What Are YOUR Makeup Tricks & Tips?

No clue if there is a thread like this up already but I was curious what was everyone's personal tricks & tips and all in between?

It can be anything, from how you apply it to how you store makeup... cleaning brushes, etcetera.

I'd love to hear what people have learned from professionals or stumbled across too!

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1. Not really a trick or anything new but I don't like buying false lashes after only a bit of uses on them. I can't imagine buying a higher brand name lashes and throwing them away after a few uses! Gotta love Ardell, man...

Anyway, I noticed if I soaked the lashes in anything like water or makeup remover - it looses its bend and becomes softer. So I just remove the glue by hand and pull. And I really try not to get mascara on the lashes... it can really dry it out and become flaky - also, don't think it's that sanitary after multiple uses.

2. Some people I know haven't done this but I'm sure most have. When it comes to shaping your brows - pluck/wax/whatever method you use - the top part of your eyebrows. It helps define the shape and make it cleaner looking. I've done numerous brows now and they didn't know they had to pluck the top part either. You don't HAVE too but it makes it look so much better.

And then if you have bushy brows, just trim. I learned from Miss Manders about this (Benebaby). She said from the start of your brows - brush the hair up and trim little by little. I use a clean mascara wand to brush the hair up. Then the rest of the hair, you brush down and trim.

...I might have to do a before/after show on those brows I work on. Ha.

That's all the tips/tricks I can think of at the moment. HTH!

Coolio thread idea Celly! I know I've always heard not to "top-pluck," but I do it with a few select hairs, and it really does help. My brows are looking better than ever since joining MuT, and I have to say part of it is from plucking along the top of my brow line. And all of the wonderful help Amanda gave!

I've always been afraid to pluck a bit on top of my brows bc everyone would say not to. Well i'm definitely trying this out this week.

Hmmm....the only trick that I can think of at the moment is on how to curl your lashes. When you do curl them, don't just curl at the base. Lightly run the curler out towards the ends of the lashes, pinching them along as you go. Do this lightly several times until you achieve natural looking curled lashes as oppose to the sticking straight up lashes.

I love Ardell lashes, Celly! Thanks for the tips!

yeah I use clear mascara for my false eyelashes.. and hand pick the glue off..

I don't really have any tips and tricks, but thanks for telling us yours.

Originally Posted by CellyCell /img/forum/go_quote.gif 2. Some people I know haven't done this but I'm sure most have. When it comes to shaping your brows - pluck/wax/whatever method you use - the top part of your eyebrows. It helps define the shape and make it cleaner looking. I've done numerous brows now and they didn't know they had to pluck the top part either. You don't HAVE too but it makes it look so much better.

I was told not to pluck the top - I did it anyway and I got my perfect shape that I'd always wanted

i "clean up" across the top of my lashes as well. it makes a world of difference.

i put moisturizer on my lashes and eye lids just before applying my mascara. it makes them silky, straighter and longer.

thx Celly I want to buy some fake lashes now for my girl trip coming up...Im going to have to get me some ardell ones I have only had fake ones done by a MUA so Im not sure what brand he used..

I can only think of one tip now, but I think almost everyone does it.

I put a bronzer along my cheekbones (refined golden by MAC) and then I put a blush on my cheeks and blend them together. It ends up looking very natural and fresh.

Hope these help....

Brows-If you have full dark brows,only fill in the areas where you need it with a powder or pencil 1 or 2 shades lighter.Brush the color into the rest of the brow to lighten the color if you put too much and use a qtip to clean up the shape.

Lashes-I suggest using a heated lash curler,like Ardells Heated Eyelash curler because it really helps keep the lash curled and it protects the lash from the heat.And for big,full,long lashes use 2 different brushes.I currently use Sephoras lash plumper mascara first,which has a fuller brush then right after i go over it with Maybelline's Define A Lash Volume Mascara which has a spikey brush to make sure theres no clumps

To make me look more awake in the mornings I use a light colored creamy eye pencil (Benefit´s High Brow..I heard NYX´s Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese is similar, just doesn´t have the light pink undertone of High Brow) right under the arches of my brows and to line my waterline. I don´t like to use many eye makeup products for a simple school makeup, so this is perfect for me

When I apply mascara I always make sure to apply the biggest amount on the upper outer corner lashes. I´ll put the mascara wand to the base of the corner lashes and kind of "paint" the macara along the length of the lashes in that area...it makes my eyes appear a little longer and gives a subtle "cat eye" effect.

I was waiting for your tips on Mascara, Anders! Haha. I learned that from you and it works. Thanks!

Great tips everyone else... glad you enjoyed mines.

About the brows - I've seen the chicks at Benefit wax the top part and have you seen all their brows? They have the best brows anywhere... so I think removing the top part is A-OK in my book.

Strobe cream gives me a gorgeous glow to my skin. A lot of times in the summer I don't like to wear foundation, so I'll just put on strobe cream, and I get tons of compliments. In the fall/winter I put strobe cream on OVER my foundation. Awesome healthy glow.

I have to agree with Andi on the High Brow... this little pencil can change your whole look, obviously for the better.

When I'm lazy I wear dandelion, totally wakes my skin up.

I'm not really a fan of lipliners, but those lipgloss liners are great. (At one point MAC made them, but they were LE, and Rimmel made them too)

Dior foundations rock...

Oh, and something I picked up from Jen, (brewgrl) mascara wands are great! For your brows, lashes, whatever. I never knew they existed until she posted a thread about them. Now I can't live without them.

Originally Posted by CellyCell /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was waiting for your tips on Mascara, Anders! Haha. I learned that from you and it works. Thanks!
Great tips everyone else... glad you enjoyed mines.

About the brows - I've seen the chicks at Benefit wax the top part and have you seen all their brows? They have the best brows anywhere... so I think removing the top part is A-OK in my book.

you know, hearing that makes me wish I had naturally thick eyebrows..cause then you can just have them waxed into a nice shape. But when you have thin eyebrows there´s always those areas where less hair grows and it´s annoying...cause not only do you have to tweeze and trim, but also pencil and powder them in. I do pencil to enhance the shape and powder to make them look more full.
Sigh, brows can be so annoying

cool thread, thanks Celly !!

i've always been told not to remove the top part of my brows, but i've started to do this lately, and it really helps to get a clean look.

Originally Posted by mebabygirl86 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Brows-If you have full dark brows,only fill in the areas where you need it with a powder or pencil 1 or 2 shades lighter.Brush the color into the rest of the brow to lighten the color if you put too much and use a qtip to clean up the shape.

Excellent tip! Thank you!
I also clean up the top part of my brows and it has made a world of difference.

Great tips, everyone! I love learning new tricks.

Originally Posted by magosienne /img/forum/go_quote.gif cool thread, thanks Celly !!i've always been told not to remove the top part of my brows, but i've started to do this lately, and it really helps to get a clean look.

I guess everyone has been told not to pluck on top of their brows. Does anyone know the reasoning behind this? It doesn't make any sense to me why it would be a bad thing to pluck there.
If my eyes are looking tired or small, I line the inside of my lower lid with a white eyeliner, it really opens them up and it's not obvious at all. If you don't want to line the entire bottom lid you can still get a good effect by putting white eyeliner on the inside corners of your eyes.

As a general rule, in beauty school, they try to steer you away from waxing the top of your brows, I've always ignored that, I think on some people it's necessary to remove hair from the top of their brows.

Some people believe that you may turn the velous hair (the fine hair we have all over our bods) darker if you wax above the brow, or that waxing above the brow can distort your natural shape, which in some cases is true, but generally not, it really depends on the person, their brow shape, etc.

Great thread!