The simplest way I know how to apply your makeup is what many professional makeup artists call the "Five Minute Face."

There are a few exceptions and types of make-up that last longer than others, but make-up does get old a lot quicker than you think.

It depends not only on the depth or darkness of your skin, but even more on the underlying skin tone. Is your skin olive toned, warm, with orange undertones or blue-black?

Eye shadow fads come and go every season, but if you just want an elegant, day-to-day look, go with eye shadows in neutral tones.

This is easy. Your skin is either warm or cool in overall tone. If your skin is pinkish or rosy but without orange overtones, you have cool coloring.

Applying eyeshadow correctly depends on the effect you're trying to get. If you're just going out with your friends and want a swoosh of color on the top lid, some women have been known just to run a finger across the color, smudge it onto the lid, wipe off the besmudged finger on a wet cloth and get out the door.

Maybe if you're trying out for a part in a stag film. Or if you want to look like Ivana Trump.

You can contour your face by using a foundation a shade or two darker than your usual foundation to create "hollows". Where you put the contouring depends on the shape of your face to begin with. The most popular face shape is oval (most movie stars have oval faces, or look like they do).

The classic answer to this question is that you can make your thin lips look fuller by outlining them ever so slightly in a subtle but definite wear proof lip liner, then fill in with lipstick. Some experts suggest also applying a little pearlescent or shimmery lipstick or gloss in the middle of your lips after the full coat of lipstick. There also several "lip pumper" glosses and lipsticks that will temporarily enlarge the size of your lips found at Sephora and other beauty supply stores.

You will read lots of silly things in your lifetime. I assume that someone decided that lip gloss would magnify wrinkles around the mouth. I don't really think that it would, though.

Most makeup claims to be non-comodegenic, but some are and some aren't. The problem is that the FDA doesn't regulate cosmetics as closely as they should, with the result that makeup companies can say darn near anything they want whether it's true or not. So, when a company claims the makeup doesn't clog pores, what are we supposed to think when it clogs the top of the bottle?

Smoky eyes are big fun, and they aren't that hard to get. But you want more than eye shadow: you'll want some eye liner, too. Use dark colors: gray, or soft purple or dark blue are the best "smoke" colors. You might want to start with a light base coat, just to give you an even palette. Use a creamy color over the whole lid. Then, add eyeliner in charcoal color, over the top eyelid and, if you're going for serious drama, smudge some on the lower lid too. Smudging is vital here: you don't want any harsh lines. Blend and blend again.

Thick foundation gives the most coverage, or you can achieve a covered look with several layers of mineral makeup, which feels much lighter but gives a soft-focus look. I guess the main question is, why do you want heavy coverage?

'80s female punks wore what the'80s boy punks did, only they did it better, being more experienced with makeup in the first place. Dead white foundation—if you can't find any theatrical supply stores, you can buy some zinc oxide diaper ointment to get the same effect. Black eyeliner pencil does nearly everything else. You can use it for lipstick, sculpting harsh edges around your lips—think points interrupted by flat lines, not curves. Line upper and bottom eyelids, thinly, and don't smudge or blend—you're looking for a crisp harshness.

It's better to wear lipstick that complements your facial coloring than to choose your lip color based on the whiteness of your teeth. Come people claim that lipsticks with some orange in them will help your teeth look whiter, but what good will that do if your lipstick color makes your skin look sallow? No, the thing to do is wear lipstick that looks nice with your skin tones, and whiten your teeth.

The high tech answer to age spots is to visit your friendly dermatologist and let him or her zap your age spots away with a laser. That's the easiest way to deal with age spots, and you won't have to worry about covering them.

Put on your foundation, and whatever it doesn't cover can get a layer of concealer. If it still doesn't cover, try a little more foundation on top of the concealer. Let's not be mysterious here: concealer is just a thicker form of foundation. The tricky part is getting coverage without winding up with a big lump of makeup stuck to your face. Powder can be helpful: sometimes, it's easier to start with a layer of powder over the offending spot, then add foundation on top of that. The powder thickens the foundation a bit, giving you a little more coverage.