Smart Beauty Tips

Save time and money with clever info from beauty insiders.

Shine On

Product buildup can cause highlights to lose their luster, says Kyle White, the lead colorist at the Oscar Blandi salon, in New York City. His homemade remedy? Every two weeks, crush an aspirin and mix the powder into a dollop of shampoo before lathering up. The cyclical acid in the aspirin will help remove any dull coating from your hair and restore shine. Brilliant!

Sheer Genius

Ever purchased a polish that looked bold and beautiful in the bottle but turned out to be disappointingly sheer? No need to toss it, says Candace Szpiech, a manicurist with the nail-care company Red Carpet Manicure. “Just get an inexpensive opaque white polish at the drugstore and brush it on before applying the color,” she says. The white will make the bright more vibrant.

Brow Know-How

Those who can make neither hide nor hair of brow products should heed this advice from Joey Healy, an eyebrow expert in New York City: Use a brow pencil to correct over plucked arches or uneven lines. Use a brow powder when you want to add fullness to your natural shape. In both cases, pick a shade that matches your brows, not the hair on your head.

Eye Do

Chances are, sooner or later you’ll find yourself with tired, puffy eyes. Anne-Claire Douche, the spa-treatment supervisor at the Mandarin Oriental Paris, recommends keeping green tea–soaked cotton pads in the refrigerator for just such an occasion. Place two chilled pads over your eyes for 10 minutes. “The cold plus the antioxidants help tighten skin,” she says.

Brush Off

Shimmer shadow is far less fetching when it collects under your eyes. For this reason, Neil Young, a senior makeup artist with MAC, recommends applying the sparkly stuff only with fingertips, never a brush. “A brush flicks the pigments all over the place,” he explains, “but the oil from your fingers helps pigments adhere to your lids.”

Soft and Smooth

Air-drying hair after applying styling products can leave it feeling crispy. Why? Because the products contain sticky compounds that are meant to melt with blow-dryer heat. Without it, those compounds just stick to your hair. To achieve softness when going au natural, the stylist Ward, the founder of Living Proof hair products, suggests using half as much product and combing it through. Voila! Same hold, no crunch.

White Out

You probably know that white eyeliner can counteract the redness of bloodshot eyes. But did you know that it can erase redness on skin, too? A.J. Crimson (his real name!), a Los Angeles–based makeup artist, suggests dotting white pencil on top of blemishes before applying congealer. “White neutralizes red tones, so your congealer can cover better,” he says. Try Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics white kohl eyeliner pencil

Bang-Up Job

Bangs can be so conspicuous when they’re misbehaving. To keep yours from hanging limply over your forehead, Michael Dueñas, a New York City hairstylist for the Schwarzkopf Professional brand, recommends putting down the hairbrush. Instead, dampen bangs with water, then blow-dry while lifting them up and slightly back toward the crown with your fingers. Finish with a mist of hair spray. Dueñas says, “Gripping the hairs generates tension, which helps to reshape your fringe better than a brush can.”

This post edited by Didi Gluck