I have a friend who is a makeup artist, and she gave me the inside information on what they do, & secrets behind them. Here, is the inside information from the best!!

-For dry, flaky, skin: use a few q tips, dip it in some moisturizing oil, & use it to buff over dry patches of skin. It makes applying foundation / concealer so much easier!

Save: Coconut oil, $4, Argan oil, $5, Splurge: Darphin’s Revitalizing Oil, $50

-To de-puff eyes: get green tea bags, soak them in hot water, remove, & when it’s warm enough to put on your skin (without burning you) place the bags on your eyes. The caffeine in the tea will help de-puff your eyes. Place for a few minutes, then dip the same tea bags in ice water & place them again over your eyes.

Save: Green tea, 40 bag count, $4

-For oily skin: Use a cotton pad with a bit of witch hazel, which is a light astringent that mattifies the skin. The one I’ve listed here is alcohol free, unscented, (witch hazel is infamous for being smelly) & includes aloe vera!

Thayers Alcohol Free Unscented Witch Hazel Toner, 10 oz, $10

-For dewy skin: Use a primer that’s water based, for a smoother, glowy finish.

Save: NYX’S Studio Photogenic Primer base, $17, Splurge: Kat Von D’s Lock it Featherweight Primer, $32

Another option for dewy skin: Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir. This was actually used backstage at Vera Wang’s fashion show! A few spritzes perk up your skin; use it as a primer & you can also spritz it on throughout the day to refresh your makeup.

Save: Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, $18

-For Hungover skin: Bliss’s Triple Oxygen Energizing Foaming Mask, formulated with vitamins C, E, and grape seed extract to rejuvenate skin, & helps minimize pores! Curious to try? Get the travel size, 0.5 for $15. Love it? Get the large size, 3.4 oz for $40!

Save: Bliss’s Triple Oxygen Energizing Foaming Mask, 0.5 oz, $15, Splurge: 3.4 oz, $40

-For Dry Lips: for a quick fix, rub some sugar with some vaseline, & it helps exfoliate the lips.

Vaseline, 13 oz, $4

-For Mega Lashes:

Don’t just wiggle the mascara wand-sculpt. Use the tip of the mascara wand to lightly tilt your lashes up and out, toward the outer corner of your eye. Hold the wand there for a few seconds, creating the winged out effect. The key, is to use a mascara with a precision-tapered brush, like Butter London’s Iconoclast Mega Volume Mascara, $20, Givenchy’s Phenomen’Eyes Mascara, $31. A budget favorite? Get Rimmel’s Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara, which has the same wand as the Butter London, or get L’oreal’s Original Voluminous Mascara, $8. You can also get mascara wands that amplify your lashes for only $12 for 50 wands!! Don’t want to throw them away? Don’t! Clean off afterwards with some makeup remover, then rubbing alcohol. Now you’re free to use them again & again!

Splurge: Butter London’s Iconoclast Mega Volume Mascara, $20, Givenchy’s Phenomen’Eyes Mascara, $31

Save: Rimmel’s Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara, $7 L’oreal’s Original Voluminous Mascara, $8, Disposable Mascara Wands, 50 pc set for $12

-Also For Fuller Looking Lashes:

Lining your tight line (the part of your top eyelid that’s closest to the eye) gives the appearance of fuller lashes. What you need is a waterproof pencil eyeliner, that’s smudge proof, & you run the pencil along that part (I know it’s a bit ticklish). Add some mascara, & poof! You’ve got fuller looking lashes!

Save: Rimmel’s Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer, $6, Splurge: Smashbox’s Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Liner, $20

-Getting rid of a pimple: Use a drying concealer, or one that cancels out the redness.

Save: Maybelline’s Cover Stick Corrector Concealer, $4, Splurge: Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage, $34

-For Stained Lips:

Don’t apply straight from the tube. Use a brush-not a lip brush; a concealer one, to press the color into your lips. Then press your lips together, use your ring finger to push the color in more, and repeat until you get the desired effect.

Save: Ecotools Concealer Brush, $6, Splurge: Sigma’s Concealer Brush, $14

-For A Brighter Eyeshadow Base:

Ditch your basic eyelid primer. Use a nude colored eyeliner as an eye shadow base. Just apply it directly to your lids and smudge it out with your finger for a brightening eye shadow base (or just brighter eyes,or without shadow).

Save: Rimmel’s Exaggerate Eye Definer, $5, Splurge: Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes Inner Rim Liner, $20

-For An Instant Refresh:

Use a damp Beauty Blender and dampen with The Body Shop’s Vitamin C’s Energizing Face Spritz, $19, or Liz Earle’s Instant Boost Skin Tonic, $25, & pat it lightly all over your face to refresh midday makeup & give a soft, glowy finish.

Save: The Body Shop’s Vitamin C’s Energizing Face Spritz, $19, Splurge: Liz Earle’s Instant Boost Skin Tonic, $25

-For Better False Lash Application:

Grab scissors & snip your strips in half. (Usually you will probably have to nip off the sides of false lashes; for false lashes don’t always fit your eyes) This makes the application process easier & more mistake-proof because it helps the lashes lie flatter like individual lashes.

Save: E.L.F. lash kit, $1, Splurge: Makeup Forever’s Lash Strip, $20

-For A More Airbrushed Foundation Without Airbrushing:

My friend gave me an inside tip: she likes to twirl her foundation brush with the foundation, either on the back or in the palm of her hand, to “warm up” the brush. This allows it to distribute foundation for a more evenly airbrushed effect. You could do with this with any foundation brush, but for the best effect, this you will need a flat, foundation brush. Then buff the foundation on your face in circular motions. The brush she used? Urban Decay’s Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush, $26.

Save: E.L.F.’s Studio Powder Brush, $3, Sephora Collection’s the Classic Mini Mineral Brush, $14, Sonia Kashuk’s Flat Top Multipurpose Brush, $16

Splurge: Urban Decay’s Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush, $26, Sephora Collection’s Pro Bronzer Brush, $25

-For a non shimmer highlight:

Look no further than your lip balm. Heard of the new trend of ‘strobing’? Just use your lip balm to highlight along the tops of your cheeks, the bridge of your nose, & a bit on your forehead to give a dewy highlight. If you would like glossy lids, use it on your eyes too. And I feel this is a more natural highlighter than contouring is.

Save: Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, $5

-For Dewy Cheeks:

For a more natural flush, use a q tip to scrape a tiny bit of your powder blush & mix it with some face cream in the palm of your hand, & dab onto your cheeks for a natural flush.