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What Are the Best Makeup Tips & Tricks You’ve Learned From Others?

January 26, 2010

In my most recent NARS makeover, I learned quite a few tips/tricks to brighten the face with the NARS multiples and it made me appreciate the artist’s knowledge and creativity in giving me a look that made me feel like a better version of myself. I’m one of those girls who has a lot of stuff but doesn’t always know how to use it all, so I find beauty events are a great way to get advice, tips and tricks from the pros.

Over the years, the best tips I’ve received from others that work for me are the following by category (these are by no means new tips, these are just the ones I didn’t know about that I found worked for me from advice of others):

* Mascara Tips – I have the straightest thinnest lashes in the world. Without mascara they are practically invisible. I’ve learned that curling the lashes does indeed make a huge difference – but you need to find the right curler for your eyeshape which is difficult since you’ll need to do this through trial and error. I’ve found some lash curlers pinch my eye because they are either too deepset or too small. My favorites today are Trish McEvoy and Shu Uemura. Also – if you find your mascara has gotten clumpy on the brush, just wipe the entire brush with a piece of paper to remove the build up and then it will work just like new again.

* Even Yet Natural Foundation – Sometimes my favorite foundations just don’t look right on the skin because of a bad skin day or weather changes. I typically apply with a sponge after moisturizer. I’ve tried numerous primers but don’t like having so many layers on my face so I’ve learned two tricks: 1) Apply moisturizer and a spritz MAC’s Fix+ on your face and let it sit for a minute, then apply foundation, or 2) Mix a small amount of the primer with your foundation so it applies smoother and sheerer without having that heavy feel. My favorite primers are MAC Prep + Prime (regular), Nars Primer (regular) and Chanel’s Le Blanc de Chanel. Right now I’m alternating between the Chanel and Nars.

* The Multiple Uses for NARS Multiples – I’m a HUGE fan of multiples but have always used them either under blush, over blush, or as a cream eyeshadow. I find some of them to be a bit too emollient but it doesn’t stop me from using them. A few tips I learned from my recent makeover and in the past:
* Apply South Beach on cheeks before you apply foundation for that inner-glow
* Mix a lighter shade like Luxor/Copacabana with concealer for brightening under eyes
* Mix Luxor w/concealer and apply over browbone to lift up the face and define brow
* Layer powder blush over multiples to intensify color of the powder

* Layering Blushes – I love blush. It’s probably the item I have the most of in my stash. I wish there were more perfect shades of blush for me, but I find that I layer 2 different colors of blush about 90% of the time. This is typically the case I’ve heard from most makeup artists. I don’t know if it’s just a selling tactic to sell more blushes, but they’ve showed me in the mirror the before and after effects with 1 versus 2 layered blushes. 1 blush is often good enough, but the effect when you see 2 layered together is “wow.” Artists layer just about anything together: pink over peach, peach over pink, bright pink over lighter pink, pink over bronze, gold over orange, gold over rose, light over dark etc.

* Contouring Tips – Contouring is something I’ve never really known how to do until I learned from several Trish McEvoy events. Trish McEvoy is another line I love because their artists are really phenomenal. For contouring the face, they recommend taking a bronzer brush and applying bronzer in a 3 motion from the temples to the cheeks and down to the jawline. For someone who has a round face, I have to say I was amazed that this trick did make my face look a bit less round and it gave me some depth without having to get a tan.

Are there are any tricks or tips you’ve learned from others that work for you? Please share them with me, I’m always up for learning more about the application process!!!

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