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What beauty tip or trick have you learned from someone that changed your routine?


What beauty tip or trick have you learned from someone that changed your routine? Share!

I can’t recall who specifically, but the idea that you can wear any makeup (color, texture, type) as long as you wear it with confidence.

Thanks to Janie for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

49 Comments

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Katherine T. Avatar

When I first started in makeup, I kind of ignored my brows or just slapped some shadow on them as an afterthought. Doing my brows has been a game changer –they really frame your face and help anchor a look

Cncx Avatar

Such a basic tip but my mom taught me in high school not to wear eyeliner and just put on dark eyeshadow with an eyeliner brush. I have small eyes and it makes for a less harsh line.

KaseyCannuck Avatar

Most if not all of the tips I’ve picked up came from this blog. Some definite game changers for me:
Using coconut oil as makeup remover.
Peach coloured undereye concealer, which works wonders for me.
Tightlining, which I’d never even heard of before.
Using colour to make my eyes really stand out. It wasn’t that long ago that I owned nothing but neutral shades.
Not being afraid to try bold lip colours.

I sometimes look through the most recent looks section for inspiration, and my daughter often comments on how pretty my makeup looks, usually when I’m trying out a new colour combination.

Miekogirlie99 Avatar

i think it was Marlena from MUG that I learned to use a sponge with cleansing water to clean up the side of my eye makeup to make a wing instead of using tape or just being careful. Now I can just do it all messy and just clean it up!

Michele @Binxcat4ever Avatar

Skincare: Pat face dry (in lieu of wiping/rubbing), leave a little water on face before applying serum (this allows the serum to “hold in” the moisture), then warm moisturizer in hands before patting gently on face (allows the skin to absorb the moisture better).

Arianna Avatar

One of the tutors at the makeup school I attended showed us by laying out the main ingredients of cream blushes and lipsticks what the difference in content of oils and waxes really is between the two, in support of the idea that if applied with the correct technique, lipsticks are much better cream blushes that cream blushes themselves. Can’t possibly tell you how many times I verified this both on myself and during jobs!

Floortje Avatar

I probably learned 90% of everything I know from other people, so that’s a tough call. I’d say a contouring technique from Nikki tutorials! She said that when you contour, you should just put a line, but a line above that as well that is slighty more tilted and blend those together. It really makes the contour look more natural!

Renee Avatar

Many, many years ago, before I discovered YouTube and before there were sites like temptalia, I went to a mac seminar. These two things blew my mind and has totally changed my make up.

1. Primer. I had never heard of primer until that day and it really changed the over all look and feel of my makeup and obviously, how long it lasts. I remember shortly after this seminar I started receiving a lot more complements on my makeup and people asking what I had done.

2. Do your eye makeup first. Don’t know why I didn’t before. I guess I thought there was a rule that it has to be done after base products… Anyways once again it really changed the overall look and feel of my makeup. I really notified I use less foundation and I have a cleaner looking eye makeup. I also find this way takes me less time.

I’ve always been one to wear whatever I want. But these two tips really helped make me feel confident when I was wearing something a little… Different.

Sarah Avatar

I used to be terrified of bright lipstick until someone showed me the correct way to line my lips. Once I knew about the power of a clear lip liner just outside the lip line to prevent feathering or bleeding, I’ve never gone back.

Lotus Avatar

Hi again! I’ve had more time to play and I must share with you that if it was my wedding, hands down, I’d go with CdP. It has an unparalleled formula which a small amount bears full coverage that settles into looking like silly fresh healthy skin.. Nothing compares with this at all. I thought the color was a bit dark and then minutes later.. It actually lightened to my perfect shade! One coat. Boom. Flawless. I am recommending this without hesitation. FYI: I’m the fairest possible yet lean cool and B10 works!!!! I’m blown away. By Terry does not seem to set, moves around a bit, is quite lovely, but takes more to get the coverage necessary. With CdP, it takes seconds. Well worth it and I’m not irritated at all! I hope that helps! i10 would probably work equally. But I already bought this! I cannot believe how little it took! I was feeling awful yesterday thus not trying fairly so my results were adequate. I had the opportunity to really test drive today and I want to show the world! Blown Away. Grateful. Wow. Go for it. It lightened to my very fair cool match! What! Also, By Terry is so lovely but messy!!! Again I feel it never settled. I have fussy skin as I mentioned and it’s primarily dry. Definitely beats RCMA. <3 I hope you're healing well! xx

Nicole Avatar

I tightline too and love the effect. But my tightline always transfers to my lower waterline..even Marc Jacobs does this to some degree. Any tips to prevent that? I sometimes prefer to keep my waterline clean . I wonder if I am tightlining incorrectly maybe?

Kiss & Make-up Avatar

When I use pencil or khol it transfers a bit onto the lower waterline for me as well, but I personally don’t mind because 90% I wear black liner on there anyway. But when I want to keep it clean or use a different color I like to use gel eyeliner to tightline. It dries faster and doesn’t transfer as easily. And if all else fails and you blink before the liner sets you can always use a q-tip to remove any color that has transferred onto your lower waterline.

Wednesday Avatar

I can’t remember exactly who it was, but it related to wearing foundation only where you need it. I think this is why I tend to prefer using a damp beauty blender for foundation. I feel I can really control the placement and the amount of foundation. I always start out in the areas where I need more coverage and pounce those areas while the sponge has the most product on it and then just diffuse out so I’m not wearing a mask. It changed my approach to foundation. I like the results on me far better than using a brush. I find brushes have a habit of picking up foundation on my red areas and subsequently depositing product where I don’t need it (the creases..argh!). Trying to layer more product on afterwards did not yield my best results. When I was younger and had very even skin with no redness issues, this tip would have had little impact.

Melissa Avatar

The difference it makes where you hold your eye brushes. I used to hold them like a pen, now I hold them on the very top. Makes blending so much easier!! Learned it from a lady named Rachael from YouTube. Her channel is something like love blend and beauty. She doesn’t post as much anymore but her grwm and tutorials are on point.

Nicole Avatar

Wendy( from our very own Temptalia community!) shared her tip of not powdering her under-eye combo of concerler stick and corrector and I love how it makes my undereye area look so much less dry and never cakey. It does wear off a little quicker. But,touch up is a cinch! Thanks again Wendy!

Nancy T Avatar

Two things specifically : tightlining my upper lashline from underneath, and putting peach concealer over regular concealer for undereye circles. Both techniques I learned from right here! A video tutorial that you had on here with a guest who showed how to tightline, thank you sooo much, Christine! And also a big “thank you” to Wendy for the concealer trick! As a result, I look well-rested and have more upper lid showing (nearly nothing to show, but hey)!

Rachel R. Avatar

When I learned about eyeshadow primers, it was a real game changer for my oily lids. Before they were available, I had to use makeup base and setting powder on my eyelids, and hope for the best. I’d get 4-6 hours with powder shadows before creasing (2 hours with no prep). Forget creams. Then BareMinerals eyecolor came along and that was much better, because I could buff them in and they didn’t have waxes, oils, etc. in them.

But eyeshadow primer: I can wear almost any powder shadow now, plus ColourPop’s creams, and they last all day and then some.

Chris Avatar

many things, I guess. But since I watch YouTube tutorials I use my handback for nearly everything, bevor I’ll put colour in my face. Working the Color in the brush, testing how it feels and sheering of the Color before applying…- better control, smoother transitions, never too much product on my face, but I did not learn this by myself…

Nikki Avatar

I can’t remember which Youtuber I learned it from, but this trick almost eliminates my under eye concealer creasing. Taking my damp Beauty Blender I press loose powder (usually NARS light reflecting) underneath my eyes after my concealer has set. I don’t quite know why this make such a giant difference, but it ensures that my concealer doesn’t crease for at least 9 hours. I recently got the mini Beuty Blender, and it extends that time even more. Love it!

Nikki Avatar

It probably was Kandee – I love her! Huge difference, I am so glad She shared that tip. I do it with my face powder now, too. It leaves a gorgeous finish!

Lotus Avatar

Christine recently changed my routine. She told me that every time I’m basically drawn to something that I want, to instead go through my stash and find 10 dupes, then find 10 more. To curb my spending on what I already own. Best tip ever. 😀

Josie Avatar

Lisa Eldridge’s video on how to remove makeup! Its the technique that can be adapted to any product you like using to remove eye makeup. I love it, it’s so gentle! She uses Bioderma, but I switch it out to Baby oil and it still works. Makes my dry skin and sensitive eyes feel loved.

Jean Avatar

Lisa Eldridge’s pinpoint concealing. I had never found a way to cover my blemishes and still look natural until I learned from her that the face is basically a canvas, you put on the ‘background’ colours first and then go back in with heavier coverage only where needed. This is the most logical, simple and elementary truth about makeup that I’ve ever learned, and an absolute game changer.

El Avatar

That lipliner can be used to alter a lipstick to suit you better, as well as the usual anti-feathering/longer-lasting stuff. I learned that from a Clinique SA, I think I was 19 or 20 and getting frustrated looking for a neutral mid-tone pink that wasn’t too bright, too pale, too brown, or frosted, because I had a wedding to go to and needed something that was not one of my usual vivids. She ended up creating an ideal pink for me from a Sugarplum lip pencil, which was more purple-toned and brighter than what I was looking for when on its own, and a Berry Buff SPF 15 lipstick, which was more brown-toned and darker than what I was looking for on its own. It was brilliant! I repurchased both until they were discontinued.

Eileen Avatar

I have deep set eyes with a large moveable lid and large brow bone area. An MA told me to avoid putting a dark color in my crease or outer V and instead apply it to just slightly above the crease (on the bone) or just beyond the V created by the orbital bone. It gives the eyes a better proportion and prevents them from looking sunken.

doroffee Avatar

Eyebrows. I was matching my eyebrow pencils to my dark brown hair exactly, and I felt something was off, and I could not point out what was wrong. Then, some beauty guru talked about that an ashier, gray-er toned pencil is usually looking more natural on dark-browed girls… and I was like, that might be the case… and really, it is true. So since then, I have been wearing ashier, taupier colors for my brows, and it really looks more natural.

Carol Avatar

Using both the washable and waterproof versions of the same mascara. First coat is washable version. Second and subsequent (if desired) coats is/are waterproof version. No flaking or smearing but easy to remove. Works like a charm. Love it.

Telesilla Avatar

Way back when, a good friend told me not to wash my face with really hot water. The internet in general taught me about primers and doing my eyes first and the rest of my fast second. Also the use of makeup brushes, which sounds basic but weren’t a part of my repertoire way back when I gave up on makeup.

mina Avatar

The use of NYX jumbo pencil in Milk as eyeshadow primer.
–I watch a lot of Brazilian makeup tutorials on youtube and that’s what MANY of them use. In fact a lot of them don’t really use the expensive brushes either, and they can create a mean cut crease using bright colors with the nix jumbo and an eyeshadow applicator.
I used to be one of those girls that would shell out $20 on an eyeshadow primer, (urban decay, makeup forever, too faced…) and every since watching their videos I’ve stuck with NYX.
One thing I did notice though is that not 1 single primer will work with every brand. Too faced works well with their own eyeshadows but if I use MAC eyeshadow or some other brand over it, it looks horrible for example.

Rachel R. Avatar

How odd. It must come down to skin chemistry or something: I find them pretty interchangeable. I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance or UD Primer Potion with every brand with no issues. Nyx Milk is very handy as a base: I’m glad it works well for you.

Marissa Avatar

i didn’t put attention to my brows before, the use of a primer and the art of countouring and highlighting your cheeks. life changing.

cindy Avatar

After SO many years I FINALLY learned about and how to use “transition” eyeshadow colors! Kathleen Lights on Youtube opened my eyes and taught me how AND what brushes to use.

Susan Dowman Nevling Avatar

Wow, hard question. Learning to apply make-up in the first place, probably from Seventeen magazine and similar. The basics were conservative. I then learned the use of brushes everywhere I could. The use of bronzer and highlight and eyebrows from Allure. The mix of more than three eye colors from here. What a fun journey. Oh, can’t forget drama club in high school either.

Candice Avatar

I have no innate talent for makeup application so everything I do was from something I saw or was told – I think I literally didn’t figure any bit of it out myself lol

The main application technique that I learned and worked for me was buffing in the foundation.

I prefer your more insipring answer though Christine and it’s so right!!!!

Kim Avatar

A MAC MUA taught me to blend out any lower lash liner with Soft Brown eyeshadow ( or similar matte color 2 shades darker than your skin tone – I am fair to light). It makes the look so seamless; simple but a game changer! MAC Saddle and Swiss Chocolate are also beautiful for this purpose on tanner or richer skin tones.

Natasha Avatar

I used to never wear eye shadow primer because I couldn’t get my eye shadow to lie nicely over the top. It was always patchy looking. Someone on YouTube said to put a neutral eye shadow down over the top of the primer. That did the trick! My eye shadow looks awesome all day without creasing and it blends smoothly.

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