8 Beauty How-To’s

When beauticians and hair stylists work their magic, it’s natural to wonder how you can achieve similar results at home. Thus women have lots of questions, many beginning with the phrase “How do I—?” But there isn’t always time for every question, and it’s hard to remember all the answers anyway when you’re sitting in the chair at the salon.

Now there’s help. BERGEN asked top beauty experts around the county eight of the top “How do I—?” questions, and they replied with tips that can help make this the summer when you love how you look.

Hair

“How do I…

….know which style is right for me?”

When you’re thinking of trying out a new cut or style, consider four things, says Oded Gabay: “volume, length, shape in the back and shape in the front.” He says it’s as much about knowing what you don’t want your hair to look like as what you do. Look at magazines and celebrities for inspiration, and bring in photos so your stylist has a starting point. “I love inspiration photos because it cuts down on consultation time,” says Caitlyn Bronsky. “I won’t give you exactly what’s in the photo, but I’ll make it work for you based on your hair texture, type and color.”

…know which color or highlights will suit me?”

The color you use to dye or highlight should match your complexion, your roots and your eyebrows if you don’t microblade or otherwise change the natural color of your brows, our experts say. If you can’t visit the salon every few weeks for a touch-up, make sure your stylist gives you a low-maintenance color that complements your natural hue and will grow out nicely, says Bronsky—and that fills the void in your hair. “Maybe you want to cover grays, or you want brightness around the face,” she says. “The tone should complement that.” Gabay adds that depending on your skin tone, if you have distinct features—such as bright blue eyes—you can pull off extreme colors such as platinum blond, bright red or black.

….know how—and how often—to shampoo and condition my hair?”

Whatever you may have thought, how often you wash and condition your hair should be determined by your scalp, not by your strands. As a rule of thumb, says Gabay, those with an oily scalp should wash a few times a week with a cleansing or volumizing shampoo (the latter removes excess oil), drier scalps can go longer between washes, and normal scalps should wash and condition about every other day. “If you see foam and bubbles” when you wash, “you’re doing it right.” But the technique you use to apply shampoo and conditioner is important too, adds Bronsky. “With shampoo, scratch at your scalp like you have an itch,” she says. “You don’t need to put your hair on top of your head like you’re in an Herbal Essence commercial, because that will break and fade your hair.” Instead, she says, apply shampoo to the roots and conditioner to the ends only.

…help maintain my salon blowout?”

A good blowout on hair that’s been cleaned well and thoroughly stripped of oil buildup will last no matter what, our stylists say, but to give it an extra day or two of wear, rollers are key. Bronsky recommends placing a one-and-a-half-inch Velcro roller in that one little “fringe” area in the front; Gabay tells his clients to refresh blown-out hair with a set of hot rollers that won’t damage the hair as a curling iron would. Plus, rollers are more practical than setting the hair with pins as your grandma may have done.

Makeup

“How do I…

…ensure that my brows enhance my face?”

Getting pretty brows really isn’t about your eyes at all—it’s about your nose, our experts say. “The brow should align with the tip of your nose; your arch aligns with your pupil and the tip of your nose and your tail aligns with the end of your eye all the way down to your nostril,” says Jeanette Batista. Fluffy brows are on trend at the moment; you can achieve them at home by brushing the brows up and filling in sparse areas with a brow mascara, says Pilar Fletcher. Also on the market are brow pencils and powders, which Victoria De Los Rios prefers for her clients. “Then I’ll use a clear mascara gel to set it,” she says.

PROS’ PRODUCT PICKS:

Beautycounter Brilliant Brow Gel, $26, available at beautycounter.com
Kelley Baker Brow Powder Duo, $24, available at Walmart, multiple locations
REFY Brow Sculpt Shape and Hold Gel with Lamination Effect, $24, available at Sephora, multiple locations

…make my eyes look bigger and brighter?”

Unless you’re getting dressed up for a special occasion, there’s no need to go heavy on the eye shadow, especially in the summer. Instead, our experts say a good trick is to use a big fluffy brush to blend bronzer into the crease of your eye to open it up. “You can also apply cheek highlighter to the inner corner if you prefer more shimmer,” Fletcher notes.

As far as eyeliner is concerned, apply a nude or white liner to your waterline to brighten your peepers—it blends with the whites of the eye, says Batista—and save the black or a softer brown for the top lid only. “For clients who want a more subtle liner look, I’ll use a precision brush with dark eye shadow and smudge it out so the line isn’t as aggressive [as liner],” says Bronsky.

Finally, you can achieve full, long lashes without investing in falsies or extensions. Each of our experts has a different preference, from lash serums that help growth from the root (Batista swears by them) to using an eyelash curler (Bronsky’s fave) before applying eye makeup. But really, all you need is a good mascara you know how to apply. “Concentrate on building volume at the root and then swipe up to create length,” says De Los Rios. And Fletcher says that the more layers you apply, the better.

PROS’ PRODUCT PICKS:

Kevyn Aucoin eyelash curler, $24, available at Nordstrom, Paramus, 201.843.1122
Honest Beauty extreme length 2-in-1 mascara and lash primer, $17.99, available at Target, multiple locations
Benefit BADgal Bang! mascara, $27, available at Ulta, multiple locations

…get that natural summer glow?”

Pro tip: You’re not going to achieve that glowy, dewy vibe from piling on foundation. In fact, unless you prefer fuller coverage for fine lines or blemishes, most of our experts prefer a lighter, more sheer face product that won’t cake or transfer onto your clothes in the heat. You can get this look from a tinted moisturizer or a BB cream (aka a beauty balm). “To find the right shade, you want to blend on your jaw line and see how it blends with your face and neck in natural lighting,” says Batista. Bronsky says that if you ask, many stores will give you samples so you can test out different brands and shades at home. De Los Rios suggests selecting a product with a yellow base to counteract redness, or an orange base to even out dark spots or pigmentation.

And our experts agree that right now it’s all about the cheeks. Bronsky loves a cream blush that appears “glowy without looking greasy,” and Batista typically applies a powder over the cream to intensify the color. Fletcher prefers a blush stick in peach or mauve. “These tend to be waterproof and look really great with a tan,” she says.

But what’s a made-up face if it’s going to fade within the hour? The best way to keep your makeup for the day is by applying a setting spray or a translucent or pressed powder in between steps (such as after you apply your skincare products and before your bronzer and highlighter). Then give your face a few more spritzes at the end. Powder is perfect for under the eyes to avoid caking, but “the [finishing] spray locks it all in and makes the products blend together,” Batista says.

PROS’ PRODUCT PICKS:

Yves Saint Laurent Nu Skin tint, $38, available at Bloomingdale’s, Hackensack, 201.457.2000
NARS bronzer powder, $38, available at Ulta, multiple locations
NARS liquid blush, $30, available at Ulta, multiple locations
MILK Makeup Hydro Grip Setting & Refreshing Spray, $26, available at Sephora, multiple locations

…keep my lips looking and feeling great?”

Before you apply your lip product, it’s best for your kisser to be moisturized and soft. Bronsky and De Los Rios swear by a lip mask, which hydrates and plumps lips overnight. If you want to keep it natural, opt for a neutral-colored gloss or a lip oil, which has the same effect as a gloss but is a bit less sticky, says Batista. For a more made-up lip, apply a liner that’s slightly darker than your natural shade to create shape and definition, and then fill in the middle with a gloss or lipstick in a lighter shade. “This gives you a pouty, easy look,” Fletcher says.

PROS’ PRODUCT PICKS:

LANEIGE lip sleeping mask, $22, available at Sephora, multiple locations
DIOR Addict lip glow oil, $35, available at Nordstrom, 201.843.1122
NYX slim-lip creamy long-lasting lip liner, $4, available at Ulta, multiple locations