Let's Talk Looks: Three tips for professional-quality makeup

Who says the pros are the only ones who are allowed to have all the makeup tricks?

I've rummaged through my makeup bag and compiled a few helpful hints that will drastically improve your makeup game.

FOUNDATIONS

One of the most common questions I'm asked is: “How do I know what foundation is right for my skin tone?”

I'm here to help. The first step is determining your undertones. Are they cool, warm or neutral?

• Cool: Hints of pink, red or blue
• Warm: Yellow, peach or gold
• Neutral: A mix of warm and cool tones

Once you've established your undertone, you can determine the right shade for you. One of my favorite makeup lines for foundation is Tarte Cosmetics. They have a wonderfully large range of shades and undertones to choose from, and they carry everything from tinted moisturizers to all-day full coverage.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is testing out a new foundation on their arm or hand. You should test foundation on your face and jawline. Most people have a lighter face and neck, so pick the shade that best blends with your neck and jawline to avoid that dreaded foundation line.

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POWDERS

Now that you're a foundation pro, let’s move on to something even I struggle with: powders. Being fair-skinned, I have a hard time finding a bronzer I really like. And finding one without shimmer? Forget about it.

But a great staple to keep in your makeup kit is a foundation powder that's about three shades darker than your natural skin tone. In the summer, this will be the perfect bronzer.

Remember, you want to apply where the sun would naturally hit. Using very light strokes, first apply the bronzer to the top of your forehead, your cheekbones and along your jawline. The application should form the shape of the number three on either side of your face.

For a more dramatic approach, this darker powder can be used to contour, or emphasize the natural shadows on your face: right below your hairline on either side of your forehead, along the sides of your nose, in the hollows of your cheeks and along your jawline, from your ears to the tip of your chin.

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EYEBROWS

Bold, beautiful brows are very fashion-forward right now. For a complete aesthetic arsenal, you'll need the following: an angled liner brush, a creamy brow or eyeliner pencil and a powder that's the same shade as your hair color (you can use eyeshadow; just make sure it's matte, and not shimmery).

Lightly use the pencil to trace just the bottom of your brows, following your arch outward from the inner corners. Now, using your clean angled brush, feather the liner upward to eliminate harsh lines.

Complete your look by dipping the same angled brush in your brow powder and lightly filling in any sparse areas left behind from the pencil.

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Voila! Follow these tips, and you'll be applying makeup like a pro in no time.