When I ran my first obstacle course race, I envisioned crossing the finish line triumphantly, a big smile on my face, glowing with the joy of achievement. In reality, it was a sweaty and humid unseasonably warm day, but in my race photos I look great. My secret? I ran in a full face of makeup.

Summer is truly the worst. I loathe sweating and chafing, and I find wearing sunscreen only slightly more bearable than wearing hats. Of course, I love wearing makeup - but my oily skin makes its own makeup remover all day long, and it works overtime in hot weather.

Video: When you need to go to a fancy event, or just want to look nice on a regular day, it's always a challenge to find a quick hairstyle to do yourself. Luckily, our creative producer, Heather, showed us this great trick for a reverse French braid.

Over-the-counter spot treatments seem downright miraculous, claiming to zap pimples in a matter of hours. As it turns out, that isn’t how anything works — and if you break out all over your face, selectively treating a few spots is, at best, a pretty inefficient strategy.

Most makeup products don't list an expiry date on the packaging -- but this doesn't mean they last forever. Quality degradation, flakes of dead skin and harmful bacteria are just a few of the reasons you might want to clear out your vanity. (Remember - you're putting this stuff on your face!)

If you're unsure when to replace old, half-used cosmetics, this handy cheat sheet lists the "best before" dates for 21 common products.

If there’s one makeup technique that separates pros from amateurs, it’s complexion work. Convincingly faking perfect skin with makeup requires a working knowledge of colour theory, lighting, skin types and cosmetic formulations — not to mention a lot of experience.

Many people have an appearance of dark circles on the lower eyelids, and they have many different causes. Fortunately, it's possible to treat these superficial ailments - but first you need to identify what's causing them.

I got my nails done a few weeks ago, and it felt great, but I highly recommend trying Wanna Nails (iOS, Android) before you head into the salon so you aren't fumbling around with colour choices. And if you're more a DIY person for nail maintenance, you can avoid purchasing a colour you end up hating. Let the powers of augmented reality help you preview different colours on your nails with the tap of a finger.

Thick, fluffy brows — you know, the ones you plucked into submission in the 90s that refuse to regrow — are making a serious comeback. For those of us with naturally "meh" brows, the deluge of readily available tinted eyebrow gels in recent years has been a godsend: a good gel emphasises the hairs you already have, making it that much easier to pretend your brows are naturally luscious.

Most people who wear makeup do so to look like a better version of themselves; "better" translates roughly to "prettier," which is almost invariably code for "younger." A fresh, youthful glow has long been the desired outcome of makeup application, and the recent explosion of highlighting means it's easier to achieve than ever.

Who says men can't use makeup and other beauty products marketed toward women? With the help of some nice people at a local makeup store (and my girlfriend), I found some items that even the manliest of men can use discreetly and comfortably. Trust me, the only thing people will notice is how good you look.

I have extremely oily skin, which I choose to see as a plus: Sure, I spent my 20s fighting stubborn nodulocystic acne, but maybe all that extra oil means I'll age more slowly than my dry-skinned peers. Unfortunately, any anti-ageing effects are probably negated by the grimacing I do when someone insists my skin is oily because I don't moisturise enough. Sorry - "reactive seborrhea" is full-on bull.

If you want to expand your skincare routine beyond cleansing, moisturiser and sunscreen, exfoliation is a good next step. Exfoliating serums and scrubs boast that they can fight acne, clear your pores, reduce fine lines and make your skin vaguely brighter. Some of those promises are true, but they're not the whole story. So here is your scientific, medically backed look at exfoliation: what it can (and can't) do for your skin, and which effective, inexpensive products you can try out.

In beauty - as in fashion, food and politics - there's no such thing as an original idea. Makeup is just an assortment of coloured powders and waxes to smear on your face in a decorative manner; innovative formulations aside, that's all it will ever be.

My job is 50 per cent writing, 25 per cent cooking, 10 per cent eating and 15 per cent washing stupid dishes. I hate washing dishes because it's very boring and also because it has a tendency to make my hands look and feel very sad. To combat Sad Dish Hands, I have developed the Sad Dish Hands Manicure, and all you need to avail yourself of its wonder is some cheap dish gloves and some lotion.

The next time you get your hair cut or your eyebrows shaped, don't make the mistake of trying to describe what you want. Instead of saying "just a trim" and hoping your stylist knows what that means, pull out a selfie and show your stylist exactly what you want to look like.

Women with a little hair on their chin or upper lip can feel like there's something wrong with them - but it's actually pretty common. Mona Chalabi writes at The Guardian that even the measurement tool that determines whether you are "hirsute" has some serious issues.

Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: 15 beauty hacks from Aussie models, NeoGAF pulled offline after sexual misconduct allegations, Google Home Mini reviewed.

Face masks can be expensive, but the experience of putting something on your face that will (hopefully) change the texture of your skin -- and make you feel like a fancy spa patron -- is incredibly satisfying. Luckily, there are DIY versions of most masks that can be made with household items, for a whole lot less cash. Below, our guide to the wide world of DIY mask options, including ingredients to avoid and what each ingredient does.