Tips I wasn't taught

I grew up in a house full of women - my mother and three sisters who were practically getting married by the time I started playing with cosmetics.  Yet somehow, whilst I learnt loads from the Alexander women, I was never taught to apply makeup...probably best as it was the late 80's and my oldest sister had a perm.  Whilst other girls were slapping on garish colours on each other at sleepovers like face paint, I would be meticulously applying in the same way that I would meticulously draw my favourite Disney characters.  And so over the years I picked up some fail safe tricks myself.  Here are a few of my best. Some may be obvious, some may not be, but they're the ones I will be passing onto my daughter...or, if some friends and colleagues predictions come true, my gay son.  

Makeup

When your mascara gets old, dry and clumpy, place it in a mug of boiling hot water for a minute or two.  You'll see the plastic swell a bit, take it out and you'll have a glossy, fresh, smooth mascara again.  

For full, volumised eyelashes run an eye makeup brush dipped in talcum powder, or EVEN plain flour over the lashes before applying mascara.  You'll be surprised at the results.

Another tip for full looking lashes is drawing black kohl eyeliner in the upper, inner eyelids.  This gives the illusion of super sultry, thick lashes.  

Treat your makeup kit like an artists kit and mix and blend like paints.  For more intense looks, mix eyeshadow with gloss to thicken into a striking cream texture.  Heat kohl eyeliner briefly with a hairdryer so that its almost molten for seriously moody, Kate Moss eyes.  

Allegedly Julia Roberts uses safety pins to separate lashes post mascara application.  For a slightly less scary method, wash an old mascara brush clean and use as a 'lash comb'.  Alternatively, soak a cotton bud in liquid eye makeup remover and run over the top of the lashes to remove clumps.

Ever curl your lashes only to find them drop when you apply mascara?  This is probably because you're not using waterproof.  Regular mascara instantly flattens lashes whereas waterproof keeps them perfectly curved.

Heat your eye lash curlers gently and briefly for quick curl.

Apply bronzer where light falls on your face.  Think of where you tan first - forehead, down the bridge of the nose, lightly on the chin.  

For perfect blush, smile to find the fleshy 'apples' of the cheeks.  This is exactly where you should apply for the most natural flush.

For dewy, glowing skin use a highlighter like Benefit's High Beam.  This stuff is a little creamy miracle.  Mixed with a little, non-sticky, clear gloss, apply with your finger tips on the brow bone and down in a semi circle shape to the cheek bones.  Again, the bridge of the nose needs a touch too.  The highlighter makes the skin glow and the gloss makes skin look dewy and fresh.  

Another High Beam tip.  Apply a touch onto the inner corners of the eye and leave to set for a minute.  Smudge and blend thoroughly with your finger tip for sparkling and awake eyes.

When testing lipstick in a shop, test on the pads of your fingers.  This is the closest colour to your natural lip hue, NOT the back of the hand which is so commonly used.

For 60's style, matte lips blend a little concealer onto the mouth before using a nude lipstick.  Keep it creamy so it doesn't settle in the creases of your lips (which looks hideous) and if they are too pale and deadly, dust a little bronzer over them.  

For an uber sexy pout, dot a blob of gloss onto the centre of the bottom lip only.  This gives the illusion of fuller lips.

If the weather is affecting the smoothness of lips and they are a little flaky, gently scrub with an old toothbrush covered in a healing cream.  Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is phenomenal and cures everything, but Vaseline works too.  Do this last thing at night and then slather the cream on before you sleep.  In the morning you'll have super smooth lips.

Hair

My most trusted weapon is talcum powder.  Rub a little between the palms, throw your hair over your face and massage the powder into the roots.  This gives masses of instant volume, a delicious matte, tousled texture and hair will look freshly washed within seconds as the powder absorbs any grease and moisture.  If you're dark haired, I've heard that some stylists mix a matching eyeshadow in with the powder to avoid grey locks.

Another volume trick, in an instant, is simply to change your parting.  It will be unused to lying in the opposite direction and will be fuller than before.

If beachy, Summer hair is your thing, salt water is your best friend.  Avoid spending £20 or more on a branded 'Salt/Surf Spray' and just make your own.  A pint of hot water with a hearty portion of table salt dissolved in it, thrown over the hair post-wash will give the desired look.

For the ultimate condition, apply olive oil to the hair, wrap up in a towel (if its warm from the radiator all the better) and leave for 20 minutes.  Wash out and enjoy silken tresses.

Nails

For an intense, stormy colour, paint a coat of black polish underneath your chosen colour.  It makes a navy look wonderfully dark, and a red look incredibly sultry.

If nails are yellowing from too much continual nail varnish, scrub bare nails with a nail brush laden with whitening tooth paste.  Let it lather and wash off.  I've also heard that the same method with denture cleaner works wonders.

Another olive oil secret - rub into each cuticle before you go to bed for glossy, smooth skin come morning.

I hope these have proved handy.  If any readers have any other amazing tricks of the trade, please do share in the Comments section below xx