Being a beauty editor affords you a true insight into the world of beauty—one that, unless you’re entrenched in the ins and outs of anti-aging, skin care and makeup on a daily basis, most women never get access to. And, of course, this comes along with tips, tricks and secrets from the best of the best in the biz. Here’s what our editors have picked up during their careers in beauty that they practice in their own lives.
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Elise Minton, Executive Beauty Editor
“I’ve learned so much from countless interviews with expert sources over the years, but there are a few tips I know of that most people rarely ever hear or read about. Buddy Porter of Ramirez-Tran Salon told me to cut thicker blow-dry creams and balms with a drop of oil—and it works. Every time I do this my hair comes out shiny, soft and looking like I just had a professional blowout. Another one of my favorite tricks is to apply black gel or cream eyeliner in the waterline and blink a few times, which makeup artist Ivy Sims told me gets the product smudged around and all the way into the small corners of the inner eye.”
Liz Ritter, Executive Managing Editor
“For that beachy-hair look, don’t use a curling iron, use a flat iron. It’s tricky the first couple times, but if you just make the ends go straight down (not curled up), it’s the secret to make it look more like tousled waves and less prom queen. Also, ease into your skin care and don’t use too much at once! I learned that lesson the hard way my first year on the job—I wanted to try everything but my sensitive skin revolted. Now I try one new product at a time and give it two weeks to see if it will work.”
Danielle Fontana, Editorial Assistant
“To use dry conditioner! While ‘dry shampoo‘ is part of everyone’s daily jargon these days, dry conditioners haven’t gotten as much air time as they should. The shampoo works to degrease hair while the conditioner mends frazzled ends and softens strands. When used in conjunction, you get perfect, just-left-the-salon hair every time. I don’t remember the last time I used one without the other.”
Carolyn Hsu, Digital Managing Editor
“This beauty trick is so simple, but I use it every day. I always have some concealer on me and I use it to clean up the edges of my lipstick every time I apply. Not only is it super quick and easy to do, it’s a must when you’re wearing bright or dark colors because it prevents your lipstick from bleeding and looking like a 5-year-old got in her mom’s makeup stash. Plus, applying concealer around the lips helps to define the lip line and remove any unwanted redness from chapped skin.”
Tatiana Bido, Special Projects Editor
“I have straight, fine hair and I used to immediately stop using any styling products that weighed my hair down or made it look greasy. This really limited the products I could use and I ended up giving away a lot of unused bottles of really great hair products because they didn’t work for me. It turned out I just wasn’t using them in the right way. Now, whether it’s a heat-protectant spray or a styling mousse, I apply it from the middle of my hair down to the ends and completely skip the roots (unless it’s a volumizing product).”
Brittany Burhop, Senior Editor
“About 10 years ago I started getting keratosis pilaris (KP) on my legs and was self-conscious to wear anything that showed off my lower half. After a few visits to the derm, I realized two of the major aggressors worsening my KP were things I could easily change in my day-to-day routine. 1. Not applying lotion right after I shower. I like a hot shower, but it strips my skin. To replenish the moisture, which can help soothe KP, I started applying lotion right after I got out of the shower when my skin was still wet and the results were totally noticeable in just a week or two. 2. Not shaving my legs enough. OK, I’m not talking hippie standards, but my hair is really blond (and not coarse), so I could get away with going a few days between, and even more in the winter. Because shaving is a form of exfoliation, I learned that it helps increase cell turnover and keep bumps away, and it really works!”
