I’ve recently developed a verging-on-unhealthy obsession with statement earrings.
It’s being spurred on by some killer pairs in stores at the moment – many of which just happen to be on sale too. (Thank you, shopping gods!)
Like a magpie drawn to shiny objects, last week I walked out of Lovisa with no less than six new pairs that cost me a grand total of $24.
Bright, bold... and a bargain. The shopping trifecta. Image: Supplied.
Bright, cheerful and easy-to-wear, they're easy to throw on and instantly jazz up a simple outfit or act as a mood-booster on days I'm feeling a little bleurgh.
There's just one drawback - the pain.
As anyone with sensitive ears will know, cheap earrings can look great but they certainly don't feel it. In less than an hour, the cheap metal will make my ears will feel sore and just all-round irritate them, with particularly bad cases leaving them swollen and a little pus-y. (Post continues after gallery.)
It means that often I'll wear them at the start of the night and then take breaks or remove them completely if it gets too much.
Unable to afford the exxy-stuff, it's always been a case of suffering through for the sake of the sparkly costume jewellery.
Then desperately searching for a solution (on internet forums, because where else?) I stumbled upon a hack many people were raving about.
Coconut oil.
Is there anything it can't do? Image: Supplied
Yes, not only can the high-achieving product make your cooking healthier, your hair shinier and moisturise your skin, it's also capable of the biggest miracle of all - making cheap earrings bearable to wear.
Acting as a kind of barrier between the metal and your skin, you simply dip the bit of the earrings that goes through the ear in coconut oil, leave it for a few seconds then pop it in.
It's quick, it's easy and it's inexpensive. I'm hooked. Obviously test out an ear before going the whole hog in case you have a bad reaction. But personally - it's been great.
Eager to start wearing my bling haul, I put it to the test over the weekend with a pair of $4 Dolce and Gabbana-meets-Italian-Renaissance bejewelled earrings. I'd worn them before for a few hours and experienced the usual symptoms, so was intrigued as to whether the coconut oil trick would actually make any difference.
Dedication to my ear bling. Image: Supplied
I wore them for almost 10 hours and did not feel a thing. My ears were a tiny bit red when I took them out, but probably more due to them not being used to wear earrings for so long rather than anything else.
Verdict: It's a winner.
The only downside is that it obviously makes earrings a bit slippery. If your pair has backs, make sure you push them in tightly or if they are hooks, make sure you save those plastic bits you get when you buy earrings next to make them extra secure.
Now go forth and enjoy your ear bling, pain-free.
Want more hacks? How to clean your makeup brushes.
