I had the pleasure of meeting Lancôme’s national make-up artist, Alex Sanchez at not one, but two events I attended recently where we talked fall make-up and what kind of beauty products we’ll be adorning our faces with this season. Read on to find out more about the tips, tricks, and trends that Alex says every woman should know to look her best.

The fall face is all about being very sophisticated—dark eye make-up—really smoky. Indigo blues and violets are really big, as well as metallic textures. Lips have equal importance and are very glamorous this season. Look for dark berries and wine tones. It’s all about color.

My favorite tips and tricks:

If you’re eyeliner challenged, do your mascara first because it creates a little platform for the eyeliner to land on, especially helpful for people who can’t see that well. Putting the mascara on first makes it more obvious where to place the liner—right at the base of the lashes.

The biggest make-up mistake I see, especially in the Midwest where everyone wants to look tan all the time, is wearing foundation that is too dark. If you want to look tan, you have to do that with a self-tanner or the sun, not a foundation, which when too dark leaves a very obvious line of demarcation. That is the most aging mistake.

The beauty product that gives you the biggest bang for your buck is lipstick. To quote my mother,”A lady never leaves the house without putting on her lipstick.”  The key is to apply it correctly. First, before even thinking about applying lipstick, exfoliate your lips. Chapped lips are never sexy. I recommend doing your lipstick first so you can see where your lips start and stop. Then, you do your lip liner, feathering it on in a back-and-forth motion as you apply. When you apply it in this way you won’t have a very contrived line and it won’t grab on the skin, or leave you looking like the Joker when it wears off.

When it comes to blush never apply it below the nose. If you do, it will drag the face down. You’ll achieve a beautiful sculpted look by keeping the blush above the nose. It will also add a really nice youthful contour to the face.

To get great brows comb the hairs down so you can see where the spaces are, fill them in, shape, and go.

Thank you, Alex!

I have to admit, after  years spent in front of the camera, I thought I already knew everything there was to know about make-up application, but I was clearly wrong! I loved the eyeliner tip, Alex!  Never heard that one before, but it definitely makes applying eyeliner easier!

And since we’re sharing I have to add that my favorite mascara of all time, the one I’ve been using forever, is Lancôme’s Definicils. Gives you the most gorgeous lashes! (And please note, I have absolutely not been paid to share this with you. I just happen to love it!)

What about you ladies? Am I the last one to know about this tip? Do you apply your mascara before your eyeliner? Feel free to share your own make-up tips and tricks. We’re all ears around here :-)