20 Makeup Tricks Every Twenty-Something Needs

Because we tend to spend our time pouring over beauty products, chatting with makeup artists and testing out the products on our own, we also tend to pick up some pretty incredible makeup tricks along the way.

Whether it’s how to get your makeup to last longer, how to apply a product or which products work best for each issue, we’ve got some seriously useful makeup tricks and we’re sharing them with you.

Below are 20 makeup tips every girl needs in her 20s (and beyond).

1. To avoid your lipstick drying out in the center of your mouth, apply a nude color lip balm crayon to the insides of your lips, just behind the lipstick. This won’t change the color of your lipstick, and it’ll keep your lips hydrated, preventing cracking and making it last much longer.

2. Use a cotton swab and a drop of makeup remover to clean up any stray marks or mistakes that may have happened when you applied eyeliner.

3. When your eyebrows are unruly and you’re in a pinch, use lip balm to coax them into place.

4. Apply concealer under your eyes with your ring finger, the weakest finger, to pull the skin there as little as possible. This will avoid making the sensitive skin at your eyes loose, which can cause wrinkles.

5. To make your eyeshadow last longer, begin by applying an eye primer, then wet your brush before dipping into the eyeshadow. The wet shadow will stick to the eyelid better and won’t slide off.

6. For a subtle highlighted look, use a highlighter stick to trace a giant “C” shape on either side of your face. Starting at the inner corner of your eyes, going up to just underneath your eyebrows, following the outer curve of  your face and then going inward towards the apple of your cheek. Blend the highlighter so that there isn’t a clear, visible line, and repeat on the opposite side of your face.

7. Put a touch of white eyeliner in the corner of your eyes and along your bottom water line before pictures to make your eyes look brighter and bigger.

8. For precision and even color application, use a concealer brush instead of a lip brush to apply your lipstick.

9. If you neglect to clean your makeup brushes, you’re putting old makeup, bacteria and oil onto your skin every day, which can cause major breakouts. Clean your brushes once a week with anti-bacterial soap and warm water.

10. To coat your lashes with the most mascara possible, place the mascara wand at the root of your lashes and gently shake the brush up towards the tips, blinking down onto the brush as you go. Plus, don’t be afraid to apply two coats!

11. When you’re doing a smokey eye, use three colors. One light highlighter color in the inner corner and under the brow bone, one medium tone in the center of your lid under the crease, and one darker color in a sideways “V” shape — along the crease, then along the upper lash line. Blend the colors well for the best results.

12. Use green concealer for acne or blemishes (green will counteract the red) and pink concealer for dark circles or spots (pink will counteract the blue or purple colors).

13. On a night when you know your makeup needs to stay put for hours on end, use a makeup setting spray to hold things in place.

14. For a spot treatment on acne, apply a drop of redness reducing eye drops to the area. The formula will help to neutralize the red, evening up your skin tone.

15. To make your nose look smaller, apply a foundation two shades darker than your skin tone in vertical lines down the sides of your nose and blend. Then, apply a strip of highlighter down the center of your nose, blending that, too. The makeup will give you the appearance of a shadow, making your nose look a bit smaller.

16. Always curl your eyelashes before applying mascara, not after. Curling afterwards will cause the mascara to clump.

17. If you use heat styling tools in your hair, style your hair before applying your makeup. The heat from the tool (especially a blow dryer) can dry out the makeup, cause your mascara to shrink, and melt the makeup causing it to go deeper into your pores. Apply your makeup afterwards in a cool room if possible.

18. For a long lasting lip stain that you can DIY, use Kool Aid mix, water and your finger. Added bonus: It tastes great!

19. Get your eyeliner to stay put by using an angled eyeshadow brush and a shadow of the same color, applying it over the liner. The powder shadow will seal the liner in place.

20. Even if your makeup contains SPF, it’s not enough to rely on that alone, because you don’t apply makeup as thoroughly as you would apply sunscreen. Get a lightweight, non-greasy formula to wear underneath your makeup, even when it’s not sunny out.