50+ Tips and Tricks to Get the Best Skin and Hair

Camouflage roots by zigzagging your part rather than making it straight.

Be direct when telling your hairstylist what you want, and bring photos from magazines of styles you like.

Brush hair from roots to ends nightly. This distributes natural oils throughout the shaft and gives hair a healthy sheen.

Doing your color yourself? Don't make too drastic a change. Stay within one or two shades of your natural color.

Comb wet hair like the pros: Hold a handful at a time and work from center to ends, then scalp to center.

Never let a stylist interfere with the natural hairline on your neck. The hair there is cowlicklike and will stick out when it grows.

Always rinse out conditioner (which should go on hair ends) with cold water to seal the cuticle and promote shine.

Protect hair from sun damage with a scarf or hat.

Keep a blowout lasting days longer by sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase.

Change your part to boost body and volume.

To fix hat-head, bend over and shake your head a few times. Then run fingers through hair to add volume. For even more body, mist a natural-bristle brush with hairspray, bend over and brush lightly from underneath.

Avoid frizz: Use only a widetooth comb, especially when hair is dry.

If you color your hair, look for sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, which don't contain harsh detergents.

Stop flyaway hair! Spray Static Guard on your comb or brush. Or smooth an antistatic dryer sheet along your head.

Soften skin before tweezing by dabbing with a cotton ball soaked in warm water or cream.

Tweeze in the direction the hair grows.

Don't change the place where your brows peak and never pencil the whole brow. Instead, only fill in holes.

Use only the side of a sharpened brow pencil—not the pointed tip—so as not to draw a hard line.

For unruly brows, apply hairspray to an old toothbrush, then brush brows upward and outward.

Treat your eye area gently. This is the most delicate part of your face. Cleanse with care; blot, never rub.

Reduce puffy eyes by splashing with cold water or applying a cold compress (ice cubes in a washcloth): 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off.

When you put on mascara, don't lower your chin—that's how mascara gets on your lid.

Get eyeshadow to stay in place by priming lids with moisturizer and foundation.

Always use your ring finger to apply moisturizer or concealer to the eye area. It puts the least amount of pressure on the skin.

Never put mascara on lower lashes; it casts a shadow on your undereye, making the area look darker.

Open up eyes: Apply a light eyeshadow (like ivory or gold) just above the lashline and along inner corners of your eyes.

Stop pencil eyeliner from smudging by applying powder shadow (in a matching or slightly darker shade) over the pencil.

Switch to brown mascara for a softer look for day.

Don't touch your face unnecessarily. Breakouts can be caused by your own fingers.

Apply cream or cleanser by lightly pressing upward—never down. The delicate skin sags easily enough in time.

For the best color match, test foundation and powder either on your face or neck (the inside of your wrist is too pale).

Use foundation, not concealer (which is lighter than your skin color), to cover up redness or blemishes.

Rouge should be well-blended far out on the cheekbone; circles of rouge don't look good on anyone.

Before applying powder, gently blow the excess off your brush to prevent flaking.

Never squeeze a pimple. You may damage tissue and cause a tiny scar or pit.

Freshen makeup by pressing a tissue on oily areas of the face— forehead, nose, chin. Then smooth on a thin layer of pressed powder with a brush.

Concentrate blush on the apple of cheeks, the part that puffs out when you smile.

For special occasions, apply your makeup earlier in the day and touch it up before you leave. It will look more natural, and you'll be less rushed when it comes time to get ready.

Powder is the only makeup applied with a downward motion—you do this to smooth down facial hairs.

To stop makeup from fading during the day, apply a primer before your foundation.

Get lips soft and smooth by using a damp, warm washcloth at night to rub off the flaky dry bits; follow with a coat of lip balm.

Ease the evening switch to a redder or darker lipstick by applying it over and blending it into your daytime color.

To make lipstick last longer, allow it to set for a few minutes after applying, blot lips with tissue and dust them with powder, then apply another coat.

Cheeks feeling flushed? Put on a bold color lipstick; a neutral shade will only make red cheeks stand out.

For lipliner that glides on, warm it up first by pinching it with your fingertips.

To keep lipstick from bleeding, pat a little concealer around your lips.

Smile when you put on your lipstick—it's the best way to ensure complete coverage, corners included.

The best time to apply lotion is right after a shower or bath, when skin is still damp.

When drawing a bath, scatter bubbles or crystals directly under the faucet before turning on the water, but drop in perfume oil while the tub is filling.

Beautiful skin starts from within. Include lots of vegetables, fruit and water in your diet.

Overdo it with your perfume? Dab rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball on your skin. The alcohol will cut the scent without altering it.

Microwave lotion for 5 seconds to soothe dry winter skin.

The higher the sun, the more potent the ultraviolet rays. You're most likely to get sunburned between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Help perfume last longer by dabbing petroleum jelly onto pulse points before spraying on fragrance. (Perfume evaporates faster from dry skin.) And don't forget to spritz ankles and behind your knees—scent rises.

Exfoliate with a body scrub once a week to slough off dead cells that make skin look dull. When skin is freshly exfoliated, lotion and oil are better absorbed.

Improve circulation in your legs and lower the risk of unsightly veins by elevating your feet when resting.

Wait until after your shower to shave. The steam softens hairs for smoother results.

Don't use creams that contain heavy fragrance or alpha hydroxy acids on freshly shaven legs. They'll sting and cause a rash.

When applying self-tanner, don't forget the back of your knees, which are often missed.

Waxing your legs? Pull skin taut before applying the wax to make it easier to remove the strip in one clean motion. Remove leftover wax with a cotton ball dipped in baby oil.

Shape nails with an emery board, filing sides toward center—never straight across—and rounding off edges.

What works for your face works for your hands. Remove age spots with facial brightening cream.

The fast way to remove nail polish: Hold cotton saturated with polish remover firmly on your nail for a few seconds to let it start working, then wipe nail clean.

Apply polish starting at the pinky, working toward the thumb to avoid dragging your hand across wet nails.

Apply polish starting at the pinky, working toward the thumb to avoid dragging your hand across wet nails.

To counteract dryness, massage feet with a lanolin-based lotion, kneading it deeply into your instep, then massage soles, heels, top surface and around nails.

Before using a pumice stone or foot file to remove a callus, be sure to soak your foot in warm water for at least 5 minutes. Follow with a little foot cream.

To prevent ingrown nails, trim toenails straight across, not down into the corners.

Relieve swollen feet by soaking them alternately in hot water (for 3 minutes), then cold water (for 1 minute), for a total of 15 minutes.

Use fresh pineapple or kiwi skins, which contain bromelain (a meat tenderizer), to exfoliate heels. Rub the fleshy part over heels for 5 minutes, then rinse, dry and moisturize.

To avoid toenail fungus, keep feet dry and clean, and remove athletic socks and shoes immediately after working out.

Quick relief for weary feet: Place both hands under the arch and, pressing firmly, draw the hands upward past the ankle with a good strong pull.

Lie down with witch-hazel soaked cotton balls over your eyes—it's a natural refresher and toner.

Apply coconut oil over the bottom half of your hair once a week and let it sit for a couple hours, then rinse. Your hair will be left silky and smooth!

The ultimate beauty tip: Nothing will make you look better than being truly happy.