Give Yourself The Star Beauty Treatment!

(GNS) — Having a professional makeup artist and hair stylist at our beck and call would be a dream come true for most people.

But many of their tricks-of-the-trade techniques are easily replicated at home with a little practice.

One makeup key is using light to create illusion.

Here are a few tips you can try at home.

Add facial highlights To reduce signs of wrinkles and make skin look taut, apply concealer or a cream foundation one or two shades lighter than normal in a T-zone running down the mid-forehead, across the nose, beneath the eyes and down the middle of the face to the chin. Then add the normal shade of foundation, blending into the lighter shade. 

Eye shadow First, invest in a slanted eye-shadow brush. To open up eyes, add a darker contour color to the outer edge of the eye crease. Start your color-loaded brush on the outside of the eye and work inward, so the heaviest color stays on the outer edge. 

Eyeliner Don't make eyeliner look harsh; instead, go for a soften look by using dark eye shadow tapped at the base of the lashes with a firm-tipped brush. For staying power, dampen your brush before dipping into color. Don't line the bottom lashes. 

Apply blush Make faces while you put on makeup. Smile to make your cheek apples appear, then apply blush to the cheek apples and across the top of the cheekbones. For a more natural look, tap a tad of blush at the hairline, across the nose and on the lower edge of the chin. 

Lip color Find a shade of lipstick you like and stick with it — maybe even a couple of favorites. For a full look, fill in lips with liner before applying lipstick, or top an old favorite with gloss. For longest-lasting lip color, line and fill-in lips with lip liner as a base coat. For an ultra-chic look, don't line the center of the lips before applying lip color or gloss. 

Cheek/jawline contouring To create more prominent cheekbones, after applying foundation, pick a taupe brown eye shadow and brush the color lightly in a half-moon curve just beneath the cheek bone. The same powder can be brushed lightly just below the chin to create a sharper jaw line or on the sides of the nose to create a more sleek nose. The secret to contouring success is blending, though. 

Shocking secret During cooler months, static can cause flyaway hair. For a simple fix, use a laundry static sheet wrapped around a styling brush; rub through your hair — and static be gone. 

Styling products Hair spray weighs hair down, so add spray from underneath to avoid a heavy buildup on top. Spray just at the roots to add volume. 

Rolling hair To get your hair to keep curl, spritz on some hairspray just before adding heated styling tools. The spray sets the curls much better than if you curl hair with no styling product. Also, don't brush out freshly rolled hair until the curls have cooled entirely. Use your fingers to separate curls, instead of a brush or comb, gives a natural look. 

Dejunk the gunk For a homemade remedy to get rid of styling product buildup, fix your regular shampoo with baking soda until it feels gritty. Then rub through until hair feels clean. 

Hot tip Conditioner needs heat to work into the hair shaft and be truly effective. For best results, do a hot oil treatment, or apply conditioner and then put on a plastic shower cap for 10 to 15 minutes.Five minutes to fantastic

If you're running late, here are some tips to get you looking refreshed without taking up too much time. The key: don't try to look made up, but go for natural.

Here's how a five-minute face is done. 

1. Begin with a clean, moist face. 

2. Apply concealer lightly, only where needed — red spots, under-eye circles — then blend. 

3. Apply a light coat of foundation and blend. 

4. Apply a neutral color for both eyes and cheeks, then apply to eyelids and apples of cheeks.

5. Curl lashes for more awake look. 

6. Apply mascara, beginning at the base of the lashes. 

7. Line lips. Then blend liner over entire lip. 

8. Finish with lip gloss or lipstick color.
courtesy: www.dnj.com