For foundation that lasts all day, pause for a minute after moisturizing. You will get a drier and thus more stable base. A minute between layers can save time-consuming touch-ups by midday. When you wear foundation, the top layers are only as good as your base.

For quick eye definition, use a pencil to line the top lids only. Too many women in a hurry, line just the bottom lashes which pulls the eye down, creating a tired effect. Lining the top lid, close to the lashes and around the corners of the eyes, has a more eye-opening effect.

If a color looks wrong, build another on top of it. Some women tend to start all over when an eyeshadow or lip color comes on too strong, a move that wastes precious time. In makeup, remember that prefect look comes out of the process, not directly from the tube.

For a dewy, almost-naked mouth, rub a little Vaseline Petroleum Jelly onto the lips before dotting on color from a lipstick tube using your fingertip.

For a matte, almost-naked mouth, start with a lip balm. Then line lips with a brownish pencil. Chocolate works well with most complexions. With a fingertip, smudge the color in.

If you have five minutes to segue from day to evening, spend it on your lips. A strong mouth is dressy, and if the eyes seem less so, it is okay – you will just look modern, as if you meant to achieve the new minimal look.

Correcting Makeup Mishaps

Nobody’s perfect. No matter how bad a mistake looks, you can easily fix it. Here are some quick and easy solutions for the most common makeup blunders.

Blot Away Mascara "Dots" using a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover or moisturizer.

Smooth Foundation That Looks Cakey by running a damp sponge over skin (sea sponges, sold in makeup counters and drugstores, work best).

Tone Down Too-Bold Blush with transparent powder patted on with a puff.

Erase Excess Eyeshadow with the pointed edge of a latex makeup sponge.

Set Wayward Lipliner Straight by swiping a cotton swab or tissue toward the corners of the mouth – downward for upper lip goofs, upward for lower. Conceal any remaining stain with foundation.

Get Those Perfect Manicures

Why do-at-home manicures rarely look as good as salon jobs? Because most women rush and skip steps. Here are some foolproof techniques that you can apply to get those perfect manicures:

Remove old polish with an oil- or lanolin-based remover.

File nails with a narrow file for better control of shape. A square nail with rounded sides is the most break-resistant.

Soak hands in warm water for a few minutes to soften nails and cuticles. Warm two tablespoons of cuticle cream in the microwave for three seconds. Apply it to nails to make it easier to push back cuticles.

Buff gently with the soft side of an emery board.

Scrub nails with soap and water to remove residue that could cause bubbles in your polish.

Blend polish by rolling the bottle between your palms. Shaking causes air bubbles.

Start with a base coat. Let it dry for three minutes, and then apply two coats of color. Work from base of nail to top. Do not let the polish brush touch your skin because you will drag oils onto the nail.

Do not use quick-dry sprays – they can dull or smudge polish. Instead, hold nails under a hairdryer on a cool setting or put them in ice water.

Jason Ladock

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