You’ve likely grown up admiring the styles of celebrities on the red carpet and in your favorite shows or movies, and your appreciation for the makeup artist’s techniques has only grown since you started your career. Are you hoping to become one of the celebrity makeup artists little girls admire? We’ve gathered some of the best tricks for creating celebrity makeup looks to help you perfect your technique now. Check out these six makeup tips and start practicing:

Moisturizing Is Key, Even for Oily Skin

Everyone has a different skin type, and it’s easy to think that those with oily skin don’t need help with moisturization before the rest of the makeup routine is underway. However, this is simply not true. It takes a little more finesse to apply makeup to oily skin and control that oil for the rest of the day.

When working on celebrity clients with oily skin before interviews or red-carpet events, many professional makeup artists have found success by applying a fixing spray, like Fix Plus from Mac before the foundation. This spray hydrates the skin while getting rid of excess oils that could be detrimental to the makeup look a few hours in the future.

Treat Your Makeup Sponge With Care

Have you seen Ariel Tejada or Patrick Ta create celebrity makeup looks using a beauty blender? If so, you know that wielding a makeup sponge is an art form in and of itself. If you want to create smooth and flawless looks, try moistening the sponge before applying makeup. Also, be sure to use an egg-shaped sponge to get into the corners of the inner eye. Finally, use a light, delicate touch when blending the makeup into your client’s skin.

For Bright, Fresh Looks, Add Oil!

Your celebrity clients will be in front of the camera for hours on end and need to look their best at every moment. If their skin looks especially dull or the poor lighting of the set isn’t doing them any favors, add a drop of argan oil to the foundation. Celebrities and their MUAs have used this makeup tip for years because it’s an effective way to create a gorgeous, luminous look easily captured by the camera.

Remember Placement When Achieving That Perfect Contoured Makeup Look

Are you struggling to master that flawless contoured makeup look that many celebrities are known for? Perhaps the problem lies with the placement of the makeup products. Remember, the contour cream or powder should sit right below the cheekbone and on the jawline. To perfect this placement, have your client suck in their cheeks. While they are doing this, apply a line of contour cream in the hollow space right below the cheekbone. Place contour along the jaw bone, then blend the product into the skin. Make sure you add highlighter to the cheekbones for an extra sharp look.

No Eyeshadow Primer? Use Concealer!

Celebrity makeup artists lead busy lives and sometimes run out of products in the middle of a job. If this ever happens to you, it’s important to remain calm and think creatively about how you can still achieve the necessary celebrity makeup looks. MUAs and celebrities alike have found that using concealer on the eyelids can make for the perfect substitution for eyeshadow primer in a pinch. Simply apply the concealer on your client’s eyelids before applying powder or cream eye shadows. The concealer will keep the eye shadow in place throughout the day.

Double-Up on Your Eyeliner

Does your client need bold eye makeup or a smokey eye that stops the show? Add two layers of eyeliner. Celebrity makeup artists recommend using a kohl pencil to create the first line. This pencil will cover a lot of area, glide easily, and ensures you can get close to the lash line without any imperfections (which is harder to achieve with a liquid liner). Smudge the pencil line with your finger, then finish the look with liquid eyeliner.

Get Full Lips in a Pinch

Lip-plumping tools are nice — when you have time. But what if you only have a few minutes to create a full pout? MUAs in a variety of industries have been perfecting the full lip look by layering pink and red lipsticks. First, you will need to line your client’s lips with a pink or red-toned lip liner. Then, you should apply a slightly darker lipstick in the center of your client’s lips and blend it outwards using your fingertips. When you use this technique, you can create darker, fuller lips in no time. Plus, it can be paired with a variety of celebrity makeup looks, increasing your arsenal of tricks.

Discover How to Make More Celebrity Makeup Looks at The Makeup Academy

If you see yourself destined to become a celebrity makeup artist, you’ll want to attend The Makeup Academy in New York. We offer makeup master classes as well as private makeup lessons to help you gain the skills and confidence you need to stand out in a highly competitive industry. Our experienced instructors will teach you everything from choosing foundation shades for a variety of skin tones to creating glamor looks to building your portfolio. For an experience that will heighten your artistry and improve your connections, contact The Makeup Academy today to register for classes.