I Asked 14 Beauty Moguls to Share the Beauty Trick They Tell Their Friends

When you’re a beauty columnist turned beauty founder, you have quite a few hacks up your sleeve. Shapiro generously slipped two tricks out of her bell sleeve with us. Her first tip: “Most 'nude' lip colors out there are made for Caucasian women. One of the best tips I've learned from interviewing top celebrity makeup artists over the years is to actually pat on a very sheer layer of your usual concealer and then top off with a pink gloss. The pink gloss should actually be pinker than you want your nude color to be. But together the concealer and the pink gloss create the perfect shade exactly for you and it doesn't give you that 'dead face' look when nude lipstick goes wrong.”

Shapiro’s other hack? In her own words, “Fragrance layering can be confusing when you're first starting out. To make things simpler, I think it's better to go for a simple scent or even one-note scent and then layer a more complex fragrance on top of it. Personally, I layer our Iso Gamma Super, which is a woody-ambergris—it layers well with almost any other scent—but I pair it with our Myth eau de parfum, which is a cozy yet slightly floral beautiful fragrance.” 

So what skincare hack does a beauty executive abide by? Liu shared, “While struggling with severe eczema in my adult life, I found that the trick to keeping my skin happy is a combination of eliminating certain trigger ingredients from my skincare routine and using our miracle product, the SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray!” 

Liu continued, “Our spray contains an ingredient called hypochlorous acid, which is produced naturally in your body to defend your skin against inflammation and bacteria. This has truly changed my life and I hope to spread the word!”

What hack does a skincare fanatic like Medvedich abide by? As she told us, “I’m a big fan of at-home skin-toning devices like Ziip or Gua Sha stones, but I have come to realize that the best tools for naturally sculpting my face are my hands! With not being able to visit my beloved facialist, I have been replicating some of the lymphatic massage techniques I’ve experienced at their studios with the help of youtube and Instagram.”

Medvedich professed, “While I’m no expert, the self facial massages I’ve been practicing at home have been game-changing with visible results for my puffy spring allergy eyes and sinuses. I’ve learned my favorite techniques from Facegym’s live Instagram 'workouts' and their highlighted story tips.” 

What trick does Travis have to maintain his cool, dewy skin in Singapore’s notorious humidity? He shared, “In Singapore, where there’s 90% humidity all year long, keeping cool is always a goal. Something I’ve been doing since college is keeping two stainless-steel teaspoons in the freezer and using them to depuff and get rid of morning/post-alcohol puffiness—just use the bent area of the spoon over your eyes. It is also great for temporarily reducing the appearance of large pores.”

Travis continued, “I also like to store the Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Mist in the fridge for instant refreshment throughout the day, and our Triple Hyaluronic Antioxidant Hydration Serum in the fridge works wonders to plump the under-eye area in the morning.” 

As someone with serious beauty rituals, Roy shared, “I’ve tried a bunch of fancy makeup primers to keep my under-eye concealer from fading, but nothing beats a good oil-based eye cream. My hack is to let it absorb for five minutes before applying your makeup, and you’ll notice fewer creases and much less retouching required throughout the day. Take it a step further and pre-prime with a clean metal spoon. Placing the rounded back of the spoon on top of your closed eyelid and then directly under your eye de-puffs the area, which allows for a more even, long-lasting makeup look. Plus, it feels glorious!”

Need an eye cream? Roy recommends, “Use our Eye Rejuvenating Elixir. It’s made with cold-pressed sweet almond oil and is clinically proven to minimize dark circles and even fine lines. We just launched a mini that’s equipped with a metal roller-ball so you can de-puff as you apply!” 

Not ready to adopt a 10-step skincare routine? Cho's next suggestion may fit your needs. As she told us, “Our skin is exposed to so many impurities throughout the day (makeup, city grime, pollution) that ends up stifling our skin. By incorporating an oil cleanser, you’ll remove these dulling elements from the surface which will also help prevent breakouts and premature aging.” 

Cho continued, “And while you’re at it, indulge in a mini face massage, releasing tension and creating healthy blood flow before hitting the pillow. This amazing step is what got me started on my skincare journey and made me a believer in Korean beauty.”

So what manicure hack does a nail polish founder abide by? Choi told us, “When I was growing up in South Korea, I spent a lot of time outdoors, so to keep my hands looking young and feminine, my mother would have me apply a thick layer of heavy hand cream and wear cotton gloves overnight to help it penetrate into my skin. The next day, my hands were fully rejuvenated!” 

Choi continued, “To this day, I still use my mother’s method whenever my hands are severely dehydrated. I recommend Augustinus Bader Hand Treatment or simple Vaseline.”

So what hack does Yoon swear by for, as she says, “achieving glass skin that looks luminous, poreless and translucent”? She told us, “Quick little massages during your daily skincare routine—rather than saving for a longer facial massage for once in a blue moon—can go a very long way in keeping skin in tip-top shape while helping beneficial ingredients absorb even more into skin. I do what I call the glass-skin three-minute facial. For this facial, you can use the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum or an alternative serum that's hydrating, fragrance-free, harsh-free, and silky on skin.”

So how do you re-create this facial? Yoon recommends, “Start by massaging in the center of the face and gently sweep out toward the sides of the face, and then sweep down the jugular toward the clavicles. I do this for about 90 seconds. Then I go into tone-and-sculpt mode. I apply an additional pump of serum and take my four fingers on both hands (index finger to pinky) and start at my jawline with all four fingers spread apart and pointing up toward my head. Then with a moderate amount of pressure, I sweep upward toward my cheeks and repeat five times. This takes just about 15 seconds."

Yoon continues, "Next, I take both thumb and index finger and grab my chin, and again with some amount of pressure, I trace my fingers that are still hugging my jaw (index finger on top part of face and thumb on the other side of face by the neck) and sweep up toward my ears to help sculpt the jawline. Do this three times from chin to hear. This takes another 15 seconds or so. Finally, for about 30 seconds, take your flat palms and rub ears vigorously up and down. Our ears have a lot of reflexology points, and this movement can help boost circulation and bring a vibrancy to your skin. By the time I'm applying my Glass Skin serum with a quick three-minute massage session, my skin looks completely glassy all day long.” 

The brand's first product, the Jet Lag Mask, made waves, and since then, the brand has continued to create must-have Instagram-approved beauty products.

So what beauty hack does a blogger abide by? Hewitt told us, "I love to apply a little bit of Summer Fridays vanilla lip butter balm before putting on lip liner and lipstick. It really helps sheer out the color to look more natural, and it hydrates my lips!" 

One hack this clean-beauty founder abides by? Chen shared, “I use a jade gua sha tool to do lymphatic drainage on my face. It helps to increase circulation and reduce the puffiness in my face.” 

“It's a relaxing routine to do at night time after I wash my face and before I put on most of my skincare products,” Chen told us.  

What’s Tsai’s skincare hack? She shared, “Mix in a hydrosol to your facial oil before applying to the skin. I'm a huge fan of the toning step and think it's one of the most underrated steps of the skincare routine! With the right toner, you can achieve so much. Our rose water toner, which is just one organic ingredient, can act as a double cleanser, pH balancer, mix-in for oils, or even a makeup setter. ”

Tsai continued, “One of my favorite tips for oil newbies is to mix in our rose water with a few drops of your oil in your palm, then massage that combination onto your skin. The hydrosol will help the oil further sink in and better absorb the benefits and nutrients of your oil. This will also make sure that the oil doesn't feel too heavy on your skin throughout the day!”

The great thing about siblings is all the beauty hacks you can learn from them. Fortunately, the Khan sisters have plenty. As Naseeha Khan shared with us, “If you want your lips to appear bigger, outline your lips with a dark lip liner and then apply a lipstick with a much lighter shade! I use our darkest lip liner Lipstroke Cinco with a paler nude lipstick: Nudiversal Dubrovnik.”

While Naseeha’s hack emphasizes the importance of lip liners, Aleezeh is all about the eye shadow. When creating the perfect eye look, she suggests, “Try putting eye shadow on with your fingers instead of with a brush for more control and easier blending. It’s also easier to fix mistakes with fingers than with a brush.”

And finally, as Aleena can attest to, beauty hacks are all about getting creative, including using them in unconventional ways. She shared, "I use our creamy lipsticks as blush and eye shadow! Our Nudiversal Lip Duo in the shade London is the perfect deep rose that is not only suitable for my lips but works on the cheeks and eyelids. Less to carry in my makeup bag by default!" Now, that's a hack worth trying.