All of the best beauty tips we’ve learnt from Queer Eye

Unless you’ve been hiding beneath a rock you’ll know the new season of Queer Eye launched on Netflix yesterday- and we are all internally screaming – yas henny! The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which launched in 2003, was an entertaining, but at times, bitchy show. The reboot is refreshingly uplifting, with the Fab 5 helping the men that feature in a way that is nurturing and in-keeping with their own personalities. Warning: you will want to shed a tear at the end of almost every episode, but in a good way.

We all have our favourite of the five, but for many it is the hilariously funny and body positive, Jonathan Van Ness. My flat mate and I find him to be such a beacon of positivity that we recently named our new lemon tree – that lives on our kitchen windowsill – Jonathan, as it’s a literal ray of sunshine. With his long hair flying behind him with every dramatic twirl (there’s a lot of those), his giddiness and positivity is infectious.

As well as being the hairdressing maestro he is, he transforms beards, ears (watching men have their noses and ears waxed will make your eyes water) and skincare regimes. But his tips are not only for the boys, as his enthusiasm in looking good extends to everyone watching, here are some of his best tips from the show to date.

Spray delay and walk away

A take away from the original show, when Carson taught us all how to apply our perfume like a diva, Jonathan of course is a believer in the technique. Don’t just spritz on wrists and neck, spray, delay and walk away like the queen you were born to be.

The importance of SPF

This is something almost none of the men in the series use, despite almost all of the episodes being based in sunny Georgia – “We have to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays, because sun can cause inflammation”. Van Ness is quick to rectify this mistake, often insisting if they only use one thing, let it be SPF, and we couldn’t agree more.

Ouai hair products

Cult hair care brand Ouai is something we have seen Jonathan use a few times on the show now, and we’re not surprised. The ultimate ‘cool-girl’ hair care range was created by Jen Atkin, hairdresser to none other than the Kardashians. One product that works great for the boys is the texturising hair spray, which we can certainly vouch for, it’s great. The range is also now available in Arnotts’ Beauty Hub with prices starting at €14.00, run don’t walk.

Invest in good shampoo

A firm believer in not washing your hair everyday, Van Ness, like many of us is a fan of a bit of dry shampoo and a blast of the hair dryer. When choosing your shampoo he urges the men to choose products without sulphates to protect the condition of their hair and keep it as shiny as possible. We love his long, glossy locks so we would follow his hair advice to the ends of the earth.

Colour correcting concealer

Van Ness is not afraid of recommending a little concealer to the men on the show, particularly those who struggle with redness. A little bit of colour correcting green concealer goes a long way in covering up rosy cheeks and red acne scarring, but use sparingly.

You don’t need to spend hours

Although this is directed at the men in the show, it’s some advice we could all do with listening to. Do your best with the time you have and adapt a routine and products to suit you. A realist, Van Ness knows that none of the men will stick to a routine in the mornings that takes more than 20 minutes, so cut it down to the essentials, a great SPF, product to make your hair look better and the occasional bit of colour correcting doesn’t go amiss either.

Header Image: @QueerEye on Instagram