19 Beauty Tricks That Will Change Your Life

1. Tuck a hidden braid behind your ear to keep your hair back.

At the BCBG show at New York Fashion Week, hairstylist Laurent Philippon swept the models' hair over their left shoulder, and then took an inch-thick section of hair behind their right ear and braided it diagonally toward the nape of their neck to keep the hair in place. "It's going to be hidden, but it's meant to hold the hair back in a loose way," he said. Lastly, he finished the look with Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finishing Spray for a "very cool, Patti Smith meets Francoise Hardy, laid-back look."

2. Layer your lip products and then top it with blush for a "pillowy effect."

At the Marissa Webb show, makeup artist Alice Lane coated the lips with Maybelline New York Baby Lips Lip Balm and then three layers of lipstick (a nude shade, a baby pink color, and then the nude again) to create a full, “pillowy lip." But she didn't stop there. Lane then topped off the models' lips with a pink powder blush to create a natural but enhanced color and texture. This trick also makes your lips look fuller and more Angelina Jolie-like.

3. Blend white liner onto your lips for a nudish pink effect.

If you don't have a nudish pink lipstick handy, but want to wear a nude lip, this trick from Rag and Bone's makeup artist Gucci Westman will help you achieve just that. "Adding a little bit of white liner to your lips helps take out some redness, leaving you with a more toned-down, nudish pink look," she says. Try Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Intense Eyeliner + Brightener.

4.  Use lipstick as blush.

At ICB, Lacoste, and Marchesa, the key makeup artists at each show used lipstick as blush for a natural look. At Marchesa, Gucci Westman using her fingertips to warm and apply two shades of berry lipsticks (Revlon's Black Cherry and Raisin Rage) to the apples of cheeks, blending out toward the ears. This makes skin look "super luminous and fresh."

5. Use a 'do rag to help your hair stay smooth on top when you're doing a textured look on the bottom.

At Lacoste, hair guru Laurent Philippon used 'do rags to keep some of the girls' hair super flat. "They'll be taken off before they walk down the runway, but wearing it beforehand just gives a rock and roll twist to their hair," he says. "I'm going for that Patti Smith/Kate Moss feel." To get the flat top/textured bottom look, Philippon used Bumble and Bumble Prep on their hair first, and then sprayed it with Bumble's Tonic.  This 'do rag trick can also come in handy when you're doing a look similar to the below style from last season at Bottega Veneta; it'll help to keep the top super smooth while you're waving the bottom of your hair for major texture. 

6. Use ridge filler to perfect your nude mani.

Nail pro Rita Remark applies one coat of ridge-filling base before a sheer white, pink, or nude nail polish. "You want that self-leveling effect, when the colored polish you paint on settles without streaks, and this product will even out your nail bed, giving you that smooth canvas," she says. "Think of it as a primer for your nails." At the Jill Stuart show (shown above), she used two coats of Essie's Allure to make the models' nails look fresh, and then topped it with a matte top coat to give it a edgy feel.

7. Use a cream-based eyeshadow for a subtle smoky eye.

Makeup artist Diane Kendal created a to-die-for subtle copper smoky eye at Tory Burch. She suggests using a brush to apply the color over the entire eylid, then using a clean fluffy brush to blend it into the crease and toward the brow so it looks less intense. Kendal used MAC Cosmetics Cream Colour Base in Bronze for the look above.

8. Use a gel cream liner to create a modern-day Edie Sedgwick eye. 

Edie's eye is iconic, but it's also a little intense for everyday wear. So, to create a modern, more wearable version, use Gucci Westman's trick. At the Marchesa show, she applied a cream gel liner in green or navy, depending on the models' eye color, into the crease of the eye, following the shape of the eye socket. Then went over it with an electric blue or green liquid liner to intensify it. A good tip to remember when applying both liners: "When you’re doing your left eye, look to the left, and then begin the line directly where your eyebrow starts for a precise application," she says. Try:Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Liner in Rio Rush or the Revlon ColorStay Skinny Liquid Liner in Green.

9. Make a deconstructed bun by creating a loop with your ponytail, wrapping the ends around the base, and then securing it.

Hairstylist Mark Hampton created a deconstructed bun at Marchesa by spraying a heat protection and salt spray into the girls' hair first. Then, he pulled their hair into a ponytail, twisted it, flipped it over his thumb, and wrapped the ends around the base of the bun before securing it with bobby pins. "It gives you an alternative to a ballerina bun that is tight and perfect," he says. "This looks more like she did it by herself."

10. Create a face-framing style by curling and wrapping your hair inward around your hairline.

Matthew Curtis created the gorgeous hair look at Alice & Olivia (above) first by spraying the models' hair with TRESemmé 24 Hour Volumizing Spray. He then curled sections of hair starting three inches down from a center part so that the curl face down rather than up. The hair framing the face, however, was curled inward toward the face. After he let the curls set, he unraveled the sections, shook them out to get the hair a little frizzy, and then used a strong-hold hairspray to maintain the body and width.

12. Create a natural glow with some highlighter and a fan brush. 

Makeup artist Val Garland told Cosmopolitan.com backstage at Monique Lhuillier that a fan brush is the best way to apply highlighter. "It gives you a more believable highlight, since a fan brush's bristles are too soft and flexible to pick up and transfer too much product onto your face," she says, "therefore, leaving you with a natural glow." Garland used MAC Cosmetics Highlighter in Hush and MAC Duo Fibre Fan Brush in 184 here.

13. Pull your hair upward in a "V" formation toward the crown of your head for a more flattering updo.

Hairstylist Bob Recine, who did hair at Monique Lhuillier said updos look best when hair is at just the right angle. "Anytime you're pulling your hair up into an updo, high bun, or ponytail, follow the lines of your jawline and keep your hair moving upward," he suggests. This instantly flatters all face shapes. 

14. Perfectly apply liner to your lower lash line every time by subtly pulling the skin taut at the outer corner of your eye.

At Mara Hoffman, makeup artist Alice Lane used this technique to line the lower lid that extended beyond the lower outer corner of the models' eyes. She first pulled the skin taut at the corner of the girls' eyes with her finger to straighten the eye out momentarily, and then drew the line on. "It's faster and easier to do this way," Lane said.

15. Use the head of a bobby pin to create nail art.

At Jenny Packham, nail artist Michelle Saunders ditched a dotter tool and instead used a bobby pin head to create the jewel embellished design on the models' ring fingers. Using all Essie polish, here's her how-to: 

1. Apply First Base Base Coat to clean, filed nails.
2. Once dry, apply two coats of Mademoiselle to all your nails.
3. On your ring fingers only, dip a bobby pin into Wrapped in Rubies and create a medium-sized circle in the middle of the nail.
4. To begin forming the Solaris look, dip a bobby pin into Wrapped in Rubies and create small dots around the center circle.
5. Next, dip a bobby pin into Penny Talk to create small dots beside each red dot.
6. Then, dip a bobby pin in Hors d'oeuvres and fill in between the spaces, so that all of the dots connect.
7. Finally, take a small nail art brush dipped in Lots of Lux to create the small pear-shaped designs on the outer edges to form the points of the Solaris
8. Finish with Good to Go Top Coat.

16. Use eyeshadow to fill in your brows for soft, more natural effect.

To get a natural brow that doesn't look too drawn-on, switch out your brow pencil for a pressed powder eyeshadow that's one shade lighter than your brow color. Makeup artist James Kaliardos used this trick on the models' brows at Rodarte to get them a "smoky brow" effect. 

17. Use gray eyeshadow to contour your cheekbones, since it looks more natural.

Makeup artist Talia used gray eyeshadow to contour under the models' cheekbones at Jenny Packham. Since the shade is flat, it looks more like an actual shadow than bronzer does. For precise application, apply it directly under your cheekbones, but be sure to apply it lightly, so it doesn't look too heavy or fake.

18. Make geometric prints on nails easily by drawing a bunch of vertical and horizontal lines.

Nail artist Katie Jane Hughes told Cosmopolitan.com backstage at ICB the trick for geometric prints is to "take a really thin makeup brush, stick it in the polish, and do random stripes vertically and horizontally — just keep layering," she says. "It's one of the easiest nail art designs to do, but it looks really hard." 

For ICB, Katie used Butter London's Union Jack Black as the base, then 5 other colors: Billy No Mates, Stag Do, Blagger, British Racing Green, and Pearly Queen for an urban chic, yet cool combo.

19. Tease your hair with a brush for beautiful texture.

Hairstylist Orlando Pita teased the girls' hair at Derek Lam with a boar bristle brush and upward motions to get a full, airy texture that doesn't look over-teased and frizzy.