20 Fashion Tools and Tricks Every Girl Needs To Know

1. Never pat a deodorant mark, it will just sink into the fabric further. Keep a pack of baby wipes handy as nothing removes the white marks faster.

2. Shoes feeling a bit snug? Simply fill a ziplock bag halfway with water and put them into the toe section of the shoe, pop into the freezer overnight and come morning, voila – your heels will be half a size bigger.

3. Let’s be honest, we all get sweat stains but we don’t all want to keep them which is why we keep a water bottle of lemon water handy. Spritz a couple of sprays onto the um, affected area, before washing and say sayonara to sweat stains.

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4. When your sweaters get a bit scratchy, reach for the salt. True story, if you have clothes that need a bit of softening up, just dunk them in salted water overnight and voila – super soft snugness.

5. Living in Hong Kong, you can never be sure when to expect the next downpour which is why, if you haven’t heard of waterproofing – get ready to have a life changing (or at least fashion changing) experience. Just a little bit of beeswax, applied every two to three months, will turn those shoes from soggy to sublime.

6. Not that we wear them that often in sunny Hong Kong, but sometimes the overzealous office AC calls for a pair of tights. To stay snag free all day, simply spritz on some hairspray in those areas prone to runs (think ankles, calves and top of thigh.)

7. Love the occasional glass of red but not always that graceful? No worries, splashing a little drop of white wine onto your red wine stain will have it out in a jiffy. Plus, it gives you an excuse to open another bottle of wine. Ideal.

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8. When we can’t get rid of the musty smell that often comes with vintage clothes, we reach for the bottle. Just get a bottle of vodka and mix one part vodka to two parts water and spritz to turn those duds from musty to marvellous.

9. Oil stains are the stuff of nightmares, unless you have this secret remedy! Simply pat on baby powder and leave overnight. For stubborn stains, repeat until it’s vanished.

10. To ensure some serious mileage from your bras and swimwear, always wash it by hand. The temperature and sheer speed of the washing machine means the elasticity gets lost and no-one likes a saggy swimsuit do they?

11. Thinking of putting on that newly ironed top? Slow your roll. Wearing freshly pressed duds can cause new wrinkles to form, so for line-free perfection, leave on the hanger for five minutes.

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12. They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend but let’s face it, so is a cocktail. Nothing cleans diamonds faster or better than a dose of gin so bathe your bling, pop back on, pop in some tonic and ta da! – the perfect pairing.

13. Got a last-minute hot date and no time to put on a fresh face? No worries, just pinch the apples of your cheeks to add instant colour and shine, give your hair a quick brush to bring back the gloss and if you have time, drop in a couple of eye drops – nothing says fresh quite like dazzling peepers.

14. No matter what the label says, the best way to wash cashmere is by hand. When it comes to drying, squeeze lightly (and we mean lightly – you don’t want it to lose shape) and drain excess water by whizzing in a salad spinner. Yes, that’s right, a salad spinner.

15. Need to get that tum flat in a flash? Easy, ditch dairy for up to three days before the big event.

16. To get a little more life out of that manicure just add a layer of topcoat – the extra shine will really revive dull nails until your next salon stop. That is unless your nails are chip city – that’s one look that will never be chic.

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17. A shiny nose and lack of powder could almost be classed as an emergency. Unless you can find a bathroom with one of those paper toilet seat covers – ideal to be used as a blotting tool.

18. For when you are running on empty, fake it until you make it with the help of a flesh toned liner. Just a gentle line on your lower inner rim will have you looking bright eyed and bushy tailed in an instant.

19. While we most certainly have a penchant for candles, what we are not so keen on is when blowing them out brings wax all over our clothes. To wave goodbye to wax, simply place waxed paper over the stain, run a hot iron over the top and hey presto – the paper will take up the wax.

20. We really saved the best for last with this one. Stain on suede? Just get a stale crust of bread and rub to wave goodbye to pesky marks. Isn’t that just brilliant?!