5 Celebrity Makeup Artist Tips That Make Getting Ready So Much Easier

When it comes to doing your own makeup, trying to abide by every rule you’ve ever been presented can get confusing, not to mention time-consuming. To streamline your next get-pretty session, we tapped celebrity makeup artist and NARS’ International Lead Makeup Stylist Uzo for her best tips, and they’re so good. Scroll through for the tricks that will make your morning makeup routine (and every other one, for that matter) so much easier, with an even better payoff.

Pro Tips

Skip The T-Zone When Applying Moisturizer

“When you have oily skin, a little bit of radiance on the cheeks is okay, but not on your entire face. It’s perfectly acceptable to skip moisturizer on the T-zone, since this area won’t get dry because your skin is naturally producing oils.”

Contour With Concealer When You Don't Feel Like Wearing Foundation

“Concealers can be used to highlight and add warmth. Whenever you want to contour and add dimension to the face without packing on too much product, skip foundation and use a lightweight concealer to create highlights and contours.”

Only Highlight Where It Matters

“You don’t need highlighter on all the high points of your face. Some people like to do the cheekbones, brow bones, chin, forehead and bridge of the nose, but if you’re looking for something more natural, I like just the cheekbones and middle of the nose. However, if you have an oily T-zone, keep highlighter off the nose completely to avoid looking greasy.”

Mix Your Blush With Highlighter

“The best placement for blush is directly on the apples of your cheeks. If you’re afraid of looking flushed in a bad way, my favorite trick is to pat on a cream blush over a cream highlighter to look fresh, and not like you have red skin.”

When It Comes To Brushes, Stop Playing By The Rules

“The denser the brush, the deeper the color. The lighter the brush, the more sheer the color. For example, if you want a sheer blush, use a less tightly packed brush to get the look. Traditional blush brushes are more dense, and are meant to pick up and deposit more color onto the skin. There also are no set rules for each brush. You can use a small blush brush to apply eye shadow if you like a diffused look, or shadow brushes to apply concealer. It’s all about how you use them.”