All-Over Beauty Boosting Tips

Everyone has one—the friend who never seems to age. Good chance she’s exercising and eating well, but no doubt she’s also taking advantage of some insider look-great beauty tricks.

"It’s amazing how a few strategic tweaks in your routine can shave off years, giving you younger-looking skin and hair," says makeup artist Mally Roncal. We rounded up the moves that really work, so you can try them for yourself. Your friends will be wondering what your secret is.

While matte lipstick draws attention to imperfections on lips, gloss does the opposite: It fills in lines and makes lips look fuller, says Roncal. Go witha pink coral or blue-based pink: Both work on most skin tones and (bonus!) make your teeth look whiter. Apply, blot, then dab a little more onto the Cupid’s bow and the center of your lowerlip.

The extra gloss acts as a highlighter, also making lips look plump, notes Roncal. Another idea: Use a plumping gloss with ingredients like menthol or cinnamon—they mildly irritate and thus puff up lips a bit.

Your brows may be your most underrated feature, because they frame your eyes, giving you a fresh, wide-awake look. All you need is a steady hand and a brow pencil.

If you’re a brunette, look for a shade slightly lighter than your own brows. Blonde? Go a shade darker than your natural color. Redheads should use a softer version of their hair hue, says Gina Daddona, a makeup artist and brow expert at the Stephen Knoll salon in New York City. Hold the pencil’s tip at a slight angle as you create short, hair-like strokes along the brows to the ends. Then blend the color into your brows with a clean toothbrush or brow brush, and set with clearbrow gel.

No question, bronzing powder is a makeup artist’s go-to for making clients look fresh and pretty. Not only does it even out skin tone, but "it adds a natural glow, making you look more refreshed," says New York City makeup artist Troy Surratt. "The goal is to look like you spent an hour on your bike," he adds, not a day at the beach.

Find a hue that mimics the shade your skin turns with a light tan, and apply with a blush brush instead of a larger powder brush. The smaller brush lets you target areas on your face that get color in the sun so it looks as natural as possible.

As you round age 35, the pigment cells in your skin produce melanin unevenly, leaving your complexion a little…spotty. Adding a brightening serum or lotion to your skin-care routine will help even and smooth skin, says Jeannette Graf, MD, a dermatologist in Great Neck, New York: "Products that contain natural extracts like soy, vitamin C, arbutin, and licorice root help reduce excess pigment for an all-over fresher appearance."

Unlike lightening serums, which often have potent bleaching ingredients such as hydroquinone, brighteners are much milder and can safely be used all over the face, Dr. Graf explains.

"Many women choose light pink or gray-ish neutrals because they think they’re flattering shades, but they can make your hands look sallow," says New York–based manicurist Elle Gerstein. "Vivid shades with blue undertones put the spotlight on your nails, plus brighten up the skin."

A study in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery confirms the power of polish: When bare fingers were compared to hands "dressed up" with nail polish and jewelry, hands with naked nails were perceived as older.

Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting you go all ’80s with bright blue eye makeup. But adding a hint of navy mascara makes your eyes really pop. The secret is to not overdo the blue.

Roncal’s advice: Apply black mascara on your upper lashes, then swipe a single coat of navy on the bottom ones. "Wearing it along the lower lashes is all you need to get that whitening pop," says Roncal.

To get ageless hair with color, leave an inch or two of darkish roots and fade the rest so hair gets lighter at the ends. This look—hot in Hollywood right now—mimics the way sun-bleached hair grows out, explains Jason Stanton, creative director of Fusion Hair Salon in West Hollywood, California.

"You alternate light and medium highlights, varying the placement along each strand," notes Stanton. "But go no more than two shades lighter to keep hair looking natural." You only need to get these ombré highlightshalf as often as conventional ones.

Ever feel like your eyes just don’t stand out the way they used to? Try this trick: Apply ultra-thin liner along the top and bottom lash lines. "It frames your eyes and makes them pop," says Surratt.

Lining right where your lashes start will make lashes look fuller, too. Then use a Q-tip to lightly smudge the color. For a softer finish, use a powder-based liner applied with a brush.