Some days it seems like you barely have enough time in your schedule to shower before class, let alone put together the perfect look. But amazingly, Northwestern is filled with students who manage to look flawless — even with five midterms a week and a thousand extracurriculars. Each week, I’ll talk to someone on campus and get her makeup tips and tricks. This week, I talked to Weinberg junior Peggy Garard, who gave us the truth behind some common beauty tricks.

There are beauty tricks you just know and think you have down, even if you are a beginner when it comes to makeup. However, after talking with former Ulta employee and UNITY Charity Fashion Show makeup artist Peggy Garard, you might have to tweak these tricks to make them actually perform their magic.

So here is the basic breakdown of some common known facts about beauty, courtesy of Garard.

 1. Full of fluff

Beginners are usually advised to use powder when they first experiment with makeup. Garard said this is not a good way to start because it is hard to control how much product you use. Practicing with makeup requires a “light hand” and having loose powder means you might have product going where you don’t want it. A product with a little more substance is the better way to start off.

Furthermore, Garard said that all-in-one kits are the way to go because they have everything you need for a complete look.

Peggy’s Tip: “(All-in-one kits) give you a way to play without too many products because I know a lot of people get overwhelmed with too much stuff.”

 2. A little goes a long way

The obvious beauty tip that less makeup looks better is something we all agree on, but the technique of how to apply less makeup is where things get hazy.

Garard explained that when applying a small amount of makeup, you want to apply it in layers (sounds like Shrek would make a decent makeup artist). Applying multiple light layers and slowly blending them into your skin will cause the makeup to last longer instead of just having the makeup sit on top of your skin where it can easily wear off.

Peggy’s Tip: “I put my foundation on the back of my hand. And I use my ring finger, and I tap (the product) in and then just work in really small sections (on my skin). If you do that, it not only looks better, it stays better and feels better. You usually use a lot less too.”

 3. Granny Smith’s got it wrong

Probably one of the most well-known beauty tips is to apply blush to the apples of your cheeks. Surprisingly, Garard said this is a trick that is used in stage makeup to make someone look older (and not in the flattering way).

When you smile and apply the blush to your cheeks, Garard pointed out that this color then falls down on your face when you stop smiling.

Peggy’s Tip: “As exaggerated as it was, the ’80s makeup with blush higher up on the cheekbones rather than the apples of the cheeks is more accurate because blush kind of serves the same purpose as a highlighter — to bring things out a little bit.”

4. Stuck on glue

For Garard, cleaning your makeup brushes is a must, but it’s a little more technical than running them through water and soap. Here’s a quick procedural change that can make your brushes last longer.

Garard said to make sure you run water through the brushes with the bristles facing down. Otherwise, the water can get into the glue and cause the bristles to detach.

Peggy’s Tip: “I wash mine more that most people, but try for every two weeks — or once a month would be good for most people.”

5. No au naturel

A lot of beauty sources offer ways to make your own face scrubs. Garard says DON’T; face products were made for a purpose. The scrubs you make contain tiny but sharper salts and sugars that will cause microtearing to the skin.

Peggy’s Warning: “You’re not going to see it, but it will start to break down the collagen in your skin. And that will create the really fine lines. It’s not like the big wrinkles but the fine lines you see on people.”

Peggy also has her own beauty blog, Pretty with Peggy, that gives a lot more tips and tricks.

Know someone with a great makeup look or have your own tips to share? Email me at [email protected].