Beauty Tricks Makeup Artists Wish You Would Start Using

In life, there is always room for improvement—and our daily beauty routine is no exception. We made some tweaks after receiving some valuable makeup artist-approved tips on what we should stop doing when applying on makeup. Now, we're ready for something a bit more positive to put into action. The wonderful people who beautify celebs like Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski have numerous makeup application tips that'll guarantee beauty routine success, so we asked them to spill the tea on what they wish we would start doing. Get your brushes and palettes ready.
                 

"Check out your go-to look in every light. From sunlight to office light—even the light of a camera flash—you will be amazed by how different your makeup looks. While doing this, you can see what little adjustments you should make to your 'main face.'" —Joanna Schlip, who's worked with Ellen Pompeo, Laura Linney, and Eva Longoria

"Experiment and get out of your box. If you only wear nude lipsticks, wear a red. If you've never worn purple eyeliner, try it. Too vague? I really mean it. Makeup is a tool to have fun with your look. Once you've corrected whatever bothers you, go for it. Think of makeup like a fashion accessory, and be courageous." —Molly R. Stern, who's worked with Reese Witherspoon, Lily Collins, and Mandy Moore

"Applying a face oil to the skin before applying makeup—instead of a makeup primer—will give your skin a natural glow and will make makeup go on so much smoother." —Lina Hanson, who's worked with Brooke Shields, Gillian Anderson, and Portia de Rossi

This Skeleton Halloween Makeup Tutorial Is Scary Easy to Follow

 If you’ve ever spent hours spiraling down a wormhole of Halloween beauty tutorials on YouTube or searched the #HalloweenMakeup hashtag on Instagram, you’ve probably seen your fair share of cool-but-impossible-to-achieve-IRL makeup looks. And skeleton makeup? That definitely fits the category. There's so much intricacy involved in getting those eye sockets to look like something out of The Walking Dead, amirite? But thankfully the makeup gods (translation: beauty bloggers) felt for skill and time-strapped among us, and the half skull trend was born. It's got all the spooky marks of classic skeleton makeup (hello, those teeth!), but let's you still wear a fierce as hell smoky eye.
               

We called on Make Up For Ever Director of Education and Artistry Lijha Stewart (also known as the "Queen of Halloween") to guide us through the process, step-by-step. Here's exactly how to get the look.

Level of difficulty: On a scale of 1-5, this a solid 4. Yes, even though only half your face is actually painted, nailing the shading and symmetry of that portion is pretty hard.

Amount of time required: Unless you’re an artist, plan to reserve an hour and a half to complete this look.

What you'll need:
-Undereye concealer
-Eyebrow gel
-Black kohl eyeliner
-Shimmery white eyeshadow
-Matte brown eyeshadow
-Black eyeshadow
-False eyelashes
-White face paint
-Translucent finishing powder

Since the bottom half of your face will be covered in black and white face paint, don’t bother wasting time (or precious product!) prepping that area. You’ll want to focus on making your under eyes as even-toned and bright as possible. We used a full-coverage, creamy concealer and set it with translucent finishing powder. Next, you’ll want to intensify your brows with a slightly-darker-than-normal brow gel or pencil. If going bold scares you (or if you think it just looks weird), don’t worry. Once the rest of your face is done, everything will feel balanced.

YouTuber Kaitlyn Dobrow Empowers Fans

You won’t have any trouble finding Halloween beauty tutorials online, but if you want to watch something truly special, you need to know about Kaitlyn Dobrow. Her cheetah-inspired makeup is so good that it got a shout-out from famed glam guru Huda Kattan, who dubbed it “amazing.” In an Instagram preview of her upcoming tutorial, Kaitlyn freehand sketches a feline nose, lips, and spots all over her face using a combination of brushes and a cream color palette. A flawlessly drawn cat eye and dramatic lashes complete the look.
                   

It’s an amazing costume idea in its own right, but what makes it so empowering is that the use of beauty tools and products isn’t an easy feat for her. As she’s freely shared on her account before, both her arms and legs were amputated after she contracted bacterial meningitis, meaning she does the entire tutorial using a prosthetic limb. But as she explains in her first ever YouTube video, she still feels the same way about beauty as she always has. “I just love makeup,” she says. “It’s what I do, it’s what I love, and it’s a hobby of mine.” While we’re in awe of her makeup skills, its her positivity and strength that make the biggest impact. From start to finish, she tackles the tutorial with a big smile on her face — and her self-acceptance and determination speak volumes. We’ve said before that democratic platforms like YouTube have allowed vloggers to share their individual voices and stories on their own terms, and Kaitlyn is one of the most empowering examples we’ve seen. Watch as she tutors you through your next Halloween costume. As this inspiring vlogger would say, “Let’s do this!”

Why Ana Ivanovic Never Wears Makeup On the Court

On a particularly humid Thursday afternoon, in Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club’s airy bubble of a tennis court, Ana Ivanovic is patiently lobbing balls over the net at my person. “Your short game is good!” she offers, kindly—though it goes without saying that my skills don’t compare to the powerful forehand of the world-ranked tennis star.
               

Ivanovic is in town for the U.S. Open but has taken time out of her whirlwind schedule to, rather charitably, provide a few one-on-one tips—like how to guide a racket across the net at just the right spin-inducing angle, for one—and discuss her own tournament prep. “I was pushing harder at the beginning of the week with two hours of training, plus fitness and recovery,” she says of her daily 8:00 a.m. court sessions and isometric core work. “But as we get closer to the tournament, the [tennis] hours are less, and I do a lot in the gym and off-court.”

As for her no-makeup-on-court philosophy, “I actually don’t [wear any],” she swears with a laugh. “I like to focus on my tennis; I don’t want to worry that my mascara is running.” Instead, she has zeroed in on a skin-care routine that makes cosmetic camouflage unnecessary in the form of Shiseido’s Ibuki cleanser, mixed with a bit of exfoliator and topped with a hydrating, energizing cream. “It’s very simple,” she says. “I always say I’m very lucky to get good genes from my mom.” Here’s to one beauty secret that’s truly au naturel.

Eyeshadow for A Lazy Day

I’ve got in to a real makeup uniform recently; same base, same quickie cheek routine, same brow product, same eyeshadow, mascara and then I either do a bold lip or a nude lip. Simples. The eyeshadow in question is this – CHANEL’s Illusion D’Ombre in Mirage. I first heard about it through Sali Hughes and then when I was in Boots a few weeks back I had a swatch of it on counter and it was love at first sight (it was love at first sight for my friend too who also walked away with a pot!).

There are two things to note with this formula. Firstly – it’s all about applying it with your fingers. Try a brush and you’re destined for failure because it’s your fingertip that warms up the product and allows it transfer from tip to lid, then just blend it out to soften the edges either with your finger or a brush. Repeat until the desired opacity is achieved. It couldn’t be easier. I’ve applied this without practically looking in a mirror and in low-light conditions and each time it looks surprisingly polished.

Secondly, it’s a sheer texture but it’s buildable, which is great because it’s a true day-to-night little multi-tasker. Rub it on lightly in the morning, lob it in your bag and then go in a little heavier for a touch-up before you head out in the evening. Easy peasy.



If you love a good ol’ bronzey lid then say hello to your new makeup bag staple.

Love The Scent of Me Bath

 These mini Ice Creams are so cute! First I love the scent, it's so fruity and feminine. They come in a resealable package, but are also each wrapped individually so you aren't worried about them being exposed to air. The first night I got them, I tossed one into my bath and the water was foamy and smelled amazing. I am also happy to report that the scent lingers, and did not dry out my skin or make it feel sticky. These are a nice affordable alternative to other brands that cost a little more, but you get less. I will be picking up other scents for sure!

This Shower Sherbet is an exfoliating sugar scrub. It looks like something I want to put a straw in and drink heh. This scrub has the scent of pomegranate, cranberry, apple and peach notes sprinkled with a touch of bergamot oil. It is an amazing at exfoliating, without being abrasive to my skin. I use body scrubs often, but I can't use ones that are harsh to my sensitive skin.



I was at Target the other day with my friend (hard to believe I know) and I mentioned to her that I had been using these products. She bought the the body wash in Summer Rain. She texted me later that week and said she went back for the rest of the products it smelled so amazing. Now I feel like I need more scents too.

I love a good at home pamper session, but these are so affordable I can treat myself everyday if I wanted. Have you tried anything from Me! bath?

Looking Forward to Three New Launches

Whilst I’m always trying a tonne of new things, I endeavour to bring you the crème de la crème of this freshly picked crop. It’s always nice when something is debuting on the scene and is all shiny and new and sometimes we get blindsided in the prettiness of it all, but I try my best not to give in to my Magpie-like tendencies and instead just save the really, really purchase-worthy stuff for post material. Case in point; the following three items which in a sea of autumn/winter releases have really stood out as things that are a little bit different, a lot functional and are well worth a spot in your makeup bag, or in some cases – your party bag…

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick – launches September. Clarins have re-vamped their Jolie Rouge range which will be cropping back up on counters during this month. There are 25 shades in total and there’s a bit of everything from vampy berries to a shedload of nudes. Whilst the brights are nice, I prefer something a little more matte for those and seeing as the formula is so creamy and easy, I think the subtler colours are the real stars of the show here. 751 Tea Rose has made it into my makeup bag, but 747 Rosy Nude, which is slightly more peach, 707 Petal Pink, which is more pink and 705 Soft Berry which is a bit more plum are all waiting in the wings. Everyone’s going to find a suitable nude here.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup to Go – launches October. Now this is an interesting one. Estée Lauder have taken their bestselling Doublewear range and fused it with the whole ‘Miracle Cushion‘ trend to create a handbag-friendly compact that holds a foundation formula that’s basically made for touch-ups. The texture is a little more blendable and lighter than the original Doublewear, so it’s a good one to layer and it’s pumped out of a little circle in the middle of the compact by pressing a button (side note: pressing the button becomes very addictive). I’m not the biggest powder lover in the world and as someone whose skin eats up foundation for breakfast I’m the perfect customer for this kind of thing. I really like it. Plus the dispensing mechanism means the whole ‘feeling gross about double-dipping into a sponge‘ thing is not an issue here. Phew.

Illamasqua Broken Gold – launches November. Now this might not look like your typical Anna pick here and yes I must admit that my inner Magpie might have drawn me to this one, but just look at that. GOLD LEAF IN A TUBE! Ah common’ – it has festive season written all over it. The set-up might fool you into thinking that we’ve got a gloss on our hands here, but instead it’s a watery texture that evaporates after application leaving behind a non-sticky, non-uniform layer of gold leaf behind that doesn’t move. It’s just asking to be patted on over the top of eyeshadow or on the tops of the cheeks. I want to bath my face in the stuff. When this is released I urge you to run to your nearest counter.