8 New Ways to Use Your Favorite Products
Photo: Levi Brown/Trunk
There’s a reason they’re called artists: the brilliant men and women who paint the faces of models and actresses in magazines and on red carpets think outside the box—way outside the box. Lipgloss as eyeshadow, mascara as brow gel, face oil as highlighter, they’re the first to ignore the instructions on the label and use products however they see fit. While some of their tricks are better suited to editorial, plenty of them can be translated to your real life makeup needs. Learn something new from Stila’s Sarah Lucero, celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow, and M.A.C.’s Gina Bettelli, below.
Use eyeliner as eyeshadow.
“The creamier the pencil formula, the better (my favorite is Stila Smudge Stick ($20) in Deep Burgundy.) Line your lash line with the pencil and smudge it into the lids with your fingertip, stopping before you reach the crease (the hollow of the eye socket). Use a small liner brush to buff the line into a sultry smoky sexy shape,” Lucero says.
Mix luminizer with everything.
“Add luminizer to a matte foundation to make it a bit more brightening, or mix a liquid luminizer with concealer to create an illuminating tinted moisturizer or concealer that can be used to highlight around the eyes and down the center of the nose. Mixing cake luminizer and cake concealer creates a whole new product that can really brighten your look. You don’t need palettes or plates to mix; just use the back of your hand,” says Tina Turnbow.
Use your shimmering eyeshadow as illuminator.
“Creamy shadows with a pearl finish work really well as luminizers. M.A.C. makes a Cream Colour Base ($21) in Hush that’s gives cheekbones a beautiful luminosity. You can also use it to highlight the inner corners of the eyes to make them look more open, and add it to lips to tone down the natural color,” says Bettelli.
Use clear creams for everything.
“I use Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream ($21) for everything—lips, cheeks, cuticles, brows. Use a minimal amount of product and a clean mascara wand to sweep it through the brows and keep them in place,” says Lucero. Turnbow favors Aquaphor, “Mixed with powder shadow, it turns into a beautiful cream shadow. With lipstick, it makes a nice wash of color for lips, cheeks and eyes; it can transform so many things in a makeup kit.”
Mascara as brow gel.
“I use mascara (I love Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara ($20) for eyebrow gel. Wipe the wand off a bit and use a dark brown to fill in and accentuate the brows. It’s one of my favorite tricks,” says Turnbow.
Mix your concealer and lip gloss—for your face.
“Concealer and lip gloss will create this moveable, reflective product that can be used to bring out your bone structure. Add it to your cheeks or forehead, anywhere you need your face to catch the light. It adds a gorgeous glow,” says Bettelli.
Just add water.
“Wetting your brush can change eyeshadows into creamy, long-wearing wonders. Apply a shade of shadow dry, and blend it, then go back with a wet brush (use the Stila Double-Sided Crease and Liner Brush #15) and saturate the pigment before applying along the lash line and blending into the dry shade for an ombre effect,” says Lucero.
Use your lipstick everywhere.
“Take your favorite lipstick and apply a bit to your finger. Tap just a little into your cheeks and blend it in with the heel of your hand to give yourself a gorgeous, just-flushed cheek, then tap a little onto your eyelids and blend it with your fingers for a gentle lift of natural color,” says Bettelli.
