Sometimes, beauty products are like good accessories—they work just as well when you mix and match. The other day, beauty director Amy Keller Laird told me she loved my lipstick and asked what it was. It wasn’t just one product—I had layered Clinique Plump and Shine gloss in Double Plum (shown above) over M.A.C. Lipstick in Rebel, which makes a shiny fuschia. I also love putting a glitter top coat over a colored nail polish, or applying a separating mascara followed by a volumizing one (to prevent the chunky look that a double coat of heavy mascara can give). I’m not the only one who does beauty combos—Amy says, “I always wear a mix of blush and bronzer on my cheeks. First I dab on the blush for rosiness—a cream or gel version gives such a pretty sheer stain—then a light dusting of bronzer. The final effect looks more natural than either alone. I like Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush and Stila Sun Bronzing Powder in 1. Some companies, like Lorac, make blush/bronzer palettes to make it easy.”

Beauty Editor Victoria Kirby says, “I’m not a fan of shimmery blush because I don’t want sparkle all over my face. But I do like a touch of glimmer just on the tops of my cheeks. So after I apply my blush, I add a little Shiseido Accentuating Color Stick in Champagne Flush, which is a cream highlighter stick. I rub my fingertip in the cream, then lightly pat it on the top of each cheekbone and blend back to my temple. The sheer champagne color works with any shade of blush.” What beauty products do you combine?

RELATED LINKS:
· Daily Beauty Reporter: Would You Let Your Friend Use Your Cosmetics?
· The Top 7 Long-Wearing Lip Colors for Valentine’s Day
· The 10 Best Valentine’s Day Beauty Ideas

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLINIQUE

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Season 2 of one of our favorite shows, RuPaul’s Drag Race. premieres tonight at 9 PM on Logo. This year, it’s has been picked up in 12 countries, practically making Ru the Tyra Banks of the drag word. We asked the glamazon, who’s been perfecting her makeup technique since childhood, what she loves.

What’s your must have beauty tool?
“An eyelash curler! I’ve loving the Vanity Mark one right now. I don’t put on any makeup when I’m not in drag, but I always use this to really open up my eyes. When I’m in drag, the curler keeps my false lashes symmetrical.”

What’s your favorite:
Lip gloss? “M.A.C. Pink Lemonade Lipglass looks good on every skin tone.”

Hair product? “I like to wear ornaments and flowers in my wigs to keep my hair exciting.”

Skin-care product? “I love Jergens Natural Glow. I learned this trick from a stripper: Put lotion on your hands before you apply self-tanner. It will act as a barrier so your hands won’t absorb all of the self-tanner’s color.”

Method of hair removal? “Old-fashioned electrolysis is the only way to go; it lasts. We can put a man on the moon, but unfortunately science has really dropped the ball on laser hair removal—I think it hurts, and I have a very high tolerance for pain.”

What are some common beauty mistakes women make?
“Too much foundation—you don’t need a lot for a daytime look. Dilute it with a little moisturizer and then use powder. Another mistake is dark or red lipstick on a small mouth. I was watching the Celine Dion concert on television and she has learned that if she does a nude mouth and plays up her eyes, she looks prettier. The dark lipstick she did in the early ’90s just emphasized her tiny mouth. Beauty is trial and error, but you can reduce error by taking a digital picture of yourself in a new look and really examining it.”

RELATED LINKS:
· Daily Beauty Reporter: Readers’ Choice Survey: Vote and you could win a spa trip!
· Daily Beauty Reporter: The 6 Best Beauty Looks From The Grammys
· Daily Beauty Reporter: The 5 Best Looks from the Golden Globes
· Daily Beauty Reporter: Step by Step: Drew Barrymore’s Golden Globe Look
· Daily Beauty Reporter: Mo’Nique and Her Hairy Situation at the Golden Globes
· Daily Beauty Reporter: What Celebrity Hair Do You Lust After?

PHOTO: COURTESY OF LOGO

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