Prison beauty hacks: the best OITNB inspired tips and tricks

What's a gal to do on the inside?

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by Hannah Brimson |
Published on

Orange is the New Black is back on Netflix with a vengeance, and thanks to the addition of new character Stella, Season 3 is already shaping up to be pretty amazing. But how do the ladies of Litchfield keep themselves looking prim and proper (or not so, should we say...) without a trusty make-up bag to hand? Here are our best prison hacks. Just try not to go to prison, yeah?

Tinted lipbalm

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We're totally obsessed with Morello's uber glam appearance, but most of all, it's her signature red lippie we're after. She is the designated prison beauty columnist, after all. But how to recreate her power pout on a budget? Mix some Vaseline with bright red crayons, of course! Melt some non-toxic crayons and a generous dab of Vaseline in the microwave (or a pot if you prefer), then pour into a container before it gets too hot. Pretty good use of the kids' old Crayolas, huh?

Dry shampoo

If you've run out of Batiste but got some cornstarch knocking around in the kitchen cupboard, then this trick could be for you. Pennsatucky's known for her greasy tresses (soz, P), so her perfect beauty hack would be substituting cornstarch for dry shampoo. Just rub it gently into your roots, but watch out for any pesky white bits showing. Brunettes might want to mix it with some coffee granules as itll show up the most on dark hair.

Smoky eyes

Using coffee granules instead of eyeshadow has proven to be very popular with the Litchfield gals. Simply crush up and blend with your fingers for a smoky eye effect! To copy Alex's perfect winged eyeliner, get your hands on a burnt match, and use the charcoal to draw the perfect flick.

Spot treatments

Yeah, we know her skin's still amazing, but even Piper has been known to suffer from a spot or two in the slammer. If you can't afford fancy spot treatments, try crushing up two paracetamol tablets with the back of a spoon then mix with a dab of water to create a thick paste. The acetylsalicylic acid (similar to salicylic acid) in the aspirin is proven to help bust pimples.

Hair-spiration

Trade some tips with Sophia in the salon for instant brownie points. We love the old lemon juice in the hair hack for beachy highlights, but another mermaid-inspired look comes courtesy of a simple braid. Wash your hair before you go to bed, then plait. Wake up in the morning and you'll have lovely soft waves, which you can then top up with cornstarch a few days later.

Read more OITNB related articles here:

Life beyond Litchfield: Orange Con

Top 10 essentials we'd smuggle into OITNB's Litchfield Penitentiary

Orange is the New Black: Why Morello is our style icon

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