Vanessa Williams Celebrity Makeup *Photo Courtesy of Chicago Tribune

We’ve always been huge fans of Vanessa Williams.  She’s got a strikingly crisp and beautiful look.

As you might imagine, we were pretty psyched to get a tip from Kate Best – Vanessa’s celebrity makeup artist on the set of “Ugly Betty.”  Here’s the scoop on Kate’s favorite techniques for Vanessa.

First she uses Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage #6 for all over coverage. Then she custom blends KohGenDo’s Moisture Foundations in 301, 302 and 303 to perfectly match Vanessa’s skin tone, blending darker around the edges of the face and lighter in the center.

She follows that up with KohGenDo’s Triple Lighting Foundation in medium which is  her new favorite powder because it combines with skin’s natural moisture to provide a smooth, polished look.

For blush she goes with KohGenDo’s Fresh Face which adds nice pigment to the cheeks. Then, she layers that with Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer on Vanessa’s temples and below her cheeks for a natural glow.

For the eyes she swipes on blinc Kiss Me Mascara to amplify and lengthen Vanessa’s lashes. And lastly, for the lips, she layers MAC’s Stripdown Lip Pencil and LipGlass Lip Gloss in Revealing.

Catch all that?  I barely did–good thing you can always click back in!

Thanks to Kate Best for this incredible tip off!

Kelly Carlson Photo Courtesy Of StarPulse.com

We recently caught up with Jen Hoover, Celebrity Makeup Artist to the likes of Nip Tuck’s Kelly Carlson, and supermodels like Doutzen Kroes.  Here’s what she has to say about one of Kelly Carlson’s favorite makeup secrets!

If you are looking for a great mascara to really bring out and extend your lashes, there’s a mascara that Jen and Kelly both agree is the best of the best!

“During prep for a press junket for Nip/Tuck, Kelly and I had an in depth discussion on mascara. She swears by and will only use BadGal by Benefit for thick, long, ‘hooker lashes’ as she stated! Luckily I had recently fallen in love with the mascara as well, and even though she was prepared with her own, I was able to please her with mine,” Hoover shared.

“This mascara comes with one of the largest mascara wands I’ve ever seen, and really does a fabulous job of coating lashes and allowing them to be all that they can be,” Hoover added. “At the time black was the only option, but Benefit has since branched out and included blue, plum, and brown in the selection.”

Karina Smirnoff Photo Courtesy of StarTraks.com

While the Primetime Emmy Awards may be yesterday’s news, Karina Smirnoff’s look at the event certainly is not.  And neither is the beauty mastermind that created her flawless complexion.  We recently caught up with celebrity makeup artist Napolean Perdis’ team and got the low down on Karina’s jaw dropping gorgeous appearance.  Here are the details:

Karina Smirnoff Photo Courtesy of StarTraks.com

Napoleon Perdis most recently handled Karina Smirnoff’s makeup look for the Primetime Emmy Awards. Napoleon channeled a romantic, Fred Astaire period inspiration, with a “Think Pink” pout. Perdis utilized traditional black and white contouring methods and turned to his Auto Pilot Priming collection to create a flawless look that withstood the 102-degree red carpet and her energetic show performance.

Napoleon Perdis used the following products to create Karina Smirnoff’s Emmy’s Look:

1. Primed the skin with Auto Pilot Skin Primer and Pore Minimizer and Mattifier
2. Applied Divine Marchesa Boudoir Mist Spray Foundation in Look 4
3. Applied Long Black Mascara with lashes
4. Applied Camera Finish Powder Foundation in Look 4
5. Dusted Mosaic Bronzing Powder on key points on the face
6. Rimmed the eyes with China Doll in Equinox

Karina Smirnoff Celebrity Makeup *Photo Courtesy of StarTraks.com

7. Dusted Loose Eye Dust in #20 Antique Rose to the mobile lid
8. Lightly lined brows with China Doll liner in Earth
9. Applied DeVine Goddess lipstick in Calypso
10. Finished the look with Whipped Dream Tan Enhancer all over the body

Karina toted Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pore Minimizer and Mattifier, Camera Finish Powder Foundation
and DeVine Goddess in Calypso for touch ups!

You can bet Demi Moore's flawless face is a result of priming before makeup.

For aging skin, silicone is “one of the best things ever added to cosmetics and creams,” says Heidi Waldorf, M.D., 42. “Products go on silky, stay smooth, and seal in moisture”—an ideal anti-aging skin care tip for complexions that are parched or crepey.

She dabs Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum under her eyes before applying makeup. “With its high concentration of silicone, it acts like a primer, filling in little creases.” Look for dimethicone or cyclopentasiloxane on labels.

Scarlett Johansson looking pretty in peach

Looking for a celebrity-esque tip for the winter?  Instead of bronzer, bump up the blush! Here’s a little insight into your skin from a well known dermatologist that explains why!  When you move from the freezing outdoors to the overheated indoors, your cheeks blush naturally to release the heat, says Diane Berson, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City.

To bring out your fresh-off-the-slopes flush, try a powder blush in a peach nectar, bright-rose or poppy-pink shade. Blend a liberal amount with a big, fluffy brush in the pattern of an oversize check mark (swipe brush diagonally down your cheek and then up to your temple).

Will a little loose powder give you Penelope-esque lashes?

We love hearing creative new celebrity makeup tips! Here are two that we have to try out for ourselves — maybe you’ll let us know how they work for you!? Leave us a comment!

How to fake great skin: Apply powder highlighter underneath your foundation to give you an inner glow.

Plump up your lashes: Brush loose powder on lashes before mascara. It has been reported to thicken them up. (Though how would it stick without a first coat? Hmmm…)

Hope you're protected, Lindsay...

If you rely solely on the sunscreen in your foundation for sun protection, you might get burned! This is why…… makeup settles into lines and pores, so defense against wrinkling rays can be uneven, says Bruce Katz, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. To shield against damaging UVA and UVB light, apply sunblock (Dr. Katz suggests SPF 30) and wait two minutes before following with base.

The glowing Kim Kardashian courtesy of CelebrityBeautyBuzz.

Want to nab a natural glow overnight? Before nodding off, sweep a nickel-sized dollop of self-tanner along your T-zone and below cheekbones with a blush brush. Wait about 10 minutes, then blot. By morning, you’ll be sporting a flattering faux glow that makes your face look slimmer and smoother!

Celebrity Makeup Tip - Megan Fox

Have you seen that piercing sparkle in Megan Fox’s eyes.  Better yet, have you ever watched any guy stop in his tracks at the mere mention of Megan Fox’s name?  Well you can have that look, too.  Here’s the inside scoop on how she gets it.

To eliminate the possibility of dark circles appearing under the eyes, start by applying a concealer that is a shade or two lighter than your natural skin tone.

Next, to call attention to the eyes and really make them pop, apply a golden tint between the eyebrow and lash line.  To really make blue eyes shine and twinkle add a smokey charcoal shade to the crease.

On your upper lash line apply a single line of eyeliner in one fell swoop.  Slightly curl it upwards toward your temple to give yourself an accentuated sexy feline look.

Of course it never hurts to accentuate your lashes if they need it.  A simple mascara, or in some cases, false lashes can do the trick.  You can finish this look off by using a brow pencil to slightly exaggerate the peak of your eyebrow.

There is a lot of room for your own creativity with this look. Try accentuating one of the features we mentioned while down playing another, and then try the reverse to see what really works for you.  In other words, if you are going to really define the arch of your brown, you may want to ease up on the upward slant of your eyeliner.

Experiment enough and you just might out-do the stunning Megan Fox!

Jessica Sutta Photo courtesy of GossipCenter.com

There are a lot of great celebrity makeup tips on getting a fab glow, and this one is has a very fun twist.

Jessica Sutta of the Pussy Cat Dolls has a great recommendation from her blog at PCDMusic.com – the official Pussy Cat Dolls website.  Here’s what she reveals to us….

She’s a huge fan of Urban Decay’s Baked Bronzer which she calls “amazing!”

Their Baked Bronzer – as the name implies – is baked as opposed to pressed so it can be applied wet providing more concentrated color. Personally we think this bronzer is extremely easy to work with and the best part is that it is streak free.  Jessica’s recommendation is to apply it dry to your cheekbones with a large, fluffy brush.

We like the option of applying it wet, too, with a sponge for a deeper St. Tropez shade. Because the formula is cooked, not pressed, the powder returns to a micro-fine feel after being wet – without glazing!

Just a little of this bronzer goes a very long way, which we love!  We also noticed the finish to be brilliant and natural without being too shimmery.  Looks like Jessica made a great choice!