Top Celebrity Makeup Tips

When you look at the glossy pages of fashion magazines or watch celebrities walk the red carpet at premiers and award shows, one of the first things you probably notice is the flawless finish on their faces. And while you may chalk it up to expensive beauty treatments and the costly creams that make up their daily regimen, the truth is that a good portion of how celebrities look on camera can be attributed to the skills of their makeup artists. While you probably can't afford to hire these industry cosmeticians, you can steal the secrets they use on celebs to improve your own beauty routine. And here are just a few of their top makeup tips to have you looking flawless in no time.

1. Hide imperfections. While you can get rid of most acne issues through a targeted regimen of washing and moisturizing, you may still have to contend with blemishes on occasion. So how can you conceal them? The trick that cosmeticians use involves two components: a tapered brush and an acne-fighting concealer. You'll want a concealer that has salicylic acid to reduce both the oil buildup and the clogged pores that are probably to blame for blemishes. And the tapered bristles of a concealer brush will poke into every crevice to ensure maximum coverage.
2. Perfect contouring. Celebs don't always have perfect features, but the makeup artists they employ help them to look like they do. The technique they use is known as contouring and it involves the use of light and shadow in order to minimize or maximize features. For example, swiping makeup that is slightly darker than skin-tone on the sides of the nose can make a larger proboscis appear less prominent. And using three shades on the cheeks (highlight on the cheekbones, a rosy blush on the apples, and darker rouge on the hollows) can make a face appear leaner and more lifted. However, blending is an essential part of this strategy so that the visual trickery is not too obvious.
3. Bigger eyes. One of the first things people tend to look at is your eyes, so most celebs prefer to highlight this feature on their face. For eyes that look young and fresh, there are a couple of tricks to try. The first is to skip black liner and opt for a color that makes your eyes pop. Then add a neutral shadow, some black mascara, and a shimmery highlighter just under the brows and on the inside corner of your eye. This will help you to look alert and well-rested.
4. Sexy lips. If you want to avoid the mishaps that often come with bold colors on the lips, skip dark, matte colors and opt instead for a layer of balm followed by a moisturizing lipstick with just a hint of shimmer. And apply a touch of colorless, shimmery balm to the skin just above the center of your upper lip to bounce light and make your lips look larger.
5. Brow corrector. Whether your issue is a couple of hair caterpillars marching across your brow or an over-tweezed line that has yet to grow back, you may despair of ever having the gorgeous celebrity brows that media services seem intent on shoving in your face. But don't despair. If you're trouble is bushman eyebrows you can simply go to a specialist to have them waxed (once you've got the shape you can keep it up at home). And if too-thin brows are the trouble, simply pencil them in or use a brow-correcting powder during the day and swipe on a little Rogaine or Ardell Brow and Lash Growth Accelerator (both available at drugstores) at night.

Carol Montrose is a contributing writer for DVD Copycat- Disc Replication San Francisco firm that offers a variety of media and manufacturing services.