Let’s rewind to a couple of weeks ago at Ulta Beauty World’s first Masterclass Day. I had backstage access (and the incredible privilege) to be one of a handful of beauty editors interviewing founders and ambassadors from some of the world’s biggest brands, including CÉCRED, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Medicube, JVN Hair, Natasha Denona, Half Magic and more. These are the pieces of beauty advice that have stayed with me since.
Eyeliner doesn’t have to be black.
Makeup artist Natasha Denona, founder of her eponymous brand, is known for a killer eye look. She knows eyeshadow, liner, mascara—you name it—and how to apply it strategically so it doesn’t age you. One of my favorite tips she shared: “You don’t always have to emphasize your lash line with black eyeliner. You can keep it homogenous with just your eyeshadow along your lash line.”
She also made it clear that eyeshadow does not need to be applied with a brush. “Just use your finger and slap it on. It does take practice to get used to it, but once you have it, you can do a full eye look in like 10 minutes.” Plus, Denona also hinted that she’s been working on a mascara for six years. “Expectations are very high, so when I launch one, it has to be very good.” We can’t wait!
Apply air-dry cream on soaking wet hair.
This is one tip I was surprised to learn after 17 years as a beauty editor. I always applied my air-dry cream on towel-dried hair, sometimes even after an hour or so. But according to hair guru Jonathan Van Ness, founder of JVN Hair, that’s not the right approach. “Don’t let your hair half-dry,” he says. “When your hair is dry, it will suck up a lot more product and the effect will be crunchier. Applying air-dry cream on really wet hair ensures your result will be even and resistant. If your hair dries really fast when you get out of the shower, just spray it with a mister bottle to wet it again.”
Also, don’t sleep on the brand’s Complete Air Dry Cream ($28) if you have curls. “If you saw any episode of Queer Eye after season six, and you saw anyone with curly, kinky or coily hair, all I used on them was our Air Dry Cream.” JVN also teased a new Volumizing Wave Spray that’s launching soon!
Don’t be scared of winged eyeliner.
Donni Davy, founder of Half Magic and makeup department head for HBO’s Euphoria, says she came up without proper makeup school training and never followed all the rules, which she credits to her success. “I wanted to create something that reversed any limitations that people feel with their makeup.” One big holdup for many people is winged eyeliner, so Davy created her signature Wing Hack Set ($49) to help. “The Flik Eraser ($26) is my winged eyeliner insurance plan. Your winged liner game is only as strong as your clean-up game. Don’t be afraid to just get the wing on—it can look totally botched, that’s OK—because you can clean it up afterward and still get a snatched look.”
Use a color corrector and brightening concealer to soften under-eye bags.
“If you have puffiness or under-eye bags, use a corrector and a brightener under the bags in the socket,” says Denona. “I find that it kind of evens out the shape…and, an orangey-toned color corrector cancels out blueish dark circles. For this area, I press in the product with my fingers or use a mini sponge—not a brush.”
Be careful where you apply your facial devices.
Celebrity makeup artist Sir John, global creative director for Medicube, was raving about the brand’s high-tech facial devices, including its new Booster Pro Mini Plus ($119) and best-selling Booster Pro ($220), which are beloved by celebs such as Hailey Bieber and Khloé Kardashian, and help skin-care products penetrate 400 times deeper. However, he said to be careful when using them on your neck. “Never use any device, no matter what company it’s from, around your thyroid. I’m not sure if anyone has ever told you that, but I’m telling you that today.” Medicube advises not to use its devices “directly on the thyroid area (the middle/lower center of the neck). While the device can be used on the neck for lifting, focusing on the thyroid gland can interfere with its function.”
Use a gentle touch when filling in your brows.
“Don’t put too much pressure—you don’t need to,” says Anastasia Soare of Anastasia Beverly Hills, noting that the brows should begin above the middle of the inside of each nostril. “The less pressure you put, the better—almost feather-like.” And if you’re in the market for a new brow pencil, the brand’s ArchiBrow Pencil ($30), which just launched, is a standout. “When I say it makes hair-like strokes, I mean it. This is such an amazing pencil.”
Don’t forget about heat protection.
You’d be surprised how many of my friends tell me they don’t bother with a heat protectant before styling. This tip is for anyone else in that camp. “Heat protection is really important,” says CÉCRED’s vice chairperson Tina Knowles, who was raving about the brand’s new Thermal Shield Mist ($30). “It protects your hair up to 450 degrees, seals it, doesn’t let in frizz and humidity—it’s amazing.”
