How can I stop my base from fading?(Brief Article)

"Controlling oil and properly using powder are key to making your foundation last all day," says Collier Strong, L.A. makeup artist for Heather Locklear and Kate Hudson. During your morning makeup ritual, apply only a small amount of moisturizer, then warm up a liquid foundation between your palms before applying it; the heat from your hands will increase the makeup's ability to penetrate skin. Finish with a dusting of loose powder to eliminate excess oil and set the makeup. Touch up during the day with a dual-finish foundation (a powder and liquid combo). We like L'Oreal Air Wear Powder Foundation, $13.95.

make your polish last

I hate paying for a manicure just to have the polish chip the next day. Is there any way to make it last longer?

There are secrets to maximizing a manicure, says Michelle Daurio, an L.A. manicurist who's done the digits of Jennifer Aniston. Her first rule: Skip the sudsy soak most manicurists begin with. Although it cleans the nails and softens the cuticles, the water saturates your porous nails, reducing their ability to grab onto polish. Instead, ask your talon tender to clean underneath your tips with a cotton swab dipped in soapy water and use a cuticle remover to loosen up your cuticles. We like Creative Nail Design AHA Cuticle Eraser $10. Also, if you're going for a light hue, forgo a base coat. Color won't adhere to a slick base as well as it does to your natural nail surface. New light hues we love: Helena Rubinstein's Jellies Nailwear (below, from left) in Cotton Candy, Kidult, and Angel Hair, $15 each. But since dark hues can stain your nails yellow, it's best to play it safe and use a base coat first. Try OPI Natural Nail Base Coat, $6. Finally, have your manicurist paint polish all the way over the edge of e ach nail. This way, the polish will "hug" the tips (the area most likely to chip). Have her do the same with the top coat We suggest Seche Vite, $9.

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