Low Effort, High-Impact Makeup! 11 Easy Tricks

Give Your Lipstick a Underpinning

• Haven't worked up the nerve to switch your neutral pink lipstick for one of this season's super-trendy vampy shades? Fear not, says Poppy King, founder of Lipstick Queen. She suggests using a black hue as a layering piece under a softer rose. "The black peeks through to give the pink shade a modern feel," she says.
• Lipstick Queen lipstick in Saint Rose and Black Tie, $18 each; lipstickqueen.com.

Shade Above Your Crease

• After years of telling us to blend shadow into our creases to give eyes depth and definition, makeup artists are tweaking their advice: "Sweep shadow along the lower part of the brow bone, just above the crease, and you'll get a deeper, more dramatic look," says pro Troy Surratt.
• Michael Marcus eye shadow in Envy, $23; at select Dillard's stores. Sonia Kashuk small eye shadow brush, $10; target.com.

Fake a More Defined Lip Line

• Dabbing concealer in the philtrum (the vertical groove above the upper lip) "gives the illusion of two perfect peaks without having to go through the trouble of lining lips," says makeup artist and Shu Uemura artistic director Gina Brooke.
• Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Cover Stick, $44; sephora.com.

Play With the Placement of Eye Liner

• Looking to give your tired eyes a lift? Cover Girl makeup artist Molly R. Stern offers this trick: "When tracing your upper lash line, make your liner slightly thicker at the outer corners, where eyes have a tendency to droop as we age."
• Bobbi Brown Creamy eye pencil in Jet, $24; bobbibrown.com.

Choose a Smile-Brightening Lipstick

• Don't tell your dentist, but the secret to a gorgeous grin could be in your makeup bag. Using a dental color guide, Clinique compared the brightness of teeth before and after applying certain lipstick colors. These 10 were found to make teeth look a full shade whiter.
• Clinique lipsticks in (from top) Peach Pop, A Different Grape, Cranberry Cream, Red-y To Wear, Raspberry Rush, Raspberry Glacé, Go Fig, Pink-a-boo, Ice Bloom, and Twilight Nude, $14 each; clinique.com.

Set Your Makeup With Bronzer

To warm up pale skin, makeup artist Molly R. Stern finishes every look with a misting of Guerlain's powder bronzer. "It's more subtle than pan bronzer and easier to apply than liquid," she says.

Guerlain Terracotta spray bronzing powder mist SPF 10, $59; at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Brighten Cheeks with Lipstick

• To create a healthy winter flush, Chanel makeup pro Kate Lee finds that long-wear lip color works better than cream blush. "It gives that same dewy look but stays put for much longer," she says. Warm it up on the back of your hand, then pat color onto cheeks and the bridge of your nose.
• Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dynastie, $40; amazon.com.

Switch to Bronze Eye Liner

• The warm metallic hue can still convey the rebellious attitude of a dark, sooty liner—especially when piled on with abandon—minus the hard edge.
• Jane Iredale Double Dazzle Dual highlighter pencil in 1C9, $15; dermstore.com.

Skip Mascara in the Morning

• "Curling your lashes is the easiest thing you can do to make your eyes look bigger," says Troy Surratt, "especially in the winter when mascara tends to dry up and flake more easily." To create a soft, lasting curve, squeeze the curler three times, moving from roots to tips. "Then sweep a pop of silver shadow over the lids to really open up the eye," he says.
• La Cross eyelash curler, $4; at Walgreens. Dior 1-Colour Extreme eye shadow in Crystal White, $28; sephora.com.

Rethink Your Statement Lip

A switch from scarlet to fuchsia can instantly freshen the way you look and feel. "The pink is still bold and confident but a little more playful than the red we are used to seeing on Gwen Stefani," says Gina Brooke, who works with the singer.

Tint Your Brows One Shade Darker

• Instead of filling in sparse hairs with pencil or powder, Lee suggests having them professionally tinted one shade darker than your hair color, then using gel to define every hair. "This makes brows look fuller in a more natural, untamed way," she says.
• Chanel Brow Shaper in Clear, $32; neimanmarcus.com.