Skipping primer. It’s not just for the red carpet: today’s formulas are light as air, non-greasy, and stay put all day. Use one under your foundation to fill in fine lines, even your skin tone, and provide a smooth canvas for foundation to ‘stick’ to, so your makeup will look fresh all day.

Using the wrong formula. Thick liquids or dry powders have a tendency to settle into fine lines and exaggerate imperfections, rather than hiding them. Start with primer (see above), then use a lightweight, moisturizing formula designed for mature skin.

Using the wrong shade. The porcelain shade that perfectly matched your 20-year-old skin might seem shockingly pale on your 30-year-old self. The reason: age saps your natural glow and can leave you looking paler than usual. A warmer shade will bring you back to life.

Skipping highlighter. Today’s pumps and rollerballs dispense a hint of shimmer and glow, not the sparkly sheen you might imagine. Use it to lift cheekbones, slim the bridge of the nose, add a little light to the corners of your eyes, or fake fuller lips (dab on the Cupid’s bow).

Settling for a plain-Jane formula. Sure, you could settle for a basic liquid foundation, but why would you when there are so many options on the market? Unless you’re committed to using a separate SPF moisturizer each morning, you’ll want SPF in your makeup. New formulas offer anti-aging benefits that work to improve your skin’s tone and texture all day long. And after all, if you’re going to put something on your skin for several hours, it might as well offer you a few extra benefits!

Use a hair mask. No time to deep condition? That’s okay; deep overnight treatments are available from salons and drugstores alike. They work to repair split ends, restore moisture, and soothe over-styled hair while you snooze. Best of all, today’s formulas won’t leave a greasy residue on your pillowcase.

Slather on moisturizer. You might use moisturizer head to toe every day, but during the winter months, it might not be enough. Smooth on a rich body butter from head to toe, then smooth a rich emollient on your feet and slip on socks before climbing into bed. You can also smooth on a rich hand cream and wear cotton gloves, if need be.

Treat your face. Some face creams pack a powerful punch against spots, fine lines, and dryness, but they might not be suitable for daytime use. Some are too thick to layer under makeup, while others don’t contain SPF. The solution: use them at night, when you’re tucked away in bed for eight hours.

Plug in a humidifier. It’s no secret that dry air dries out your skin. A humidifier releases moisture into the air and helps relieve dry, itchy winter skin.

Tweeze and shave before bed. Hair removal can leave your skin red and stinging, not your best look. Do it before bed, so the evidence has a few hours to fade away before morning (and before you add potentially irritating creams and cosmetics to the mix!).

Get a glow. Nighttime is the perfect time to use your self-tanning lotion, since you can slip into old sweats or PJs before hitting the sack, thereby sparing your new clothes from unsightly stains. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll look extra refreshed and glowing!

Use a fancy holder. Swap a basic elastic for one with some kind of ornamentation: decorative ponytail holders can feature everything from silk flowers to metal work to faux jewels. It’s a way to have a little fun with a pony, even if it’s of the most basic variety.

Wrap it. After you pull your hair into a pony, separate a small section of hair from the underside of the tail. Wrap it around the base of the tail so the elastic is fully hidden and secure underneath with a bobby pin; the mini variety are perfect. Secure with a spritz of light-hold hairspray.

Switch it up. Sometimes creating a new look is as simple as changing your part. If you always wear your hair brushed straight back into a pony, add a side part. If you like high ponys, try a low style. Or pull your hair over one shoulder in a side pony, like celeb cutie Taylor Swift sometimes does.

Go dramatic. This is perfect for very straight hair or for second-day hair that’s been flat-ironed sleek. Make a deep side part instead of pulling your hair straight back; finish with glossing spray.

Add texture. Tease the tail for fullness, or add a couple of small side braids for interest before securing the pony.

Curl up. You can use a large-barrel curling iron to create a few large spirals in your pony, which makes it instantly bouncier and more interesting than a basic straight ponytail.

Add volume. Take a cue from stars like Kate Beckinsale and add volume to your ponytail. Tease the front for extra height and fullness, then brush the sides back so they’re smooth and sleek. Secure the elastic high on your head above the ears is perfect and finish with light-hold hairspray to keep the volume.

Why is this so important? Well, you want to make room for those new products, obviously. But this is also a good time to take stock of what you’re really using, and what you don’t. If your long-wearing lipsticks are worn down to nubs, while that trendy but not-so-longwearing shade is untouched, it’s time to rethink the lip formulas you buy. Do you have half a dozen pink lip glosses in your bag? Maybe you don’t really need to add another one (or two, or three!) to your collection.

Mascara has one of the shortest cosmetics shelf life, three to six months you almost never have to dig for an excuse to try a new formula. But make sure you keep a favorite tube on hand so you’ll have a trusty standby when that miracle formula disappoints.

Nail polishes looking strange lately? Once the lacquer begins to separate, change colors, and clump on the brush, you’re not going to get a flawless manicure, so stop clinging to that old bottle. Take it with you to help match a new shade, so you can keep wearing the color you love.

Foundation is one of the most important items to weed out of your bag. If you realize you have multiple formulas sitting at the bottom of your bag, too dark, too light, too cakey it’s time to visit the makeup counter for a consultation. Not only can a pro help you pick the perfect shade, they can also help you weed through multiple formulas, no more buying cover-up that’s too oily or too sheer.

Finally, before you’re done, wash your brushes and set them out to dry. If any have frayed or loose bristles, replace them! A cute new set of brushes is the perfect finishing touch to any makeup bag.

#1: Washing too often. Unless you’re a super-oily teen, you probably only need to wash your face at night, to remove the dirt, oil, and makeup of the day. In the morning, warm water and perhaps a swab of toner will do. Over-washing dries out the skin, which actually leads the body to produce more oil.

#2: Over-exfoliating. Two or three times a week will do it; every day is irritating and can cause redness and dry skin.

#3: Not wearing enough sunscreen. You need SPF 30 on a daily basis, even when it’s partly cloudy, since those harmful UVA rays can still filter through. Use a shot glass’ worth for your body and a teaspoon on your face (apply it in layers if need be). And apply it all over: your clothes may offer an SPF of as little as 4-10. Oops!

#4: Not reading product labels. Mixing multiple products with retinoids or other irritating ingredients can inflame the skin. Others may make skin more sensitive to the sun, so stay informed!

#5: Getting impatient. On average, anti-aging or other specialty topical products take weeks or months of regular use to show results, so don’t give up after one week.

#6: Lifestyle abuse. Not enough sleep, water, and vitamins damage the skin. So do too much alcohol, sugar, or other toxins. And bad habits like smoking or tanning? Don’t even get us started!

#7: OD-ing on foundation. It settles into fine lines, creates creepy mask-face, and generally makes you look older. Do yourself a favor and get a lightweight, moisturizing formula, then apply it sparingly. Your face will thank you!

#8: Not getting a cancer check. Head in to your skin doctor for a yearly check-up, and sooner if you notice any new moles; it’s important even if you’re not fair-skinned, since many types of skin cancer are easily treatable if caught in the early stages.

Start by soaking your hands and feet, if you wish, to soften the skin and the cuticles. This is a good time to use a pumice stone on your feet to remove calluses.

Remove any old polish with basic acetone remover; the non-acetone or moisturizing varieties often have ingredients that leave nails slightly oily, so polish doesn’t stick as well.

Trim and file your nails to a short, slightly rounded shape; long, pointy nails will look witchy! Trim any hangnails. Rub cuticle oil into your cuticles and push them gently back. Don’t trim them off, since this can expose you to infections.

Apply a good cream to hands and feet; dramatic nail colors will only highlight dry, ashy skin. Once the cream has soaked in, swab your nails with polish remover again to remove any traces of oil.

Always start with a good base coat to prepare the nail for color. Wait five minutes before applying the first coat of color. It’s always best to use three strokes, once down the middle, and one down each side, for pro results. Wait five to ten minutes for the polish to dry, then apply a second coat. Multiple thin coats will dry more quickly and last much longer than one thick, gloppy coat.

Finish your mani/pedi with an extra swipe of color across the tips and a clear topcoat to protect from chips. Allow your nails to dry fully (this means at least half an hour!) to avoid nicks, then apply a second topcoat. Reapply a thin layer of topcoat every other day or so throughout the week to protect your color.

There, you’re ready to wear those dark colors with confidence!

Saldana’s latest movie, Colombiana, hit theaters on September 2nd. In it, she plays the slinky assassin Cataleya Restrepo, who’s out to avenge the deaths of her parents at the hands of a Colombian crime lord.

Throughout the movie, Saldana performs crazy stunts and wields a variety of weapons as she hunts down the men responsible for her parents’ deaths. And in her interview with Women’s Health, Saldana discusses the workout routine that keeps her so lean and mean.

Training for Colombiana, she says, involved several hours of training each day for several months, doing cardio, weights, and martial arts training. Saldana added that she loves physical roles because they offer her the chance to learn new things.

This isn’t the first time Saldana has thrown herself so completely into training for a role. While preparing for her role as the warrior princess Neytiri in Avatar, Saldana had to train rigorously and learn new skills such as archery. She’s also built up her butt-kicking resume with physically demanding roles in action flicks like The Losers.

But lest you think Saldana is all about being tough, you should know that she sports a series of pretty fashions in her magazine spread. Among the cute, on-trend fashions she presents are an oversized sweater, slouchy buckle boots, and double denim. (Follow Saldana’s lead when wearing the double-denim trend and choose a lighter wash for one piece and a darker wash for the other.)

So, what’s next for Saldana? While she’s said she’d like to slow down and spend some much-needed relaxation time with fiance Keith Britton, she has at least two exciting film projects in store for 2012. She’s been filming the thriller The Words with Olivia Wilde and Bradley Cooper, and she’s set to reprise her role as Nyota Uhura in the as-yet-untitled Star Trek sequel. You rock, Zoe!

1. How to apply false eyelashes. The right way: while looking down into a mirror (lay a hand mirror flat on your vanity or bathroom counter). This allows you a better view during application. Use tweezers to apply individual lashes or trim a strip down to a manageable portion and apply to the outer corner of your lids only laying a full strip across the lid looks fake.

2. How to pencil your eyebrows. Whether you had a night of brow-rexia or just have naturally sparse brows, filling them in requires more than simply drawing on a swoosh with an eye pencil. For starters, you’ll want to use two waxy pencils one the same shade or a smidge lighter than your natural brows, and one a smidge darker. This lets you blend lighter or darker for the most natural effect. Draw with short, fine strokes to mimic brow hairs, then blend with an eyebrow brush or clean spoolie. Repeat until you have the desired effect.

3. How to layer products. Start with the thinnest product, generally serum, then add moisturizer or sunscreen, then primer, then foundation.

4. How often to wash your face. That would be once, at the end of the day, so you can get all that makeup, sunscreen, and sweat off your face before bed. In the morning, skip the cleanser and opt for lukewarm water. As for exfoliation, do it 2-3 times per week, max any more is overkill.

5. How to look presentable in a hurry. Swipe on tinted moisturizer and rosy lip balm, and curl your eyelashes. If your hair is falling flat, sweep it into a low, messy chignon. It’s a quick, easy, and universally flattering recipe that can be performed anywhere even in the back of a taxi, or in a bathroom with bad lighting. It’s also great for those days you want to look pulled together but not “done”.

1. Start with the right foundation. Dark colors draw attention to your face, and any blemishes on your face will be highlighted. So make sure you work that concealer, and use foundation for a flawless face. Just remember to skip the high SPF for night; it can turn white under a flashbulb, meaning you’ll look extra ghostly in party pictures.

2. Groom your brows and exfoliate your lips. There’s nothing like a daring color choice to make it painfully obvious you’ve been slacking in the grooming department.

3. Choose one feature to highlight. Smoky eyes or dark lips, not both. However…

4. Don’t leave the rest of your face bare. Runway models sometimes sport dark lips and nothing else, but for us mortals, a little mascara and maybe a hint of almost-nude peach or gold shadow along the lash line will give you a bit more life. Stick to barely-visible blush to warm up your cheeks. If you’re sporting dark eyes with nude lips, make sure your lipstick has a warm tone so you don’t look ashy; pinky-nude shades are much more flattering than a straight-up skintone nude.

5. Longwearing makeup is your friend. Dark colors running all over your face? So not chic. Choose longwearing lipstick or blot judiciously. And make sure your eye makeup is waterproof to avoid any Alice Cooper comparisons.

6. Remember, if you’re not comfortable diving into this trend, you can start off slowly with sheer lip gloss or just a wash of dark shadow along the lash line. Progress to smoky eyes or opaque lips from there.

Beauty vlogger (video logger) superstars like Michelle Phan have made Youtube a hot tool for beauty addicts looking for everything from beginner tips to full-on replications of hot makeup looks from the red carpet, film, and music videos.

What makes Michelle’s story so interesting is that before she began beauty vlogging, she applied for a position as a makeup counter consultant and was turned down! Now she has millions of followers on her Youtube page, where she’s showed fans everything from Tim Burton-esque makeup to a sexy cat-eyes tutorial modeled after Angelina Jolie’s makeup in the movie ‘The Tourist’.

Michelle is pretty even barefaced, but her talents with makeup are amazing. The videos are nicely produced and she shows all of the products and tools she’s using, so it’s easy to follow along and recreate her looks at home.

Michelle may be the best-known beauty guru on Youtube, but she isn’t the only aspiring makeup artist to hit the web. Gals like Elle Fowler, Samantha Maria, and others are there to offer tips on everyday makeup, recreating star styles, product reviews, haul videos, and more.

Want more? Here are several channels to check out. Most of these channels focus on beauty how-tos, including everyday and special occasion, but some also include product reviews, hair ideas, and nail how-tos. Their styles vary, but there’s bound to be at least one artist you’ll love!

- Michelle Phan (Michelle Phan)
- Elle Fowler (AllThatGlitters21)
- Samantha Maria (BeautyCrush)
- Bubbi (Bubzbeauty)
- Marlena (Makeup Geek TV)
- Julie (Julieg713)