Long gone are the days of green eyeshadow and dark-ass eyeliner. When we millennials were in middle school and first discovered makeup, there was no YouTube around to teach us how to slay. All we had was cheap Wal-Mart makeup that, if we were lucky, our parents let us experiment with.

Nowadays, you can get makeup tricks, tips, tutorials, etc. from pretty much everywhere. Makeup how-to's from magazines, celebrities, YouTube, friends, and even drag queens have revolutionized the way we "put our face on".

Here are some of the best tricks I've found in my numerous years of makeup expertise (ha ha ha-yeah right. But these do help).

#1: BLEND, GIRL

Nothing looks shittier and nothing irks me more than where there is an obvious line of where your makeup ends and your neck skin begins. Get your brush, beauty blender, fingers, whatever and blend that foundation like your life depends on it.

#2 SPEAKING OF BEAUTY BLENDERS

My Holy Grail. A damp beauty blender or sponge will create flawless foundation, concealer, even help glide on setting powder like never before. Use this eco-friendly, reusable blender once, and you'll never go back. BONUS: it is nearly impossible to mess up. It's a sponge...you dab your makeup in with. 100% fool-proof.

#3 WHITE EYELINER

...is the new black liner. For lower lashes anyway--i'll rock my winged black liner till I die. These days, big, open eyes are all the rage. Instead of lining your lower lash line with a black or brown, opt for a nude or white. This will create the illusion of wider, bigger eyes.

#4 EYELASH CURLER

Most girls own an eyelash curler and know how to use it. Its no secret the benefits one can have on your lashes. The best trick i've ever gotten in terms of curling my lashes is to heat up my eyelash curler slightly with a blowdryer before curling my lashes. While this is harmful if you do everyday (10/10 do NOT recommend doing everyday), this is a great tip for special occasions when you want your lashes long and luxurious all night long.

#5 MOISTURIZE

ALWAYS start out with a clean, moisturized face. Dry skin will cause your makeup to stick and flake into those dry patches and cause that unsightly "cakey" look we all try to avoid. Using a primer will also help smooth out any dry skin and keep your makeup looking fresh all day long.

#6 KNOW YOUR FACE

Before you can begin any makeup look, please be aware of your face shape, color, and preference. I'm all for doing whatever the fuck you please (girl power), but there are hundreds of visuals on the internet describing what colors look best on your tone and where to apply your blush, highlighter, contour, etc. to look the best on your face-shape. These tips will help your makeup look that most "natural" (if wearing a face full of makeup is considered "natural").

#7 INVEST IN BRUSHES

While the beauty blender will work miracles on your face makeup, I'd suggest investing a bit of money into eye brushes. A good brush will take your eye makeup from amateur to Kylie Jenner instantly. They'll help you blend the color easily and seamlessly.

#8 WERK IT

You can have the most flawless makeup in the world, but won't rock it without confidence. I won't go on about how inner beauty always shines through, blah blah blah. But it"s honestly true. Own your look. You wanna rock purple eye shadow and orange lips? You do you, boo. Makeup is about expression and having fun. Looking bomb.com is an added bonus.

Love,

-A