Backstage Beauty Tips

Learn the 26 tricks we picked up from top hair, makeup and nail pros

1: Hair

To make your blow-dry last a few days, don't finish by spritzing hair with hairspray. It will give your hair a sticky texture that won't look as clean and shiny. Instead, apply a lightweight mousse, like Redken Touch Control 05 Volumizing Texture Whip ($14) in damp hair before styling for hold. -- Yannick d'Is, hairstylist

2: Hair

Put a youthful, modern twist on the classic chignon by braiding hair and making the chignon oval, not round like a doughnut. -- Edward Tricomi, hairstylist for Warren Tricomi Salons

3: Hair

Those who want to avoid the bold move of cutting hair short can create a faux bob by center-parting hair and sectioning into four pieces: two sides, top and bottom. Cornrow the bottom 40 percent of hair in an S-shape fashion until you reach the nape of the neck. Secure the cornrow with a small rubber band, then tuck the rest of hair into the bottom row, securing with bobby pins. Mist hairspray over style for hold. -- Ashley Javier, hairstylist for Logics

Image: Logics

4: Hair

For natural-looking straight hair, skip the flat iron and just use a blow-dryer and large round brush. This keeps hair supple. Help make the look last by spritzing on a finishing spray. -- Rolando Beauchamp, hairstylist for Bumble and bumble

5: Hair

When straightening hair, go section by section and be sure to glide the flat iron all the way to the ends of your hair for a smoother and sleeker finish; otherwise hair can look dead. -- Jimmy Phel, hairstylist

6: Hair

For a natural, sexy look when you're pressed for time, twist damp hair into a bun, then do your makeup and finish getting ready. Blow-dry the bun for a few minutes, then release it and finger comb, setting with a light-hold hairspray. -- Ted Gibson, hairstylist and owner of the Ted Gibson Salon

7: Makeup

For natural, youthful looking skin, apply foundation to the center of the face and blend outward. Always use powder sparingly, and to conceal or brighten dark circles, select a concealer with a pink undertone then gently pat it on. -- Jane McKay, makeup artist for MAC

Image: Luca Cannonieri

8: Makeup

To get gorgeous, glowing natural skin without looking dewy all over, apply shimmer only on cheekbones and at the inner corners of your eyes. -- Pat McGrath, makeup artist

9: Makeup

Keep dark lip colors from looking dated by skipping lip liner. But since the stark contrast of color will show imperfections, apply lip color with a brush and use the brush to define the edges of your lips. If the color is too intense, blot until it looks more stain-like. -- Fatima, makeup artist for MAC

Image: Redken

10: Makeup

For a vintage-inspired red lip, apply concealer around the lip line and stain lips with two shades of rich red. Use a darker red on the center of the lip and a medium red on the outside. -- Pat McGrath, makeup artist

11: Makeup

When wearing a pigment-heavy smoky eye, keep the rest of your face natural, matte and clean and wear a nude lip color (like MAC Lipstick, $14 in Myth). It will keep all focus on your eyes. -- Gucci Westman, makeup artist

12: Makeup

In general, creamy makeup needs touchups because it settles into the creases of skin. Matte makeup tends to stay longer. -- Jane McKay, makeup artist for MAC

13: Makeup

Turn a bright cream blush (like Stila Convertible Color, $24, in Fuschia) into a pale, pastel lip shade by blending a nude lip or eyeliner pencil (like Stila Kajal Eye Liner, $16.50, in Topaz) over it.
-- Tina Turnbow, makeup artist

14: Makeup

To get fairy tale-inspired flushed cheeks, apply a cream blush stick to apples and blend, adding a tiny bit over your nose. The blush stick can double as a matching lip color (bonus!). -- Charlotte Tilbury, makeup artist for Avon

15: Makeup

For a softer lash look, apply brown mascara at the base of your lashes and black mascara just at the tips. It will give eyes a dreamy look and emphasize the ends of your lashes. -- Sarah Lucero, makeup artist for Stila

16: Makeup

You can easily create a diffused smoky eye by lining eyes with black pencil liner, smudging it with a brush, then dusting a brown shadow over top to warm it up. -- Kabuki, makeup artist for MAC

17: Makeup

Banish dry skin and plump skin cells with a moisturizing mask (like Kose Cosmeprof Clear Turn Whitening Coenzyme Q10 Mask, $17.99). The result is glowing, youthful-looking skin that allows you to get away with wearing less makeup. -- Hung Vanngo, makeup artist for MAC

18: Makeup

For high-shine eyes, apply clear lip gloss on lids, but know that the glossier the product is, the less time it will last. -- Jane McKay, makeup artist for MAC

19: Makeup

Neutralize your natural lip color by blending foundation over the edges of your lips before applying lipstick. It will make the finished lip color look true to the shade you see in the tube. -- Nadine Luke, makeup artist for MAC

Image: Redken

20: Makeup

For a softer, less dramatic finish, swap basic black liner for gray. -- Polly Osmond, makeup artist

21: Makeup

When applying a glittery product on your eyes, hold a cotton pad under your bottom lid to catch any stray specks of product for a cleaner finish. -- Romy Soleimani, makeup artist

Image: AFP/Getty Images

22: Makeup

If you have tiny eyes, line your top lids with a creamy concealer (using a liner brush) to help bring them out and make them appear bigger. -- Sarah Lucero, makeup artist for Stila

23: Makeup

To soften any bright colored eyeshadow, layer a neutral cream shadow like gray or brown underneath it. It will help mellow the intensity of the vibrant shade. -- Tina Turnbow, makeup artist for Nars

24: Nails

If you have less than two minutes to care for your nails, simply buff nails with a buffing block to bring out shine; then dab on cuticle oil for a clean, healthy finish. -- Roxanne Valinoti, nail artist for CND

25: Nails

Instead of wearing short, dark nails, grow out your nails into a slightly longer, tailored shape and paint them with a high-shine, slightly metallic gray, burgundy or nude -- some of the newly most sought-after colors. -- Roxanne Valinoti, nail artist for CND

26: Nails

Never get your cuticles cut during a manicure. Instead, use a cuticle oil and cuticle removing cream to keep them looking neat. And keep hands and nails well moisturized; dry hands absorb dirt more easily. -- Angi Wingle, nail artist for CND

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