The Beauty Compendium: Rituals, Rules, and the Real Tricks of the Trade

Every beauty editor has a secret notebook. Pages filled with half-whispered tricks overheard backstage at shows, hacks murmured between brushstrokes on set, and tiny rituals learnt from watching the best hands in the business work their magic. Over twenty-nine years, ELLE India has collected an entire archive of that knowledge. These are techniques that outlast seasons, survive trends, and define how to achieve ‘a good face’. For our anniversary issue, we opened the notebook.

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Here are twenty-nine hacks we’ve learnt from makeup artists, hairstylists, creators, and beauty obsessives. We promise they work every single time.

1. “Always warm your foundation or concealer on the back of your hand for a softer, sheerer finish.”

- Savleen Kaur Manchanda,  Makeup Artist

2.“Put your liquid blush on before your foundation. This makes the colour look more natural, like it’s part of your skin instead of sitting on top of it.”

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- Shraddha Naik, Makeup Artist

3.“If your skin feels dry, mix a single drop of face oil into your foundation. Hydration is the real secret behind a flawless base.”

- Sachi Chaudhary, Makeup Artist

4.“A quick two-minute face massage with the knuckles before makeup lifts the muscles, wakes up the skin, and gives a naturally sculpted effect.”

- Pooja Lalwani Tamang, Makeup Artist

5.“I always apply contour and blush before foundation. Underpainting melts everything together and gives the most 
seamless finish.

- Deepa Verma, Makeup & Hairstylist

6.“Tap, don’t drag. Whether it’s eyeshadow, concealer, or blush — pat it on and only blend the edges. It keeps the product looking like skin.”

- Saikat Chakraborty, Makeup Artist

7.“Apply dry shampoo before bed. Overnight, it absorbs oi,l and you wake up with natural volume and cleaner roots.”

-Umang Thapa, Hairstylist

8.“A glycerin soap and a spoolie can set and lift brows better than most gels, especially if you have sparse hair.”

- Neelu Thapa, Beauty Content Creator

9.“For frantic mornings, dry shampoo powder massaged into the roots gives hair an intentionally tousled look instead of a tired one.”

- Justine Rae Mellocastro, Celebrity Hairstylist

10.“Warm your conditioner between your palms for a few seconds before applying. The heat helps it penetrate deeper and smooth the hair instantly.”

- Marcelo Pedroso, Hairstylist

11.“Lipstick doubles up as the most natural cream blush. One tone across lips and cheeks ties the entire look together.”

- Kaajee Babu Rai, Makeup Artist

12.“I bake far beyond the under-eye — jawline, forehead, smile lines, even around the brows. Once dusted off, everything looks smooth, matte, and sculpted.”

- Huda Kattan, Beauty Entrepreneur

13.“Use the mesh of an empty tea bag to sheer out heavy foundation. It softens pigment without streaks.”

- Prashant Singh, Makeup Artist

14.“For the softest ‘just-kissed’ lip, tap satin lipstick on with your ring finger like you would a lip balm. Really work it  into the lip for a natural stain.”

- Asha Hariharan, Makeup Artist

15.“Mist setting spray between every step — foundation, concealer, blush. Each layer melts into the next, creating that soft-focus glow.”

-Khushboo Phulwadhwa, Makeup Artist

16.“Eye cream works beautifully as a daytime lip balm. It hydrates without the heaviness of overnight masks.”

- Bhawana Pandey, Makeup Artist

17.“Dab cream lipstick onto bare nails and seal with clear polish for a temporary manicure.”

- Meghana Sinha, Makeup Artist

18. “Use a deep brown, almostblack lip liner to softly overline. Blend it out with a small brush to create a natural shadow before lipstick.”

- Ayesha Seth, Makeup Artist

19. “For makeup that lasts, mist fixing spray onto clean skin and onto a damp sponge before foundation. You won’t need the final spray at the end.”

- Karishma Bajaj, Makeup Artist

20.“If you have a fringe, use a mattifying primer only on the forehead — it keeps the hair from sticking or splitting.”

- Nisha Parachuri, Makeup Artist

21.“For invisible definition, press a nude kohl gently between your upper lashes instead of lining the waterline.”

- Ruhina Shaikh, Makeup Artist

22. “Mix a dot of cream blush with the tiniest bit of translucent powder to create a semi-matte blush that stays put.”

- Khyati Asher, Makeup Artist

23. “Spray perfume on the sides of your scalp, never the hair. Body heat diffuses it softly througout the day.”

- Sarika Thakkar, Makeup Artist

24. “If your base appears patchy, press a bare sponge over the face to redistribute product instead of adding more.”

- Sheetal Shah, Makeup Artist

25. “One drop of contact lens solution revives a drying mascara without clumping.”

- Dhwani Shetty, Makeup Artist

26. “Blend foundation outward from the centre, then highlight only the strategic points — cheekbones, inner corners of the eye, the cupid’s bow.”

- Pat McGrath, Makeup Artist

27. “If your lids crease easily, buff a matte, skin-tone eyeshadow all over before starting. It works like an invisible eye primer.”

- Anusha Pawar, Makeup Artist

28. “After applying eyeshadow, mist your face lightly and don’t touch the lids for a minute. The micro-steam softens the pigment into a smoky haze.”

- Vidhisha Gohil, Makeup Artist

29. “I never use just one blush shade. Mixing a peach with a pink gives a dimensional flush and brightens the under-eye area, tying everything together.”

- Raveena Ladhani, Makeup Artist

Find ELLE’s latest issue on stands or download your digital copy here.