Look as Good as the Victoria's Secret Models

Behind-the-scenes beauty tips to show off skin, hairstyles, makeup, legs and more

content/info-gallery/i_best_features/ Look as Good as the Victoria's Secret Models Behind-the-scenes tips to show off skin, hairstyles, legs and more Self-conscious about your nose but love your eyes? Want people to focus on your amazing legs? We got the hairstylists and makeup artists responsible for the looks of A-list celebs -- from Angelina Jolie to the Victoria's Secret gang -- to dish on how to show off your best features. Select the body parts you love to read their advice. Click on an image below to view the tips in that category. Click on your hair needs to get tips on making strands even more worthy of a second look Banish the effects of humidity no matter your texture If you have straight or slightly wavy hair, applying a silicone-based product or shine serum (like Garner Fructis Sleek & Shine Weightless Leave-In Anti-Frizz Serum , $5.99 ) to wet hair before blow-drying. Spray some flexible hold hairspray (not too much!) on the top layer of your hair after blow-drying and just flatiron that top layer. "There's no need to iron the bottom layers, only the outer strands that come in contact with the environment," says Gregorio. If you have curly hair, hairstylist Adrian De Berardinis recommends starting with very wet -- not damp -- hair to maintain the shape of your curls and allow them to separate more easily. Mix a quarter- to palm-sized dollop of curling cream (like Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Curl Creme , $27, at salons ) with a few drops of shine serum and apply liberally. Distribute the mixture evenly throughout, working from root to tip, then loosen hair by running your fingers through it. Enhance frizz-prone curls at your crown and around your face by winding small sections around your finger and releasing. Finish by carefully defusing hair with a diffuser attachment on your blow-dryer on high heat at medium speed. (If it's hot outside, only blow-dry until hair is half dry, then let the rest air-dry outdoors.) Say bye to fine and flat with only two products Hairstylist Marco Pelusi recommends the following steps to easily pump up volume: 1. Air-dry or gently soak up excess water from freshly shampooed hair with towel. 2. Massage a dime-to-nickel-sized dollop of alcohol-free gel into damp roots. 3. Use fingers to rough dry the root and scalp area, pulling hair straight up with hands and holding the dryer on that area for a few seconds. 4. Roll hair at roots (including bangs if desired) around a medium-sized round brush, blow-dry and lightly spritz two times or so with a light-hold hairspray (try Nick Chavez Angel Wings Super-Light Hairspray , $17 ). 5. Let the brush sit in the hair, literally on your head, for several seconds before removing, to set the style a bit more. Voila! Instant volume. Boost your current shade and make it last Explore hair color (single process, highlights, low-lights... etc.) with a good hair color technician that you trust. "It's a must because not only it will make your hair thicker and more dimensional, it will give you a sophisticated overall look," says celeb hairstylist Italo Gregorio. Keep your color rich and lively by using conditioning products that contain protein and/or collagen (a form of protein) to seal the hair shaft, says hairstylist Marco Pelusi. (Try Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Reparative Treatment Mask , $28.50 , or Marco Anti-Frizz Leave-In Conditioner with Collagen Color Guard , $35 .) "You can't overdo conditioning when it comes to maintaining hair color. I would rather see limp, soft, conditioned hair than weak, dry, lifeless, faded hair." Improve hair health with weekly or bi-weekly moisturizing hair masks that contain hydrating ingredients. "Just stay away from hot oils and mineral oils, which merely coat and build up on the outer layer of the hair and do not rinse out with water and actually dull the color," Pelusi says. And unless you have a scalp issue or oily, fine hair, don't wash hair every day, Pelusi says. This will extend the life of color as well as your hair's health in general. (Check in with your dermatologist about how often he/she recommends shampooing if you're unsure.) A little maintenance can go a really long way Start with a good shampoo and conditioner geared toward your hair type, advises Gregorio. Then do a hair mask twice a month (try Tresemme Smooth Silky Deep Conditioning Masque , $3.89 ) to make your hair shiny and glossy. Apply a good amount of the mask all over your hair (use less for fine hair), then wrap a hot towel or aluminum foil around your hair for 15 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. And don't forget to get your hair cut properly. "A good cut makes all the difference because you will look fresh and sexy, even as your hair grows," Gregorio says. We've got you covered with style guides for every schedule Getting Pantene-commercial hair doesn't always have to involve hours of work. If you only have five minutes to style, towel-dry freshly washed hair and twist it into a bun secured with an elastic. Do your makeup and finish getting ready, blow-dry hair for two minutes, release the bun and set with a light, non-stiff hairspray. If you have 10 minutes to style, consult our gallery of 10-minutes-or-less styles for quick yet gorgeous looks you can recreate without a stylist. If you have 15 or 20 minutes to spare, go for a low-maintenance, Bohemian-chic look that hairstylist Ted Gibson (who's worked on Angelina Jolie) says looks good on everyone: Start by blow-drying freshly washed hair with fingers. Then wrap one- to two-inch sections of hair around a curling iron (or two fingers) and pin into pin curls while you get ready. Release, finger comb and set with a light hairspray. When it comes to showing off great skin, less (makeup) is definitely more. Keep these don'ts in mind Skip extra product unless you absolutely need it Most makeup artists agree that primer, meant to give your foundation a more even surface to cling to, isn't necessary. Consider using one if you need your makeup to last longer and your skin is very oily, scarred from acne or contains large pores or fine lines you want to minimize. (Try Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer , $27 .) Otherwise, why cover your best feature with more product? Keep your look as natural as possible You want people to see your skin so instead of applying a thick foundation, stick with a sheer one or spring for a slightly luminous tinted moisturizer. In the evenings, just use concealer (try Physicians Formula 4-in-1 Concealing Palette , $7.95 , in drugstores) to cover up any areas that need more coverage. Makeup artist Patty Bunch recommends applying a touch of lightly colored or colorless, translucent powder over any marks or blemishes first, then mixing concealer with your regular foundation and dabbing the mixture on the spot with a tiny concealer brush. Finish by powdering it again ever so slightly. And don't forget to treat blemishes so you don't have to cover them. Play up your strengths instead Contrary to popular belief, older woman can use highlighters so long as they are careful to use them for good. To detract from wrinkles and accentuate bone structure, employ highlighters in the cheekbone and chin areas. Use a cream (like L'Oreal HiP Illuminating Highlighter , $10 ) vs. a powder formula to make skin look more dewy and hydrated, says makeup artist Charlie Green. Isn't it about time you recognized your fantastic cheekbones? Here's how to accent your best angles noticed Make a strong statement with subtle moves Employ contouring and shading sparingly to enhance rather than reshape your bone structure. You'll need a foundation brush (for solids or creams) or blush brush (for powders) to apply foundation, bronzer, blush or eye shadow that's a shade or two darker than your skin tone to the areas where shadows naturally fall on your face. Remember to use a very light hand and blend thoroughly until you get a natural-looking shadow. If you want your cheekbones to stand out, apply blush to the apples of your cheeks for a pop of color. (Makeup artist Patty Bunch recommends dipping your blush brush ever so sparingly into your usual foundation, then into a cream blush, then back into your foundation and applying so the three layers blend into a beautifully natural, streak-free shade. You can also do this with powder blush and powder foundation.) Follow by shading bronzer in a diagonal line just beneath your cheekbones (from your cheeks to your ears). Be sure to blend the bronzer a bit toward your mouth and jawline for a natural shadow. If you want to enhance your jawbone, shade powder or blend darker foundation along your jawline, starting and ending at the areas of your cheeks that are just beneath your ears. And if you want your chin to stand out, shade powder or blend darker foundation just beneath the tip of it, from your jawline toward your neck. Manipulate lighting in your favor Start by adding radiance to your complexion with a lightweight, tinted moisturizer that has a little pigment or concealing quality. (Try Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer , $11.99 .) "It's not like foundation because it blends invisibly, so it doesn't have to match perfectly," says celeb makeup artist Charlie Green. Apply all over face and neck, then drag a highlighter over cheekbones and jawline to accent bone structure. (One readers love: Nars The Multiple , $37 , in Copacabana.) If you don't want to purchase a highlighter but have white or silver shimmery eye shadow on hand, MAC makeup artist Gregory Arlt recommends dabbing it on cheekbones or other areas you want to highlight and blending it well to give angles a nice sheen. To get legs that rival a supermodel's, why not give them the same treatment? Follow these steps Build your foundation with a healthy, sunless glow Makeup artist Linda Hay gives the Victoria's Secret models a sun-kissed glow by applying a 50/50 "cocktail" of Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze Daily Glow Moisturizer , $16 , and Gleaming Self Tan Body Tint , $18 in stores , to freshly exfoliated legs. "[This] takes care of two necessities (hydrating and safe tanning) in one easy application ... and it reduces the chance of streaking," Hay says. (You can also try a shimmering bronzing lotion containing self tanner like Origins The Great Pretender , $17.50 .) Give yourself a smooth, bronze finish Once your self tanner dries, apply a light coat of bronzing spray (like Model Co Bronze Airbrush Sun , $32 ) to finish the tan and conceal any "imperfections" such as cellulite or stretch marks. Spotlight your newly bronzed legs Dust legs with shimmering body powder to warm, highlight and give them a sexy glow. (Hay uses Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze Sun Dust Powder Brush Shimmering Body Powder , $22 .) Create a long, slim illusion Finish the look by contouring legs with a sparkling spray lotion (like Model Co Shimmer Airbrush Luminizer spray , $30 ). "I spray a line down the middle of the leg from the top of the thigh to the ankle, front and back," Hay says. "This creates the illusion of a slimmer, longer leg, contouring from top to toe." This trick only takes a few seconds If you're pressed for time, makeup artist to the stars Molly Stern recommends rubbing your favorite body oil on legs to give them a sexy sheen. (Try Dr. Hauschka Rose Body Oil , $35.95 , or for a little color, Stila Sun Shimmer Dry Oil , $26 .) And don't forget to showcase your efforts in a (tastefully) short skirt or minidress with great heels. It only takes a few steps (and products) to get toned muscles noticed Give your limbs a fresh start Your arms may look fabulous but if your elbows are scaly, that takes away some of the allure. Be sure to exfoliate with a body scrub in the shower before showing them off. (Try Giovanni Cool Mint Lemonade Salt Scrub, $13.99 .) Give your muscles a sexy sheen Bronzing oils are a great way to moisturize and fake a sexy glow at the same time. Use a moisturizing formula with SPF (got to protect those arms from sun damage!) to highlight the definition in your arms. (Try Jergens Soft Shimmer Skin Radiance Moisturizer , $7.31 ) These cuts will put your toned muscles on display Yes, we know it's pretty obvious you should wear sleeveless tops, but just in case, we'd like to remind you to stock up. (You deserve a mini-shopping spree after all those push-ups.) Also, if you want to showcase your shoulders, consider adding short-sleeved boatneck tops or dresses into the mix. Your fingers and toes reveal a lot. Follow these maintenance tips in order of time you can spare That's all you need to smooth rough calluses If your hands or feet are your best assets, we're assuming you take time to exfoliate and moisturize them. If not, thank your lucky stars and start preserving them right away. Wear gloves whenever you wash dishes to protect hands from harsh dish detergent, then regularly get rid of rough spots with a conditioning exfoliant (like The Body Shop Almond Oil Refining Hand Scrub , $12 . Rough spots on feet are a little more challenging so use a foot file to slough them off, then finish with a salt exfoliant (like Creative Nail Spa Sea Salt Glow, $39.95. ) Pressed even more for time? Wear exfoliating slippers around the house. When moisturizing hands, consider using an anti-aging face cream instead of your standby lotion. "If you use the same stuff on your hands as you do on your face, you're going to get the same results," says dermatologist Dr. Murad. (A good compromise is a rich hand cream containing SPF such as f="http://www.totalbeauty.com/reviews/product/565291/lippmann-collection-rich-girl-hand-cream-spf-25" target="new">Lippmann Collection Rich Girl Hand Cream SPF 25 , $24 .) For feet, consider treating them with a moisturizing clay mask, then slathering them in foot cream or petroleum jelly and coating them with socks before bedtime. They'll be baby soft every morning. (And don't forget to put sunscreen on them when you wear those stylish sandals!) Use it to groom your nails Clean, buffed nails always look good -- even without polish, says nail pro Roxanne Valinoti. Make neatly clipped nails shine by swiping a dual-sided buffer back and forth across nail tops. (Don't do it too much or you'll thin out nails.) And note to self: Do not bite or cut cuticles. Dab a little cuticle oil on them instead to make them look smooth and healthy. Perfect with a mini pedicure If nails are clean and buffed, a quick-drying coat of clear polish makes them a great accessory to any outfit. (Or try an off-white, ridge filling base coat with top coat.) But should you have five minutes to spare, put on one coat (instead of two) of good-quality nail polish and a fast-dry top coat, says Valinoti. If you're going for a conservative look, use a deep red, classic nude or soft pale shade (like Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle, $8 ). Feeling experimental? Try a fun citrus color (like OPI Nail Lacquer in Atomic Orange, $7.50 ). The darker the color, the more obvious the chips. Use a buffer judiciously to smooth out semi-dry to dry nicks. Expert eye makeup application is only part of the job. Here's what else you can do Experiment with your best accent shades Look deeply into your own eyes to identify any flecks of color that are different from your main eye color, such as gold or violet. Use that color as an eyeliner to bring out those flecks and add dimension to your eyes. (Try Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner , $19 .) Artfully add shine to make your eyes stand out Use a small shadow brush to dab and blend a highlighter that contains a fair amount of light-reflective pigments (try a light, metallic eye version of MAC Eye Shadow , $14 ) around eyes. Stay within the region that includes the corner of nose and inner corners of eyes. Don't use it on the outside corner of eyes or you'll highlight creases. Don't let your lips compete Eyes always look more noticeable when the lips are more natural. Wear a neutral gloss or a nude lipstick (try mark Glow Baby Glow Luxe Hook Up Lip Gloss , $5 ). Doing this also gives you the flexibility to play with your eye makeup. Great lips come in many shapes and sizes. Make the most of yours Tricks of the trade make it easy Simply slathering on lip balm won't do if you have flaking lips. Try this savvy makeup artist trick to treat them: Coat lips with a modest layer of lip balm or petroleum jelly, then exfoliate with a soft toothbrush. Always moisturize before bed with a moisturizing lip balm. Pro tip: For intense overnight hydration, use cracked skin treatment Aquaphor , $5.79 , on lips instead of balm. Plump and smooth ... without extreme measures During the day I like to use a light cocktail of lipstick and gloss to make the lips more three dimensional," says makeup artist Linda Hay. "The trick is always to keep the application light. This allows for easier reapplication without too much buildup. It will keep the lips looking gloriously more kissable, protected and soft." Makeup artist Charlie Green also recommends adding volume to lips by using a highlighter around the curves of the lip, then overdrawing lips to your (reasonable) desired shape with liner. (Tip: If you have any lines around your lips, simply avoid highlighting those particular areas.) Use these techniques to keep lip liner from looking obvious To retain a sheer gloss or stain and keep nude lip color from traveling into lip lines, use a lipliner that's the same shade as your mouth. "You have to test for right color because makeup tends to react with the PH balance of skin and turn a slightly different shade," Green says. When lining the lips, don't line all the way around. Instead sketch around the centers of your top and bottom lips, and start filling in lips from the middle, skipping the corners. (This way about three-fourths of your lips are filled in.) Use a cotton swab to blend the liner toward the corners of your mouth and tone down the pencil look by blending color with a wet sponge. Use bold reds and pinks to your advantage Whether you're ready to go bold or not, know that the right lip color is waiting to call attention to your kisser. Try true, classic reds that work on most skin tones (like Revlon Super Lustrous Cream Lipstick in Love That Red, $7.99 , and Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover, $30 ). To find your best pink shade, take our quiz . Tip: If you do decide to go bold, balance the look (and keep the attention on your lips) with minimal eye makeup. A neutral shadow and a coat or two of mascara will do. Proud of your nose? So are we. Make it really shine (and not in an oily way) Enhance shadows to play up your profile If you opt to contour, remember to work with, not against, your natural shape. Daylight contouring shows, so save that for photo ops and evening outings, says makeup artist Charlie Green. Start by dabbing a bit of eye shadow that's a few shades darker than your skin tone along the sides of your nose. Then blend thoroughly toward your cheeks and the inner corners of your eyes with a concealer brush or fingers until you get a natural-looking shadow. Separate the good shine from the bad Swipe a quick stripe (not too wide) of cream highlighter (try L'Oreal HiP Highlighter, $10 ) or soft focus powder (try LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder , $32 ) down the front of your nose to emphasize its bone structure. Keep a powder compact or blotting sheets with you to tone down any oil that shows up later. Here's how best to accentuate what we agree are some of your most beautiful body parts Don't let your skin reveal more than you want it to Dermatologist Dr. Murad says this part of the body shows age more than the hands and face do, so keep the skin here hydrated by massaging it with your regular face cream. Also, keep sun damage at bay by using a product containing SPF 15 or higher during the daytime. Add fun to your routine with multi-use products Lock in moisture and highlight at the same time with a luminescent product like Skin Milk Soft Shimmer Body Lotion , $5.59 , then lightly dust a layer of sexy, shimmery powder (try the marshmallow-flavored Urban Decay Sparkly Sweet Body Powder , $26 ) over your collarbone and cleavage to help it subtly reflect light. "It looks so beautiful on the skin ... really brings it to life and gives it a pop," says makeup artist Linda Hay. Also, a note for you sun-worshippers: Makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian cautions, "Make sure the color of your face neck and chest all match. Pale faces with dark chest and shoulders are very unattractive." Carry your best feature with pride You've moisturized and highlighted your regal neck, chest and shoulders but their radiance alone might still not be enough to get them noticed. Keep your makeup neutral, pull your hair back, dab a little perfume behind your ears and wear wide or low necklines to really get eyes focused on this area.