Celebs Who Use The Same Makeup Hacks As Us

These days, social media influencers are the main source of beauty hacks for anybody wanting to up their makeup game. Otherwise unknown makeup and beauty specialists who make a living out of creating content now hold the key to setting beauty trends, passing along essential makeup skills, and, in some cases, spreading misinformation. Surely we don't need to remind you of makeup TikTok's horrendous all-over blush technique that went viral. But traditional celebrities can still have a lot of influence in this space, too, especially when they discuss relatable and easy-to-apply hacks. And since pop stars, models, and actors usually have years of experience working with makeup artists or doing their own makeup for the world stage, who better is there to advise in the ways of cosmetics?

It's always exciting when a big name drops a helpful beauty trick that ends up completely revolutionizing the way you do your blush or eye makeup, but it's an even bigger deal when these celebs confirm that the tips we've already heard of really are worth sticking with. Of course, Kim Kardashian stands by simple contour hacks that are now common knowledge, while Hailey Bieber is, as expected, all about peptides in her skincare and makeup routine. If you want to follow in the footsteps of the elite, these beauty moves are definitely worth trying — if you haven't already. 

Contouring has come a long way since going mainstream in the early 2010s. You might have guessed that Kim Kardashian would be our go-to celeb when it comes to the newest facial contouring tips and tricks, but it turns out that Jennifer Lopez is a fan of a contouring hack we love: applying your contour or bronzer above your cheekbone. In a 2023 makeup vlog for Vogue as part of the outlet's "Beauty Secrets" series, J.Lo took some time to show the world how she gets her glow. As she contours in the video, applying a mix of colors from a cream palette, she narrates, "A little bit above my cheekbone. Before I used to go right here in the cheekbone, but now I realize that if I do it a little bit above, it lifts the face a little more." This trick fits in with the TikTok technique we already know as the "supermodel face lift," which involves applying both your contour and your highlight a little higher on the face. 

As an extra contour tip, Lopez recommends taking a smaller brush and applying cream contour around her lips. "Now this is not supposed to be lip liner," she assures viewers. "This goes around the mouth, and if you blend it right, it will cause a tiny bit of a shadow that makes your lips look a little bit poutier." In the video, J.Lo uses a Bobbi Brown contour palette, but NYX Professional Makeup's Highlight & Contour Pro Palette is a great option, too. 

Since marrying into the royal family, Meghan Markle rarely gives open interviews about her personal beauty routine the way she used to. But since she's risen to a tabloid level of fame, eagle-eyed critics watch her every move and are thus able to explain her makeup tricks on her behalf. According to makeup artist Nikki Wolff, Markle utilizes a beauty trick that many of us already include in our routines as a familiar favorite: overlining the lips for a plumper look. "Choose a lip liner one shade darker than your natural lip color," Wolff told PopSugar in 2019 of Markle's hack. "And with a well-sharpened pencil, draw slightly over your natural lip line, focusing on the center of your mouth." 

The publication explains that you should avoid overlining at the corners of your mouth to avoid a clown effect, which we'd never catch Markle with, and always keep your hand steady and your lines subtle. It's also important to stay within the realm of your natural lip tone when choosing a lip liner. "Fairer skins tend to work well with rosy-beige shades whereas olive skins look great with warmer shades," Wolff advised PopSugar, adding, "Caramel and dark skin tones are beautifully complemented by bronze or slightly shimmery tones."

While sources haven't been able to unveil what lip liner brand Markle prefers, several options offer an array of colors, so you're guaranteed to find your perfect match. Maybelline's Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner comes in 15 shades if you love a creamy formula, and for those who prefer a drier pencil consistency, Wet N Wild's Lip Liner Pencil is a great choice. 

It's the oldest trick in the book that you probably learned from your grandma, but this one has Rihanna's seal of approval, so it's officially cool. You can stress yourself out trying to choose the best tools for your blush application, but at the end of the day, all you need is a good blush brush and a smile. In a 2018 video for Vogue, the Bajan superstar and billionaire walked fans through her going-out makeup as part of the outlet's "Beauty Secrets" series, and she confirmed the same advice we've all heard since the dawn of time. "You definitely want to smile when you're putting on your blush," she tells the camera after applying a healthy amount of Fenty Beauty pink eyeshadow to the apples of her cheeks. And yes, you heard that right: Rihanna is also a fan of repurposing her eyeshadow as blush, as it ensures makeup harmony. 

Though it's not the exact product she uses in the video, you could go for something like the Fenty Beauty Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palette in neutral. Otherwise, if you want to play by the rules, another option is the Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush. The key to properly applying cream blush is using a smaller amount than you would powder blush since it's so concentrated, and you also have the flexibility to apply it with your fingers or a beauty sponge. But Rihanna's advice remains true nonetheless: Smile! 

It wouldn't be an article about celebrity beauty hacks without including one of Kim Kardashian's contributions to the world of contouring. While Kardashian is responsible for making this technique skyrocket in popularity, she's also a fan of using contouring as part of an eye-makeup hack. Back in 2021, Kardashian filmed a tutorial for her "KKW Beauty Secrets" YouTube series in which she shows fans how she achieves her "everyday no-makeup makeup look." Despite the easy-breezy description, this look actually requires a few steps, including defining the eyes. "... I just lightly contour the eye," Kardashian explains in the video as she uses a feathery shading brush to apply powder contour to her eye crease. "I just like a little bit of depth if I'm doing, like, a quick no-makeup look," she adds. "Then, I just blend it out. I'll use the darker color just kind of in the corner." Then, using an even smaller brush, she takes her darker contour color and gently applies it beneath her eyes.

The same year, Kardashian rebranded her KKW Beauty line, launching the new-and-improved SKKN by Kim. While the KKW Beauty eye contour set she uses in the tutorial is no longer available, and SKKN by Kim doesn't sell eye contour kits at the time of writing, there are plenty of options online — many of them super affordable! The Revlon Photoready Eye Contour Kit sells for $13.19 and comes in four different color palettes. Otherwise, you could easily contour your peepers with a standard eyeshadow kit, like Urban Decay's Naked 2 Basics palette.

With her Rhode Skin line in hot demand, model Hailey Bieber is one of the most sought-after celebrities when it comes to makeup and beauty tips. And one trick that she opened up about in a 2023 GRWM video posted to YouTube is incorporating peptides into her makeup game. Glowing skin has been it in the 2020s, and beauty fans are doing just about anything, including using various types of makeup, to get the dewiest skin of their lives. In the video, Bieber uses a few skincare products to get her glow on, but one that she raves about is the Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid, which she applies before using any makeup. Then, she uses it again, mixing it with her foundation before applying the shimmery concoction with a brush. "I always do that. I think I'm at the point where I'm never gonna not do that because it's literally my favorite hack," she admits to the camera. Now, this isn't an unbiased take since Bieber owns Rhode, but it's not about the specific products she uses — it's about the use of peptides in general.

Peptides have a lot of benefits when it comes to skincare, including easing inflammation and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Since they're rising in popularity, thanks in part to Bieber and Rhode, they're being increasingly incorporated into skin and makeup routines across the beauty space. Alternatives to the higher-end Rhode option include Q + A's Peptide Facial Serum and Eva Naturals Collagen Peptide Complex Serum. Depending on what peptide serum you use and how your skin responds, you might find that your skin is hydrated enough to forgo primer, or you can simply use the peptide serum underneath your primer for an extra layer of dewy moisture.