Vaseline, the make-up bag

Miracle

JENNIFER Lopez uses it as make-up r emover, Beyoncé coats her eyelashes with it and, last week, actress Joan Collins revealed she dabs a little on her heels and elbows to soften her driest areas.

So what is this miracle, multipurpose product? Vaseline! pots of the £1.99 petroleum jelly are a firm fixture in most of Britain’s bathroom cabinets and can be used for much more than soothing dry, chapped lips.

Here, we reveal the most unusual uses for this wonder product...

BOOST EYELASHES

INSTEAD of layering on lashings of mascara, follow Beyoncé and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini’s lead and apply a little Vaseline to lashes for a full and shiny look. This works especially well if you have naturally long eyelashes. If not, use a thickening mascara first, then apply the Vaseline on top.

MAKE SKIN SHINE

MAKE-UP artist mary Greenwell — whose Hollywood clientele includes actresses uma Thurman and Cate Blanchett — is never without her trusty pot of Vaseline in her make-up kit.

‘If you want a really wonderful glowing look, it’s the perfect product, as it will pick up the light where you want it to. It gives just the right amount of shine and creates a glowing, gorgeous, nude effect,’ she says.

‘Build colour up before, then dab it on top of the eyelids and cheekbones to give extra sheen, shine and glow, without adding more colour.’

Bollywood beauty Freida pinto is a fan of the technique to create her dewy look.

PERFECT PARTY LOOK

COMBINE a touch of Vaseline with your favourite eyeshadow and the possibilities are endless.

apply a touch of the jelly on the top of the shadow on your eyelid and blend outwards: this allows the colour to ‘travel’, making a smoky, subtle effect. or mix the shadow powder with Vaseline before you apply the colour to create a cream-based product, giving longer-lasting colour.

MAKE YOUR LIPPY STICK

ANOTHER firm favourite of Beyoncé’s is a quick and generous smear of Vaseline all over the front teeth.

This isn’t to get a brighter smile — Vaseline doesn’t have any whitening properties — but the gel acts as a barrier to protect against the dreaded lipstick-to-teeth migration.

FOR HAIRY MOMENTS

FROM frizzy to fried to fuzzy, Vaseline is the answer to all haircare conundrums.

For pesky fly-aways after blow-drying or straightening, warm a little Vaseline in between fingers and smooth over the hair. Top hairdresser Lee Stafford also recommends the same trick to inject moisture into split- ends in need of a miracle.

and don’t forget the classic trick of dabbing some on your hairline before dying your hair to avoid any fetching purple face stains, too.

TAME UNRULY EYEBROWS

TRY two bizarre beauty ideas in one — use the classic old toothbrush trick to comb through your brows, followed by a slathering of Vaseline to keep bushy hairs at bay.

MAKE YOUR MANICURE LAST

ANY manicurist will argue the importance of soft and supple cuticles for a healthy, strong set of nails.

all it takes is a Vaseline application directly to the nail bed once a week to keep your cuticles looki ng great. nail polish losing its shine? a quick slick of Vaseline on each nail will freshen up your manicure in a flash.

EASY HAIR REMOVAL

WANT r azors to last longer? apply a t hin layer of Vaseline to the blade to prevent moisture from the shower r eacting with the metal, which causes the build up of rust. or for those who prefer waxing, apply Vaseline to skin postwax for a cooling effect.

TREAT PSORIASIS AND ECZEMA

THE impenetrable moisturising barrier between the skin and bacteria that is created by applying layers of Vaseline makes the jelly the perfect skin saviour — for even the angriest of ailments.

Supermodel alek Wek has suffered from the itchy skin condition psoriasis since childhood and found Vaseline to be ‘the only thing that really worked’ to ease her irritation.

The £2 tub has also proven effective in soothing flare-ups of nasty skin conditions, from eczema to nappy rash.

STOP BLEEDING

WHEN it was discovered in 1859 by english-born american chemist robert augustus Chesebrough, petroleum jelly was celebrated as a ‘wonderjelly’ that miraculously healed cuts and burns.

more than 150 years later, cosmetic doctor and skincare expert Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh believes the true wonder of Vaseline still lies with this original discovery. ‘It can be a temporary “healing plaster” after minor burns or abrasions injuries,’ he says.

‘air does not pass through it, so it’s useful to seal wounds and help stop i nfections reaching the damaged area.’

He even recommends it as an effective therapeutic product for the aftercare of a cosmetic procedure — in particular, following laser peels.

The lack of perfumes or colourants in the standard Vaseline formula means there’s a considerably reduced risk of irritation to any open wound.

PS... AND YOU CAN EVEN USE IT TO SHINE YOUR SHOES!

VASELINE’S uses go further than purely cosmetic. use it to ease off rings stuck on fingers, or to open a tightly screwed-on nail varnish lid.

You can also use it to remove chewing gum from wood and to add the shine back to patent-leather shoes.