The 5 free apps every beauty lover should have on their phones
Most of us are guilty of being slaves to our phones. It's just hard to put the device down when there are so many fascinating people to stalk on Instagram, right?
While ogling at other people's pretty faces and fancy makeup can pass off as "research," there are other ways to satisfy your beauty curiosities while using your phone. We searched the deep trenches of iTunes and Play Store to bring you five beauty apps you would love to use. Oh, and did we mention that you can download them for free? Have at it!
There is a multitude of makeover apps on the digital market. YouCam and ModiFace are among the more popular ones, but Makeup Plus is the one that you should own. It's perfect for trying out looks that you don't usually go for. It's also great for testing out how a certain color would look on you. The app is also good for enhancing a selfie. Do you want to try a Korean beauty trend but don't know how? Eyeing a dark lipstick for so long but don't know if it would look good on you? Test things out by using Makeup Plus.
What makes this stand out from its crowd is its ability to give a decent makeover even in the grainiest of selfies. You don't even need to look straight at the camera when you take a photo. This app will give you a makeover even if it's only half of your face that's showing.
Makeup Plus
It offers a lot of preset looks that range from cute to glam to out-of-this-world. It also has a Makeup Editor option, where you can choose which shades to use for foundation, eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick. You can even choose what type of lip product formula to use! Eyeshadow looks have preset colors. But there are combinations that would suit your every need – from neutral looks to ones that need four-color combinations. You can give yourself the chiseled look, too, by using the contour option. There are also eyebrow shape options! And if you want a total makeover, you can even try on different eye colors. It's loads of fun!
Think Dirty for iOS, Skin Deep for Android | Android, iOS
We're huge advocates of reading beauty product labels. It pays to know what chemicals you're putting on your skin and how safe they are for you. Some people also have allergies to some cosmetic and skincare ingredients, so it's best to know if the product might wreak havoc on your skin before rushing off to the cashier.
We know it's hard to memorize names of ingredients because they're hard to read and spell. That's why we recommend you download Think Dirty or Skin Deep. Both apps rate products based on the toxicity levels of their ingredients. They grade products according to how serious or moderate their long-term negative health effects are. They also show if there are no ingredients in the product that would cause serious health damage.
To use the apps, you just need to scan the product's barcode or use the search function.
Think Dirty
Both apps will show you whether a product may have carcinogenicity (can cause cancer), developmental and reprotoxicity (damage to one's developmental and reproductive health), and allergy and immunotoxicity (damage to one's immune system). They also list down the ingredients based on their levels of toxicity.
Skin Deep
Although they are similar in many ways, Think Dirty is a bit better than Skin Deep. Think Dirty explains the use of the chemicals rated as hazardous and why you should avoid them. Think Dirty also offers alternatives to a scanned product that rated high in toxicity.
Hydro Coach for Android, Waterlogged for iOS | Android, iOS
We've all been told that beauty comes from within. And it's true! Aside from your thoughts and how healthy your soul is, what you put inside your body is just as important as what you apply outside – as far as beauty is concerned. Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the sure-fire ways to get that coveted glow from within.
Hydro Coach
We’ve heard it time and again: eat properly, exercise regularly, and drink lots of water. But how much water does your body really need: 8 or 12 glasses? If you're confused, Hydro Coach and Waterlogged can help you. These apps calculate the amount of water you need to take in a day depending on how much you weigh, how long you are awake, how your lifestyle is, and how humid it is in your location.
Waterlogged
You can also set reminders on the app, so you never miss a drink. With Hydro Coach, your reminders will come with interesting facts about how drinking water affects your health.
What could be worse than putting a product on holy grail status, only for it to be discontinued? It's annoying when you've found your signature scent but they halted its production. If you don't have backup that can last you a lifetime, you can just look for something similar. With the help of Perfumist, you can find the perfect replacement.
You can search for a perfume by gender, brand, concentration, and notes. You can also search for a specific perfume. Once you select a perfume, the app will show you its concentration, what its top notes are, and what products are similar to it.
Some of us bring half our makeup stash with us when we leave the house, while others keep it to a minimum. No matter what type of beauty kit packer you are, though, there are just moments when you forget to bring a compact or mirror. The one thing we're least likely forget are our phones.
So, how convenient is it that you can use your phone as a mirror, too? Sure, you can just use your phone's front camera. You don't always get good lighting, though, so using your camera might not be as convenient as you'd hope. The Mirror app works even in the dark since it offers a night mode option. You can also zoom in on your reflection, which makes it perfect for applying lipstick or checking if you're falsies are still in place.
Runner-up: Stash
This app's concept is straightforward and cool. It lets you keep up with your stash! Using the app, you can list down the products you're using. The app will show you when you need to run for a refill or a new product. It will also notify you when the products you listed go on sale. The sales are based on the US market though, so that's minus one point. But it still sounds amazing, right? The reason why this is only a runner-up is because it's not available on Android. If you have a handheld Apple product, though, download away.
Have you tried any of these apps before? What do you love that we missed?
