Author

Andreea Sandu

Andreea Sandu is a working makeup artist based in Bucharest. She's been doing makeup professionally since 2010, across bridal, editorial, film, commercial work, and runs Lipstick Queen. She started writing on the site after fielding the same questions from clients and friends often enough to just write the answers down: which red won't turn orange on a warm undertone, how to keep lipstick from feathering into fine lines, why a "12-hour" formula rarely survives dinner. Every review on the site follows the same rule she uses with paying clients: wear it first, then decide if it's worth recommending.

422 articles Writing since 2024
How to Apply Rare Beauty Highlighter for a Luminous Look
Rare Beauty Tips
How to Apply Rare Beauty Highlighter for a Luminous Look

How you apply Rare Beauty highlighter depends on which formula is in your hand, since the brand sells a liquid…

March 13, 2026 10 min read
How to Sharpen NARS Lip Crayon Without Cracking It
NARS Tips
How to Sharpen NARS Lip Crayon Without Cracking It

NARS lip crayons don't twist up, so the only way to get at fresh color is to sharpen the pencil.…

March 13, 2026 8 min read
Natural Glam Makeup Looks: Effortless Elegance
Makeup Looks
Natural Glam Makeup Looks: Effortless Elegance

Polished but not overdone. That is the whole point of natural glam makeup looks. This style sits in the space…

March 13, 2026 24 min read
Red Makeup Looks: Bold & Fiery Glam Styles
Makeup Looks
Red Makeup Looks: Bold & Fiery Glam Styles

A red look puts one red focal point on the face, usually the lips and sometimes the eyes, and keeps…

March 13, 2026 15 min read
How to Do Makeup for Dark Skin Beautifully
Makeup by Skin Type
How to Do Makeup for Dark Skin Beautifully

Finding a shade that fits is the first hurdle with makeup for dark skin. Researchers at the University of the…

March 12, 2026 20 min read
How to Apply Makeup to Look Younger Instantly
Makeup by Occasion or Style
How to Apply Makeup to Look Younger Instantly

Covering more is the usual instinct, and it usually backfires. Heavy coverage and matte formulas cling to fine lines and…

March 12, 2026 17 min read
Pretty Goth Makeup Looks: Dark & Enchanting Styles
Makeup Looks
Pretty Goth Makeup Looks: Dark & Enchanting Styles

Netflix said in December 2022 that more than 84 million fans had searched TikTok for Wednesday's viral makeup look, then…

March 12, 2026 17 min read
How to Apply Rare Beauty Blush for a Soft Glow
Rare Beauty Tips
How to Apply Rare Beauty Blush for a Soft Glow

Apply Rare Beauty blush the same way across every format and something will go sideways. The brand doesn't use one…

March 12, 2026 16 min read
How to Curl Eyelashes Without a Curler
Eye Makeup Techniques
How to Curl Eyelashes Without a Curler

To curl eyelashes without a curler, hold them upward against a warm metal spoon, a spoolie, a mascara wand, a…

March 12, 2026 16 min read
Light Makeup Looks: Fresh & Minimal Beauty
Makeup Looks
Light Makeup Looks: Fresh & Minimal Beauty

Most people don't want a full face of makeup on a random Wednesday. They want to look awake, put together,…

March 12, 2026 24 min read
Asian Makeup Looks: Flawless & Trendy Beauty
Makeup Looks
Asian Makeup Looks: Flawless & Trendy Beauty

Most people use "Asian makeup looks" to mean some blend of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese beauty traditions. All three start…

March 11, 2026 15 min read
How to Apply NARS Concealer for a Smooth Finish
NARS Tips
How to Apply NARS Concealer for a Smooth Finish

People tend to talk about NARS concealer as if it were a single product, but NARS sells two and writes…

March 11, 2026 15 min read
How to Apply Eyeshadow for a Perfect Blend
Eye Makeup Techniques
How to Apply Eyeshadow for a Perfect Blend

Eyelid skin gets a lot thicker as it moves toward the brow. A 2013 study in Anatomy and Cell Biology…

March 11, 2026 16 min read
Grunge Makeup Looks: Edgy & Smoky Aesthetics
Makeup Looks
Grunge Makeup Looks: Edgy & Smoky Aesthetics

Grunge makeup started in Seattle in the early 1990s and has come back in waves ever since. What stays constant…

March 11, 2026 14 min read
How to Sanitize Makeup and Tools Properly
Storage & Organization
How to Sanitize Makeup and Tools Properly

Most people have never cleaned their makeup. Only 6.4% of the 467 used products in an Aston University study had…

March 10, 2026 17 min read
How to Do Winged Eyeliner in Easy Steps
Eye Makeup Techniques
How to Do Winged Eyeliner in Easy Steps

A winged eyeliner look starts as a thin line along the upper lashes that keeps going past the outer corner…

March 10, 2026 14 min read
How to Apply NARS Foundation Like a Pro
NARS Tips
How to Apply NARS Foundation Like a Pro

NARS's own advice for its liquid foundations is short. Warm a little in your hand, put it on with your…

March 10, 2026 16 min read
How to Do Makeup for a Date That Impresses
Makeup by Occasion or Style
How to Do Makeup for a Date That Impresses

Most date makeup advice is written for a photo. A date is a few hours across a table from someone…

March 10, 2026 14 min read
Dark Makeup Looks: Bold & Mysterious Aesthetics
Makeup Looks
Dark Makeup Looks: Bold & Mysterious Aesthetics

Dark makeup is about depth. The deep shades in play are black, charcoal, burgundy, and plum, and they take the…

March 10, 2026 18 min read
How to Apply Eyeliner for Any Eye Shape
Eye Makeup Techniques
How to Apply Eyeliner for Any Eye Shape

Eyeliner is mostly short strokes. Draw thin dashes right at the lash roots, make the line a little thicker toward…

March 9, 2026 17 min read
How to Apply NARS Liquid Blush for a Radiant Glow
NARS Tips
How to Apply NARS Liquid Blush for a Radiant Glow

The way you apply NARS liquid blush depends on which formula you own. Afterglow comes in a tube, and the…

March 9, 2026 12 min read
How to Pack Makeup for Travel Without Spills
Storage & Organization
How to Pack Makeup for Travel Without Spills

A quart bag isn't actually the hard part of packing makeup for a flight. Most of the damage happens afterward,…

March 9, 2026 16 min read
Green Makeup Looks: Vibrant & Stunning Shades
Makeup Looks
Green Makeup Looks: Vibrant & Stunning Shades

The easiest green look needs one shade and one blending pass. Nothing more. It also isn't reserved for green eyes…

March 9, 2026 17 min read
How to Do Makeup for a Formal Event Perfectly
Makeup by Occasion or Style
How to Do Makeup for a Formal Event Perfectly

Formal event makeup gets judged in photographs, and most of those get taken late in the evening, after the base…

March 9, 2026 19 min read
How to Use NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder Correctly
NARS Tips
How to Use NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder Correctly

The powder goes on after primer, foundation and concealer. Sweep it over the face with the #13 Powder Brush, then…

March 8, 2026 11 min read
How to Apply Laura Geller Makeup Step-by-Step
Basic Application Techniques
How to Apply Laura Geller Makeup Step-by-Step

Most of the work in a Laura Geller routine happens with the brush. The baked formulas start out as cream…

March 8, 2026 12 min read
How to Do Makeup for a Wedding That Lasts
Makeup by Occasion or Style
How to Do Makeup for a Wedding That Lasts

The mirror lies a little on a wedding day. Makeup that looks perfect in the bathroom can come back from…

March 8, 2026 17 min read
How to Dry Makeup Brushes Fast Without Damage
Tool Care
How to Dry Makeup Brushes Fast Without Damage

Press as much water as you can out of a washed brush with a towel, then hang it bristles-down where…

March 8, 2026 12 min read
Fairy Makeup Looks: Enchanting & Magical Styles
Makeup Looks
Fairy Makeup Looks: Enchanting & Magical Styles

Fairy makeup runs on iridescent shadow, glitter, face gems and an eye stretched out past its natural shape. Woodland, dark,…

March 8, 2026 16 min read
How to Store Makeup to Keep It Fresh
Storage & Organization
How to Store Makeup to Keep It Fresh

Most people keep their makeup in the bathroom, and that's the one room it shouldn't live in. A bedroom drawer…

March 7, 2026 18 min read