Confessions of a doll

Scotch tape

The pros swear by the sticky stuff for picking up loose glitter or eyeshadow that has fallen onto the skin. New York City-based makeup artist Erica Whelan has also used tape as a guide to create perfectly symmetrical cat-eyes: Place the tape just below where your liner will extend out from your lid. Then draw the line. Just don’t forget to peel off the tape when you’re done—not a good look!

Mini-whisk

There’s no use crying over a broken bronzer (or any other pressed powder). San Francisco-based makeup artist Emily Kate Warren whips out a small whisk—meant for mixing salad dressings—and uses it to mash up the crumbles into fine (reusable) loose powder.

Micro-fiber clothes

They’re not just awesome at drying the dishes. New York City-based makeup artist Jim Crawford uses these super-absorbent towels to soak up shine and sweat from models’ faces.

Orange stick

The wooden stick is designed to push back cuticles, but it’s also Warren’s go-to tool for scraping out the very last bit of product left in a tube. Let no lipstick go to waste.

No. 2 pencil

Another oldie-but-goodie: Using a pencil to determine where your brows should start and stop. But Crawford takes it one step further by using the pencil to lightly fill-in sparse brows. It’s a neutral shade that works on everyone. Who knew?

Toothpick

For hard-to-cover blemishes, celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose applies concealer with a toothpick. The point-y tip is more precise than a brush. Just be careful not to pop your zit—eww!

Spoon

To get a crimp-free lash curl, some pros skip the traditional eyelash curler and reach for a teaspoon. Try it: Holding the spoon so the convex side is facing your eye, place the bottom edge of the spoon against the base of your lashes. Then, using your thumb, gently press a section of lashes against the edge. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat until you’ve curled the entire lash line.