Makeup Tips for 8 Common Problems

Two top-notch makeup artists helped RUF readers find the answer to their makeup conundrums—in their own cosmetic bags.

Cosmetic Solutions

Eight women, eight common makeup issues—well, nine, if you take into account that the women had all invested in makeup that ended up frustrating them to the point that they rarely used it. What they wanted: easy cosmetics routines, new tricks, and solutions to their particular makeup problems.

Enter makeup artists Melissa Silver and Tanya Rae, who were given two directives: Each routine they created could take no more than 15 minutes—enough time for a finished look, but not so long that the women couldn’t do the routine before dashing to work. And the two artists should use the readers’ own makeup, supplementing it only when necessary.

For their “Before” shots, all of the women arrived at the photo studio with their makeup on as they normally do it. Silver and Rae started each makeover, once they’d removed any makeup, by applying moisturizer: Silver used Joanna Vargas Daily Hydrating Cream ($75, joannavargas-skincare.com) and Rae likes Desert Essence Daily Essential Defense Lotion SPF 15 ($19, amazon.com). And with the exception of one makeover candidate, Ivy Pittman, who has naturally curly lashes, they both used an eyelash curler before applying mascara. Silver likes Laura Mercier’s ($16, lauramercier.com), while Rae used the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler ($20, shuuemura-usa.com).