says
I NEVER leave the house without at least swiping on some mascara. I’m in college and my 20-something friends cannot get a grasp on the fact that I feel completely in the nyood without it!
Heidi says
Off the top of my head, the one I can think of is this: I use eye shadow primer on one eyelid only. Reason being, I have one oily eyelid and one non-oily eyelid. I sleep on my side and the side I sleep on has the non-oily eyelid. If I don’t prime the oily eyelid, shadows look different on each eye. Primer on both lids results in mismatched shadow on both lids, too. Weird, huh?
Vijaya says
I won’t do my brows. Also, I regularly forget mascara. I’ll be wearing full on eye makeup, but with zilch on the lashes. Ha!
Anna says
I can’t leave home without doing my eyebrows!!! I kinda have “ghost brows” as you like to call them so filling them in makes me feel and look more complete 🙂 I’ll even do my eyebrows to go to the gym …
marisol says
Weird beauty quirk…. I sometimes paint my nails, let them dry and decide that I don’t like that shade on me that day. Then I proceed to take off polish and start over again. This happens a lot.
Christine says
I do this too! Not that often because I don’t usually get around to painting my nails, but when I do I’m notoriously picky and sometimes go through 3 diff colors before I’m happy :P!
rianna says
I do this a lot
dani@callitbeauty says
when applying primer: right-left. when applying eyeshadows: left-right. when applying mascara: right-left.
if somehow i ended up applying in the wrong order (i.e. i started with the right eye first for eyeshadow), i have to stop and go do the side i was “supposed” to start with first…
there is absolutely NO reasoning behind this, at all! =p
Giselle says
I do that too! But only because I feel like the one I applied primer to first will dry faster, so I start with that one.
Nikolas says
I can’t wear eye makeup or lip makeup on a bare face. I strongly believe in building the face up so I always start with foundation or at least some powder first. You’ll never see me with just lipstick on or just eyeliner on, but I love just wearing foundation an powder and shading my eyebrows in 🙂
Molly says
Lately I NEED (as in new habit, not really necessary) to run a damp finger over my brows after I apply tinted moisturizer and face powder. I also rub off any I get on my lips… Sometimes I run a damp finger over my brows later in the day of I think they still look dull or dusty… AND sometimes I use lip balm on them to make them stay in place, look a little shiny and darker.
Advah says
I totally do that! I’ve got thick, curly eyebrows and I always put on lipbalm on them to make them look more put together!
Gloria says
I usually apply 1 extra coat of mascara on my right lashes. For some odd reason, the lashes on my right eyes are just a lot straighter and more sparse than my left lashes. I can get away with 1 coat of mascara on my left lashes, not curling them, and have it look fake. My right lashes? Not quite as lucky.
Soos says
I understand the bare toenail thing, as one big toenail is discolored. Can’t let the WORLD see that! ~Soos stares at Tabs’ claws to figure out what color polish. Do they make kitty polish?~
kalcedon says
Well, it may be more of a fashion quirk, but even if I’m in a resort/holiday town on the lake/seaside, I won’t go to any shops or restaurants in a swimsuit or well, basically not in a normal attire… I just find that kind of gross or I don’t know, I always throw on at least a dress. Last time when we went home to our resort house from the lake, I refused to go to the shop, because I only had a swimsuit and a tee on :P… (I offered my mum and dad that we could go there when I’m dressed up, but they decided to go then and alone… and they said I was crazy :P).
Alice says
I hate going without polish on my toes too! My friens think I’m mad because I wear nail polish even in winter. But I don’t like the look of my feet without nail polish.
Another thing is that I absolutely refused to leave the house with m glasses on. Bed hair, I could stand, pale face was ok, but I HAD to have my contacts on. Two years ago I underwent surgery and NOW I SEE!!! 😀 It’s glorious!
Emma says
I always do my brows. I would ever leave house without brows done. And one of the cutest things on someone to me are dark brows and light hair *_*
Dea says
I have two beauty quirks: 1. When I paint my nails in a new colour, I can’t stop staring at them all day. That stops kind of automatically on the second day. Don’t know why…
2. Lip balm! I never leave the house without! One day I forgot to take one with me and I couldn’t stand it, I bought another one. That’s probably more of an addiction than a quirk already!
But, my boyfriend is WORST! He always uses perfume! Perfume after showering, when going to the gym, when doing “dirty work”. Last night at 1:30 am I took him to the hospital because he had such a bad backache (he’s feeling better already) and he insisted on wearing perfume though he couldn’t even walk properly! I’m not kidding!!!
Nina says
ever since i learned to do my brows (21?), i have never left the house w/o brows on. i can go out w/o powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, but i MUST have brows.
Twyla Munden says
Luv it!! I’m the same – if toes are to be seen they need to be polished!! I also never ever go without Mascara as a bare minimum even if I’m home alone..
kayla15 says
When asleep, I tend to pick the nail polish of my fingernails…Odd, I know; I go to bed with perfect nails and wake up with gross and/or barren nails 🙂
Kim says
Oh, I hear you on the gnarly feet. 🙂
I never really thought about having a beauty quirk until I saw Dani’s post above. I always line my eyes: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right. I always put on mascara: right eye, then left eye. It would take a very conscious effort to change that routine and it would definitely feel awkward. What an odd thing to realize! 🙂
L says
I can’t leave the house without eyeliner, don’t really care about anything else but the winged eyeliner is a must! Also I always need nail polish on but I get bored of it relly quickly so I go through nail polish remover so fast aha 🙂
Alison says
I can’t go without toe polish either and I most often have to have something on my fingernails too. Even though it chips quicker on my tips, when it does chip I can’t stand it and have to remove it all and start again! I also like to use the base colour and topcoat from the same brand – insane I know, I am very OCD about my nail polish!
Courtney says
I HAVE to put on perfume before going to bed. I usually save my most expensive perfumes for bed time (weird, i know). I think it’s sort of aromatherapy to me. It helps me sleep.
Mary says
I’m hardly ever without polish on my fingernails. And when I polish, I paint my left hand first…always!
Chris25 says
I deliberately wear certain outfits so I can try out new makeup. I plan my outfits around my makeup. Is that more of a makeup addiction than a quirk?
I will also purposely make a look more complicated than it should be so I can use up more products.
About a year ago, I would change my nail polish every day to match my outfit. I gave up on that. My cats demand too many belly rubs to keep it up.
Megan says
I thought I was the only one who coordinated outfits around the makeup! Do you feel you have to choose simpler outfits when you’re doing, say, outrageous bright eyes? Y’know–so the makeup is your bling? 🙂
Christine says
2 quirks:
1. After using any brush, even just barely, I have to wipe it down with an alcohol swab. I’m not really super germaphobic about other things, but since I tend to have breakouts keeping my brushes super clean and sanitary is important to me.
2. I refuse to use liquid foundation. Mac, Nars, whoever. I don’t care who makes it or how raving the reviews are, for some reason the idea of putting that stuff all over my face just grosses me out. I know there are lots now that don’t clog pores & that are even good for the skin, but I just can’t do it. I can’t.
Kelly says
I cannot leave the house without filling in the brows unless I wear huge sunglasses that cover them and won’t be coming off. My brows are too pale and I feel ghostly without them.
I also cannot let my hair dry on it’s own if I leave the house. It’s gotta be blown out and smooth lest I look like a troll. 🙂
BeccaTheCyborg says
I’m totally the same as you, toenail polish is a must! The only times I’ve gone without since I started painting my toenails were when I’ve had surgery or MRIs. This is, I suppose made stranger because I’m a bit gender…fuzzy. I’ll wear men’s clothes as much as women’s, makeup or no depending on mood, but those toenails better look cute!
Liz! says
I totally feel you on the bare toes thing, I always always have polish on my toes, because they too are long and monkey like 😀 I also never leave the house for any reason without mascara. My eyelashes are light and poke straight, so even if it’s just groceries I curl them and apply a good 2 coats. I’ve also noticed that when I apply makeup, I make some real funny faces! That might be normal though, I’ve totes seen other people do it 🙂
Stef Smith says
When I was first interested in nail polish, my Mom told me that my nails had to be clean before I polished them. I thought she meant that the dirt under my nails had to be gone, for the polish to stick. So now that I am an adult and a full fledged nail polish junkie, I never ever have dirt under my fingernails. I am convinced that my polish will come off if I do have dirt under the nails, it’s craaaaaaazy I know, but I just can’t help it!
Elle says
Can’t leave the house without at least a little undereye concealer and lip gloss. I always have to have something on my lips. I used to be really crazy about having my toes done all the time, but lately they needed a break so I’ve been toenail polish-less for a week now. Still feels weird, but I’m getting over that slowly. Oh, and I always have to comb through my eyelashes with a metal comb once I put on mascara. HAVE TO. 🙂
Rona says
I plan my clothes around my makeup too. Is it weird that I’m curious to see the ‘monkey paws’? lol
Naj says
I only feel right if I do my hair after my makeup. And I also cannot bring myself to do my eye makeup(no matter the mistakes or fallouts) before my face makeup.
Cherie says
OH Karen you make me laugh… I did the same thing the other day!! I never like to been seen without my toenails painted. Even in the winter. I think it steamed from my clumsiness of always stubbing my toes. I always have a toe that is black or something (eww I know, sorry) so I always make sure they are painted to hide my eww-ness.
Tierra says
I am with you Karen. Toes must be polished at all times. Even in the dead of winter!
Sakura says
Wow, I have some of the same quirky routines that you all do.
Perfume before bed, check
Must wear nail polish on toes, check
Wipe off my brows after applying facial powder, check
I don’t feel dressed without makeup, even though I don’t wear a lot. I don’t leave the house without it! I feel like I look really tired otherwise. It’s bad I know…
Megan says
If you’re not polishing your toes year ’round, you’re losing half the fun of owning all those sweet fall and winter shades. And if you want a punch of coral or hot pink to make you think of summer, but still want to look on-trend for the season…well, no one’s gonna see your toes in winter but you. 🙂
My quirk isn’t so much makeup (although my brows had better be filled in) but beauty overall…I’m a freak about how my jeans fall. If they’re flares, or wide legs, they had better break just right so they’re laying properly over my shoes. No bunchiness, nothing too long, no jeans ending two inches above a heel. I have specific pairs of shoes for certain pairs of jeans. My husband does not understand this. But I’m totally right.
Nicola says
I totally get where you’re coming from with the jeans. Funny story – I worked with a guy for just two nights earlier in the year (I work for a chain store and was helping out at his usual store), didn’t really talk to him aside from pleasantries, but I did notice that his jeans were far too short for his legs! Anyway, just a few weeks ago, I was walking down the street and up ahead of me (about 100m or so) I see the back of someone walking… and I said to my boyfriend, “Omg! It’s that guy from [store]! I remember his jeans!”. Yeah, I got a super weird look from the boyfriend that day.
The best part was walking past this guy when he had stopped, and it certainly was him, with his two-inch short jeans. And I picked it from a distance of a hundred metres…
Christina R. says
Karen, I am going to have to go with the “bare toes” thing too lol. I can’t stand it. On my way to chaperone prom once I also painted the two toes that were visible in the car. I was not driving of course, but it’s hard to put your foot on the dash and make sure you don’t spill the polish hahahaha.
Quinctia says
I’m right-handed, but plenty ambidextrous, as I do a lot of things primarily with my left. When it comes to makeup application, I’m almost always using my right hand. Except mascara, I use my right hand for my right eye and my left hand for my left eye. Due to my nearsightedness and need to hold a mirror close to my face, this actually works out really well.
I need to sit down and train my left hand in doing eyeliner, because putting my left eye’s on with my right hand gets so awkward…
Neetha says
I have to change my earrings at least 5 times before walking out of the door.
I go up to the door almost ready to step out, but I go back and change my earrings!!
Kate & Zena says
I cut open my lotion or anything that I absolutely can’t afford until next payday to get every LAST drop…..even if it means I cut myself in the process (and trust me, I normally do.) Everyone thinks I’m half-way insane when they see me with my scissors and I’m cutting through my cleanser or lotion or something, but they have no idea on how much stuff is still in there even though I’ve been banging on that darn tube for a good week.
Marina says
OMG i totally do the same toe thing! Right now i only have polish on the 3 nails that show in my current shoes 😀
CynthiaCCC says
I feel the same way about polish on toes. I feel sloppy without it. (But also for about the past year I’ve had one black big toenail that was growing out, so opaque polish has been a must. Not a fungus, it’s a running thing. Helpful hint: never never never go on an 8 mile run when you haven’t clipped in a while! Super-short pedis are a runner-girl’s friend. Trust me!)
I also can’t go anywhere without lipgloss or lipstick, but I sometimes forget to slip whatever I put on in the morning into my purse. I hate when that happens! So in addition to the high-end beauty stash, I have a cheap lipgloss (Bath & Body Works, mostly) squeeze tube in every purse, computer bag, my office desk drawer, etc. I’m also very seasonal about lip products—it’s always lipgloss in the summer, lipstick in the fall & winter, and spring just depends on how I feel that day.
My husband laughs at me because I don’t go anywhere without earrings. I even have little tiny double-hoops that I wear camping!
So those are my quirks. But everything else is up for grabs. I rarely wear foundation, I don’t even OWN a lipliner, and I’ve never even tried whatever primer is, but I absolutely *must* have lipgloss or lipstick, painted toes, and some kind of earrings. Weird.
PS says
I am a lip balm addict!!! It used to be DCT, now its Carmex.
I start off with gloss or lipstick in the a.m. and then switch to carmex through out the day & I touch up constantly. Can’t stand having dry lips.
Nicola says
Another vote over here for toenail polish! Although, I haven’t been able to polish them in months thanks to a bad break actually on my nail bed – polish would have looked ridiculous on half a nail! So I’ve been wearing covered shoes ever since. It’s not a huge deal now it’s winter for me though.
I also don’t leave the house without mascara and concealer. I have a red nose all the time and the concealer evens that one out, and the mascara just brightens my eyes SO much. I go from plain Jane to vaguely pretty.
The only beauty quirk I can think of that is remotely odd, is that I have a strict routine. I straighten my hair, then I put on my foundation, then do my eyes, then concealer, then I put my glasses on and straighten my hair again, and then I do whatever needs to be done to my lips. It HAS to be in this order, haha!
Stephanie! says
I have a few beautyquirks:
– My make-up can never be the same color as my outfit.. It has to be a different color but in the same tone. So if I wear purple I have to wear a cool color on my face, but not purple.
– Not sure if this falls under the category but I really hate going to the hairdresser… I guess its the combination of waiting endlessly while they wash, cut and style muy hair (it always feels like hours), my sensitive head feeling like its being torn apart (i get headaches real quick so the pulling and blowdrying is not really helping) and the usually boring conversations… So I go once every six months… I know *gasp* I have very dry hair and it actually needs chopping every six weeks , but I can never get myself to go 😀
– I know this one is very weird… but I sometimes cross my feet and use my bigtoe-toenail to peel callus off my soles, especially on the sides.. Sometimes scratching and peeling so hard my feet start bleeding. I only do this when i lie in bed or when I sit on the couch with my bare feet…
Weird anyone?? 😉
Wendy says
I have a couple of quirks…
1- I have a 2″ slice through my left brow from a kitty 33 years ago, it’s still pretty visible, well to me at least. I work the crap out of it to make it look right. Tweeze, fill, set…ughhh.
2- I only like powder-cream foundation, period. No particular reason, just do.
3- The little spot between the “bow” on my lips always fills with lipstick, gloss what-have-you, it drives me crazy. (No lip-liner in production prevents the inevitable migration).
And sister I am with you on the “toe-laquer”, because no matter how much weight I gain or loose, sick or well, happy or sad, just looking down at an awesome pedicure with OPI’s Kennebunktport (the perfect pedi-red) makes everything okay even if it’s just for that moment.