The Real Girl Makover, Part I: Make-Up

I'm not a make-up artist and I didn't go to the Paul Mitchell hair school, but I can take myself

And if I can do it, you can too -- no cosmetology license, hair extensions or false lashes needed (although any of those things wouldn't hurt). 

1. 1st Base. I use Bare Minerals or Laura Mercier Primers and on the eyes I use theBalm eyeshadow primer. Priming is an important step that is often overlooked; it will help your make-up application last longer and it gives you an even skin tone to work with. You wouldn't paint a beige wall white without first priming, would you?

Highlight & Contour

2. Foundation. I don't wear foundation, especially since we live in a hot city and I don't want something heavy on my face. Instead, I reach for Bare Minerals Foundation, which is light and gives all over coverage, or on nights when my skin needs to be flawless, I use a BB Cream. BB Cream provides a good coverage, a hint of color and a light reflecting quality that gives the illusion of perfect, glowing skin.

3. Cheeks. Start with a cream blush or an iridescent blush stick and use only on the apples of your cheeks. I like to smile when I do this to help me find the apples! Next, swipe bronzer in a 3-shape from your forehead, to your cheek, to your chin and repeat on the other side. Finally, sweep a pinky color over your apples with a powder blush, I like MAC's Peachykeen.

4. Highlight & Contour. I love when I see those "Did (insert celebrity here) get a nose job?!" in magazines. Most of the time they didn't, they just used H&C! Follow the photo to the right as a guideline on how to H&C; your face maybe a little different, so you may have to try it a few times to decide what best highlights your features; for instance, most H&C faces will teach you to contour the sides of your nose, but I like to highlight my nose. It depends on your face shape. I also use a number of products for this. I use highlighter, concealer and bronzer and sometimes I also use a white pencil.

Almost Done!

5. Eyes. Start with three colors, like a smoking charcoal, grey and light pink or dark brown, bronze and light gold. Sweep the lightest color over the entire eye from lash to brow, then the middle color over the lid and finish with the darkest color in the crease and around the bottom lashline.

Apply your eyeliner. I like to begin mid eye, where my pupil is and extend out from there; others like to start at the inside corner. This is another one that depends on your eye shape and preference. I also like to line the inside of my upper eyelid with the same color.

After applying the dark liner, I take my white pencil from the inside corner to to mid pupil to meet the dark liner. I also curve it around the inside lower lid. Next, swipe a highlighter like theBalm's Marylou-minizer over top of the white liner. Finish with mascara.

6. Lips. Use a liner that's almost the same color as your lipstick, this is not How to Look Like the Cast of Jersey Shore. I also like to balance dark, smokey eyes with a light lip like a pink or nude.

Products used: Boscia BB Cream, Bare Minerals Bronzer, E.L.F Cream Blush, MAC Blush in Peachykeen, MAC and Stila eyeshadows, theBalm's MaryLou-minzer under brow and on top of cheekbones, MAC lipstick, lipglass and lipliner and Clinique Mascara.

Stay tuned for the Hair How-To in The Real Girl Makeover, Part II.