Instant Makeovers Made Easy

People are often shocked when I tell them how much time I spend applying makeup. "Five minutes?! Well, that must be because you do makeup for a living," they say. They're partly right…working in the beauty business all of my adult life has certainly given me ample opportunity to hone my skills. But the truth (between you and me) is that it's less about being particularly deft with my hands, and more about knowing the makeup products and techniques that make a difference and require the least amount of time and effort. Here are some tried and true tips that I use on myself, women who visit my counter, even models and celebrities…after all, who has the time or energy to fuss around nowadays?

• Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to apply foundation all over your face to look like you have perfect skin. Instead, spot-apply the foundation just on the parts of your face (typically around the nose and mouth) that are uneven, blotchy or dark.

• On days when I wake up looking a little ruddy, I reach for bronzing powder. The brown tones in the bronzer are a sure-fire way to counteract redness.

• Wake up tired looking eyes with eye liner. When you line your eyes, start with a thin line at the inner corner of the eye and gradually thicken the line as you work towards the outer corner of the eye.

• Eyes instantly look brighter with a touch of highlighter. Rub your finger in white or off-white eye shadow and apply the shadow on your browbone (that area just below the most arched portion of the brow).

• Comb your brows! Simply brushing brow hairs into place with clear brow groomer gives your brows—and more importantly the eye area—a more polished look.

• Make your blush pop. After applying your regular neutral blush, dust a brighter shade just on the apples of your cheeks. For example, if you use tawny as your base blush, use soft pink as your pop of color.

• I love it when people say to me, "You're glowing." If they only knew my secret: after applying all your makeup, warm balm between your palms and gently pat it onto your cheeks.

• I love the versatility of white lip gloss. Wear it alone to add a little oomph to the natural coloring of your lips. Or, layer it over any lipstick shade to transform it into a lighter, pastel shade.

• Lip pencil can do a lot to plump up thin lips. Line the very outer edge of your mouth with a pencil that matches the shade of your lips, then apply your regular lipstick or gloss.

• After applying lipstick, take a generous dab of clear gloss and place it in the middle of both top and bottom lips. Your lips will instantly look fuller…and who doesn't love that?