Concealer is a lifesaver. It covers anything you ever want to hide, from blemishes to bad tattoos. Here are a few concealer tips:

1. Choose the right tool. Small soft brushes for concealing under the eyes. Small firm brushes are better for blemishes and spots.

2. If you can, avoid using heavy cream concealers under the eyes they can look noticeable. Instead opt for a medium coverage liquid concealer for seamless coverage.

3. Use a warm coloured concealer to cancel out dark circles that have blue undertones.

4. When applying concealer under the eye or on a blemish, focus on the area that needs covering. Don’t over apply where you don’t need it.

5. Choose the right colour. Too light only emphasizes what you’re trying to disguise.

6. Always prep the skin with appropriate skincare before apply concealer. Concealer will blend easier and look more natural.

Our favourites:

DiorSkin Nude Skin-Perfecting Hydrating concealer

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer

YSL Touche Eclat

The first step to achieving properly groomed brows is to brush them into place with a brow brush. The brow brush can also be used after you’ve applied brow pencil or shadow. This technique assures neat and precise eyebrows.

Smudge Style’s first “how to” video-easy false eye lash application.

For smooth lips wrap a make up wipe around your finger, and gently scrub dry chapped skin from your lips. Once all the dry skin is removed, apply a lip balm to lock in moisture and keep lips looking soft and supple.

Over the past decade lip gloss has dominated over lipstick, and therefore the lip liner has been somewhat forgotten. As we start a new year and new season lipstick’s making a major comeback. Precisely applied lipstick requires well executed lip liner. The benefits of using a liner are that it creates definition for lips, helps lipstick stay on longer, and prevents lipstick from feathering or bleeding. Here are our tips for lining lips:

1. Apply a lip conditioner or primer to lips before applying lip liner for smooth application.

2. Dab a small amount of concealer along the lip line with your finger to create a blank canvas for lip lining.

3. Choose a lip pencil colour that matches or is slightly darker than your lipstick.

4. When lining follow the shape of your lips as a guide, making adjustments to balance.

5. Hold the pencil at an angle when applying rather than straight on with the tip. This will give a softer line that blends in easily with the lipstick instead of leaving a hard edge.

6. Rest your pinky on your chin when drawing your liner to stabilize your hand.

7. Fill in your entire lip with liner and apply lipstick over the top for increased wearability of the lipstick.

8. For fuller looking lips extend the lip liner just past the natural lip line. Use a light to medium shade lip pencil.

9. To decrease the size of lips line within the natural lip line using a medium to dark shade of lip pencil.

Image from trendland.com

Winged eyeliner is a classic make up trend. Here are some tips to perfect your look:

1. Hold the brush, keep your hand steady by resting it on your chin.

2. Look straight ahead into mirror tilt head back slightly rather than pulling your eye.

3. Start from outer corner of eye where upper and lower lash line meets and create a small flick.

4. Taper the line-it should be very thin from the inner corner and get thicker in the middle then thin again before the flick.

5. Depending on how thick you want the liner start thin and build on that for more control.

6. For a more modern look (see closed eye pic above) draw the liner straight and extend out from the outer corner rather than flicking up. An angled brush works best for this.

7. For very dramatic eyeliner (Amy Winehouse) mark out the lines in pencil to achieve the correct symmetry. Then fill in with liquid eyeliner.

8. A gel based eyeliner like MAC Fluidline, and a thin tapered brush are easier to control than traditional liquid eyeliner.

9. The tapered brush can be laid flat on it’s side and pulled across the lash line.

10. A felt tip pen eyeliner is easy to use, and more convenient than having a liner and a brush. Try Armani Maestro Liquid Eyeliner

Image from Style.com

If your false lashes need to be trimmed to fit your eye, cut from the outer corner and save the piece you cut off. Once your false lashes are glued on take the piece you trimmed and, stack it on top of the lash at the outer corner for more depth.

Image from Monika Robl Photography.

We all know make up does not last forever. Many cosmetics products have a small picture of an open jar with a number on it, on the primary or secondary packaging. This indicates how long a product is good for once it’s been opened. This is very useful especially for products that have SPF or other active ingredients as these have a shorter shelf life. Use your judgement. If something looks or smells funny, err on the side of caution and do not use no matter how long you have had it.  I generally follow this rule of thumb: powder products like eyeshadow, face powder, and blush are fine for up to 3 years. Lipsticks about 2 years, and glosses 18 months. Liquid foundations and concealers I would use for up to 2 years. Be careful with products that are used around the eye area and have a wand applicator like some liquid concealers. Don’t keep these products past the recommended expiration date.

The number one product that should definitely be discarded after 10-12 weeks is mascara. Bacteria thrives in dark moist places like the inside of a mascara tube. Since this product comes into contact with the eyes it is imperative that it’s changed frequently to avoid anything like this happening: A friend of mine used an old mascara that was laying around in her make up kit for I don’t know how long. Soon after applying her eyes started to burn and weep uncontrollably. She ended up in the hospital where they found tiny bugs in her lashes! Fortunately for her she received medical attention in time and is not blind! Don’t let this happen to you.

The obvious night out must haves, that keep you looking as fabulous as when you first stepped out the door are: whatever lip product you’re wearing, compact mirror and powder or something to absorb oil. A couple of cotton swabs to remove unwanted smudges around the eyes.

Expert Tips:

1. Load up a covered brush with your lipstick colour and put the top on. You’ll have enough product on the brush to touch up throughout the night, and it’s one less product to carry in your purse.

2. Stay shine free for photos with either a translucent pressed powder or oil absorbing papers. For those who get super shiny blot with the paper first, try MAC Blot Film. This will remove excess oil without the build up that repeated powdering can leave.

3. Smoky eyes can start to travel as the night goes on. Use a cotton swab to clean up eye kohl that smudges.

Who doesn’t need more moisture on their skin right now? For maximum hydration spritz your face with a water based mist, like Stella McCartney Toning Floral Water and then apply your moisturizer. Moisturizer penetrates better on damp skin for a more smooth, supple complexion.

Sometimes it’s quite challenging to find the exact match in a foundation. Either you are in between shades, or your skin is more than one colour (especially if you have a dark skin tone). Buying two foundations can solve both of these problems. If you are in between colours, having two shades gives you the option of mixing a darker and a lighter to create your own custom shade. For those who are darker on the forehead, sides, and chin use the darker colour around the perimeter of your face, and under cheekbones. The lighter shade can then be used through the centre of the face. The end result is an even complexion that’s naturally contoured.

As a follow up from last weeks post on glitter, here are our expert application tips:

1. Pour a small amount of glitter out rather than dipping your brush into the container. You’ll have better control over how much product you want

2. For a strong glitter eye apply a cream shadow or vaseline first for better adhesion

3. Apply glitter with a small flat eyeshadow brush or finger, and press onto the cream or vaseline

4. For an eyeliner look that doesn’t budge apply a thin line of surgical adhesive along the upper lash line (Try Duo Surgical Adhesive) pick up glitter with an angle brush and apply directly on top of the Duo.

5. For a more subtle approach apply fine particle glitter to the inner corners of the eye to brighten up a smoky eye

6. To make an all over body shimmer add two parts moisturizer to one part glitter

7. Sprinkle glitter on top of wet nail polish to create high shine nails

8. Use tape to clean up glitter that falls on the face where you don’t want it to

Using your ring finger, apply eye cream (try one with anti-puff ingredients) in circular motions all the way around the eye. Applying some pressure will  get the blood circulating, and help reduce the appearance of puffy eyes.

Image from style.com

Before there were such sophisticated hair products, women with oily hair often used baby powder as a quick fix. My stylist tipped me off to a less messy and more effective way to be rid of oil-Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Spray. This spray will soak up the excess oil without completely stripping the hair, boosts volume, and smells of fresh lemon and verbena. A must have for grease free hair.

Prada (as seen above) sent the girls down the runway with what may have resembled a birds nest on top of their heads, but it worked. For those of us who don’t prefer this look for our day to day lives we recommend L’oreal Anti-Frizz Spray. 24 hour anti-humidity, anti-frizz protection, strong hold, and zero residue. Big claims to make, but according to my hair stylist this product does not disappoint. To achieve a completely frizz free look also try Living Proof No frizz Shampoo and Conditioner. Both of these products block humidity which is of course the number one culprit of frizz.

Images from style.com

Blackened wine colours are not just for the nails this season. Cosmetic brands like Chanel, Nars, and MAC all launched the intense hue for the lips too. To some, wearing black lips may seem way too goth than fashion forward. But the reality is anyone can wear the black lip depending on how it is applied. (See point 4.) Also to be taken into consideration is skin tone. What may seem far too extreme on a fair blonde can be absolutely stunning on someone with dark skin.

Here are our tips for wearing black lipstick:

1. Prep the lips before starting. MAC Prep & Prime Lip lightly moisturizes, smooths the lips texture, and helps prevent bleeding.

2. Line the lips with a lip pencil. Try a black cherry color like MAC Currant Lip Pencil to take the edge off the black. Make sure to follow your natural lip line and then fill in your lips about half way.

3. Use a lip brush for precise application. It also applies less lipstick to the lips for a more smooth and even look.

4. If you still are too scared of black, try a deep wine color lipstick like Lipstick Queen’s Wine Sinner. Or try mixing in a little black lipstick to darken up your reds, and burgundys.

Images from maccosmetics.com and style.com

Before removing dark nail polish apply a salve on cuticles and along the sides of nails. The salve acts as a barrier to prevent the polish from getting stuck in the cuticles and from staining the skin around the nail.

Image from chanel.com

Two hair styles that really stand out for Fall 2009, are the super sleek Robert Palmer look or great waves. Both of these looks showed up on runways across all four capitals. After consulting with my “go to hair girl”,  she gave me a few fool proof tricks to recreate these of the moment styles.

Runway waves:

1. Start from the underneath and separate big sections.

2. Hold your curling iron horizontally and with a light hand if you’re trying to get a loose look. Hold the curling iron tighter for a more sculpted look.

3. Finish with a good dose of aerosol hairspray. Try Redken Forceful 23, it gives incredible hold without a stiff finish.

Sleek tres chic:

1. Starting with damp hair work gel in from roots to ends. Try Bumble and Bumble Bb Gel, it’s a modern take on a classic.

2. Using a fine tooth comb part hair and gather to the back, twist and pin.

3.  Apply a little more gel to the surface to get that immaculate shiny finish, and air dry.

Images from style.com

It is virtually impossible to recreate some of the looks we have shown on our blog without the right tools. I love brushes and as a make-up artist I own hundreds, but for most people a starter set of five will do quite nicely. One thing I will say about brushes is that they are worth the investment. While you can often get away with spending less on a lipstick or eyeshadow a cheap brush will not perform, or last as long as one you spend more money on.

Brushes can be natural or synthetic or a blend of both. The important thing is the shape and texture, soft brushes pick up and apply less product and are good for blending. Stiff brush pick up and apply more product these are good for powder and cream products.

From left to right:

1. Powder or Blush-a medium size dome shaped brush made of goat hair is the perfect size to double for powder or blush.

2. Tapered Eyeshadow-a soft haired paint brush shape is ideal for blending eyeshadow through the crease of the eye. Or dusting eyeshadow all over the eye for a subtle blended look. It’s also very good for blending away hard lines so your eyeshadow looks more diffused.

3. Flat Shader-This type of brush is good for powder or cream products. Most companies carry a small or large version, choose according to the size of your eyes. It can be used on the eyes to create intensity because of the shape and density of the hairs. For example to achieve strong colour on the eyes you would pick up the colour on the flat side and press it against the eyelid.

4. Angled Brush-This brush is a definite must have. It can be used with powder, cream, or liquid products to define eyebrows or for eyeliner. Make sure you examine the angle on the brush before buying. The hairs should be tight together along the angle and not too wide.

5. Foundation Brush-This flat brush is for applying liquid or cream foundation. Because it is quite dense it will pick up alot of product, if you are heavy handed use with caution. You can achieve a very flawless finish with this type of brush, and unlike a sponge it will not soak up the foundation.

For tips on how to care for your brushes go to September 9th post on How Often Should I Wash My Brushes?

The most common misconception when it comes to contouring the face is where on the face to shade and highlight.  Most people think that you need to draw a diagonal line from your ear to the corner of your lip. The reason people think this way is because when we look at ourselves straight on, the cheekbone appears to be on a diagonal. We get the illusion of a diagonal line because we’re 3 dimensional. The best way to figure out placement is to feel for your cheekbone with your fingers. You will see that it actually runs across the face, and then turn to the side to see yourself in profile.

Before you get started you will need the following things:

1. A dark colour for shading in either a cream or powder, and it should be two to three shades darker than your skin tone but in the same undertone. If you choose to use powder it should be matte.

2. A light colour for highlighting in either a cream or powder. The colour can be considerably  lighter than your skin depending on how much you want it to show. The highlighter can be matte or shimmer depending on the effect you want to achieve.

3. An angled or medium sized blush brush. Using a angled blush brush makes shading much easier as the angle of the brush will fit perfectly under the cheekbone.

Here’s our simple step by step guide to create prominent cheekbones:

1. Using the angled part of the brush and your darkest colour, sweep under the cheekbone starting close to the ear and finishing with the brush leaving your face.(#1 in above image) Repeat until you get desired intensity.

2. Dust off the dark colour on a tissue before picking up the highlight colour.

3. Apply the highlight colour to the top of the cheekbone by gently tapping or brushing. (#2 in above image)

Anywhere you shade with a darker colour will recede and what you highlight will be brought forward. Remember to do both to beautifully contour your cheeks.