Try our small moves that will give you a big beauty payoff!
If you’ve found the perfect brow shape, AMP IT UP BY…LIGHTENING THEM.
Going lighter – not darker — will give your brows that extra wow. “Lightening your brows a warm chestnut shade makes brown skin appear more golden,” explains Sam Fine, who has revved up the brows of Gabrielle Union, Mo’Nique and Tyra. Brows should be soft, not severe. All complexions can pull it off.
“Use facial hair bleach, not hair color, on your brows. Hair color lifts too quickly and your brows will grow back with roots.”
If you have your bases covered with foundation AMP IT UP WITH…CONCEALER
“Concealer highlights the eyes long before you put on eye shadow,” says Fine. Not to mention it covers pesky dark circles. But we’ve seen concealer shades go awry, so the rule of thumb is to go one shade lighter than your foundation."
If you skip the eye shadow AMP IT UP BY…WEARING BRONZER ON YOUR LIDS.
When it comes to eye shadow, you either love it or live without it. If you fall in the latter category, let bronzer give your lids some love. Fine uses bronzer to warm the eyelids and to add depth. We love that it’s virtually goofproof and gives your eyes an extra boost of subtle glamour. Apply primer first for staying power, then top with a layer (or two) of your favorite bronzer. It looks natural and polished —and it’s easy to achieve.
If you are in love with gloss AMP IT UP BY…ADDING A LAYER OF LIPSTICK.
Lipstick gives your mouth more dimension and polish (and lasts longer than slippery gloss). As Fine puts it, let your lipstick be your luxury piece for a fully dressed mouth — whether you’re going for bold color or a neutral palette. Start with a great richly colored lipstick, use a pencil a shade deeper than your skin tone, and be sure to use a lip brush. To get your gloss fix, dab a bit on top for texture.
TOM FORD Lip Color in Moroccan Rouge ($45, Neiman Marcus stores); REVLON Super Lustrous Lipstick in Spicy Cinnamon ($8, drugstores); MAYBELLINE Color-Sensational Lip Color in Red Revival ($8, drugstores).
If you’ve found the perfect mascara AMP IT UP BY…CURLING.
Fine uses this trick to create curly lashes that last: Wipe all excess mascara from the wand and apply one coat to lashes. Let dry a few minutes. Curl lashes, then follow with another coat of mascara.
If you use bronzer on your cheeks AMP THEM UP BY…ADDING A VIVID COLORED BLUSH.
It makes bright hues, like orange, and even shades we usually avoid, like pink, wearable. “Adding a pop of color makes blush new,” says Fine. “The color becomes more natural-looking because you have bronzer underneath.” Start with the bronzer, then add blush, followed by bronzer on top.
If you already love blush AMP IT UP BY…MIXING COLORS.
Try more than one color at a time. It’s simple. Our model tried orange and pink with the bronzer and it still looked natural.
