6 Makeup Hacks That Will Simplify Your Beauty Routine

Whether it's soap brows or the latte color aesthetic, there is one thing that’s certain: we are never short on makeup hacks. But what are the ones that the professionals actually swear by? As it turns out, some of the best hacks that our favorite makeup artists use are the most simple.

Meet Our Expert

• Carolina Gonzalez is a celebrity makeup artist and member of the Armani Beauty Collective.

• Lori Taylor Davis is a Smashbox Cosmetics lead makeup artist.

Below, find six makeup tricks you can try yourself, from using blush for a face-lifting effect to adding subtle definition to the eyes.

‘90s Blush Lip

Everyone’s favorite decade provides endless inspo. Gonzalez says she loves to do a modern take on the ‘90s lip by using a deeper color on the inside of the lip and buffing it out with a brush. “It makes the lips look fuller and bolder,” says Gonzalez. To get the look, she recommends using a long-wear lipstick like the Armani Beauty Lip Power in 110 and buffing it out with a smudging brush. “The formula is creamy and easily blendable, which makes it perfect for this look,” she says. “Just make sure you buff it out all over the lip so you don’t see a harsh line.”

Blush Layering

Davis is a huge fan of layering a cream blush on top of your powder to solidify color and give you that natural-looking flush. She says to keep color high on your cheekbones, towards the temples, so that color isn't too concentrated in the center of the face. When blush is placed too low, Davis says, it can look overly blushed or like some discoloration.

Tightlining

As Davis defines it, "tightlining" is the application of eyeliner in the inner and upper rim of the eyes to make the lash and water lines look fuller. You can use your trusty black liner, like the Smashbox Always On Gel Eye Liner, but Davis says that other colors work just as well. Blue, for example, will help brighten the white in your eyes. If you want more of a lifted look, she says to add an extra coat of mascara to the outer corners.

Related: The 15 Best Eyeliner Pencils of 2023 to Add Definition and Drama

Smoky Gray Eyeshadow

Davis says to use a soft gray shade rather than classic go-tos brown or black shadow to add definition in a subtle way. We love the Chanel Les 4 Ombrés Multi-Effect in Modern Glamour or the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette Color-Coded Eyeshadows in The Rock Chick. Use a loose eye-shadow brush to dust it on.

Blush Contour

Blush can also be used to sculpt your cheekbones. She recommends using two different shades of a powder blush like Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Glow Blush, using a light shade at the top of the cheekbone and then going in with a darker shade around that. “Where you apply the blush is what really matters here,” she says. “For a wider face, apply on the outside of the cheekbone to sculpt. For a smaller face, apply blush on the apples of the cheek to round it out.”

Related: I Love Rare Beauty's Liquid Blush So Much, I Use Every Shade

Foundation Stamps

To get that “looks like your skin but better” vibe, Gonzalez says that she likes to take a blush brush (or something like the Makeup by Mario Surreal Foundation Brush) with foundation and stamp product onto the skin to make it look and feel more natural.  Use something like the classic Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation to get that glowy finish. Davis likes to add a bit of moisturizer to her foundation to give it that sheer veil of color. Then, blend it all to make it look seamless. It's a key step, Gonzalez says: “Blending is the most important makeup hack for creating an effortless, natural, radiant glam look."

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