Health and Beauty

By Jennifer James

Celebrity makeup artists reveal their get gorgeous secrets

In demand makeup artists – the ones who jet between Paris and Milan for the fashion shows and to New York and Los Angeles for movie premieres, award shows and photo shoots at a moment's notice – know a thing or two about pressure. If the supermodel-du-jour arrives on the catwalk with an unsightly blemish, they have to make it disappear. If an over-scheduled, jet-legged actress is doing her tenth media appearance of the week, it's their job to make her look fresh, vibrant and positively well rested. Every lash must be in place, every cheek subtly flushed, every lip perfectly glossed – all while creating the illusion that the model or celebrity in question is naturally (that is, sans makeup), of-course-I-was-born-this-way stunning. From under-eye circles to dull, lifeless skin, they've seen – and better yet, fixed – it all. Here, a few behind-the-scenes pros share their best tips for looking flawless – without looking the least bit overdone.

Make a Fresh Start
The cardinal rule in makeup is to begin with a clean canvas, which means thoroughly cleansing and moisturizing the skin before even thinking about color. "Applying makeup on clean, moist skin will allow for a smooth, even finish," says Trae Bodge, creative director and co-founder of Three Custom Color Specialists – a cosmetics company whose custom-blended and ready-to-wear products have earned a cult following. "If the skin is dehydrated, certain makeup can cake around fine lines. If the skin is oily, makeup can go on patchy." Debra Macki, a Boston-based makeup artist who has worked with everyone from top-tier politicians to hip-hop artists, agrees, but warns against using a moisturizer with glycolic acid. "The foundation will not go on smooth, and the makeup will wear off fast," she explains.

Banish Darkness
"Everybody has some amount of darkness under the eyes," says Carmindy, a New York City-based makeup artist who works on TLC's smash hit makeover show What Not To Wear. "And, unfortunately, the older you get, the worse it gets because the skin becomes thinner." Carmindy, who has to make fashion victims-turned-fashionistas camera-ready in minutes, has one piece of advice for dealing with dark circles: Think pink. "The skin under the eyes tends to be blue, and you need a concealer with a pink highlight to counteract it," she explains. Anything else is usually too light in color or too yellow – and not at all effective. "A concealer that is too light makes you look cakey and white under the eyes, and pale yellow can look sallow, almost gray." Puffiness can also be problematic, and no amount of concealer can hide it. To get rid of it fast, Carmindy saturates two cotton balls with cucumber toner and places them over the eyelids for five minutes. "The toner cools, refreshes and tightens the skin, which takes the puffiness away." For maximum effect, chill the toner in the refrigerator before using.

Zap Zits
It's a fact: Zits don't discriminate (even the most cleansed, toned and exfoliated complexions aren't exempt) – and they love to make an appearance right before a special occasion. Bad timing? Yes. Hopeless? Thankfully, no. To deal with breakouts, Macki pulls out her secret weapon: green concealer. "Green will cancel out and tone down the red in a zit," she says. Either apply the green concealer first and then top it with one that matches your skin tone (if it's too light or too dark, you're simply calling more attention to the problem), or mix a touch of green into your regular concealer or foundation before applying. For precision and a natural-looking result, always use a small brush to apply – especially a few days post-breakout. "When a pimple is healing, the skin around it is dry and flaky. Concealer on the dry skin draws more attention to the breakout," she explains.

Create a Faux Glow
There's nothing prettier than a fresh and rosy glow, but using loads of blush is not the way to get it. For a pretty flush of color, Macki mixes Cheeky (a shiny, sun-colored loose powder from her eponymous makeup line, but any powdered blush or bronzer will work) with foundation and applies to the cheeks for a sun-kissed effect. "You look like you just came back from vacation," says Macki. "Because you are mixing it with your foundation, the color looks very natural." Unless, that is, you apply the mixture to your entire face. "Apply to the cheeks only," she warns. Anything more will look clownish and not at all believable.

Find Your True Colors
Accentuating your eyes starts and ends with color choice – but to help make the right, most flattering one, first determine if your complexion is cool or warm. "It is a common misconception that fair skin is cool and dark skin is warm," says Bodge. "This is not always the case." In general, fair to medium skin tones qualify as warm if they have a greenish olive cast and have more green than blue veins on the inner wrist. Cool complexions have a pinkish cast and more blue veins than green. Dark skin is classified the same way: Warm-toned dark skin has a golden or chocolate hue and, again, more veins tend to be green; cool-toned dark skin has a blueish or red cast and the veins are predominately blue. Cool colors (like pastel pinks and peaches) look most natural on cool complexions, just as warm colors (like earthy oranges and greens) do the same on warm complexions. "Another trick is to look for flecks like gold, bronze or copper in the eyes or hair," she says. "Use a little of the same color shimmer on your eyes."

Jennifer James is a freelance writer for national magazines, newspapers and corporate clients. The former beauty and health director at Teen People, James has written for Shape, Lucky and The Washington Post and has more than five years experience reporting on beauty- and lifestyle-related topics.

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