Sometimes, you just need a second opinion from an expert — maybe it's Mom, maybe it's your BFF, maybe it's a stranger in a fitting room. But when it comes to beauty Qs, you should go straight to the source, and preferably a source who knows her stuff, to get the best advice.

And with warm weather headed this way, we're guessing you've got a few burning questions about what should be in your cosmetic kit. So, we tapped some of the area's savviest makeup artists to tell us all about the products they can't live without come spring, and offer up some easy-to-follow advice on how to use these lotions and potions like a pro. Read on for an insider's look into some of the most well-stocked kits in town, and get ready for Beauty School — any exams you face there, you'll ace, we promise!

Abigail de Casanova

Graftobian Hi Def Glamour Creme Foundation
"Extremely versatile, and it meets the modern standard of HD makeup application for photography and video. If you are planning to spend a night out taking photos, this is a great choice. It can be as thick or as light as you want it; just add moisturizer to liquify it a bit. [It's best if] used with an HD foundation brush, and remember only to use as much as you need for coverage — spring calls for fresh-looking skin."
$14.99, available at Graftobian.

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector
"[This is] my new favorite product. Pick a color a little lighter than your eyebrow color; only a tiny bit is needed, and it needs to be applied with an eyebrow brush. The key here is not to be heavy-handed — just try soft strokes with very little product, I promise it will go a long way. It is waterproof, excellent for rainy, humid days, and will be really useful when hitting the beach this summer."
$20, available at Sephora.

Almay Liquid Line Eyeliner
"If you think you are not good at making a straight line, this eyeliner might change your mind. The brush handle is very short and easy to use. I recommend black for a more defined cat-eye look, and brown for natural lines. For a spring twist, just add a colored line on top of it — lately, I have been adding a coral liner on top to warm things up, but it can also be green, blue, purple. It is really up to how adventurous you feel."
$7.29, available at Almay.

Inglot Cosmetics Face Blush
"My favorite is AMC Blush #58. I have found that this rosy color warms up many complexions. It has a long wear and gives a natural, flushed color, which is perfect for spring. Use a medium blush brush, dip it into the blush, and always tap to get rid of excess product. Place it softly on the cheeks and blend — the key with blush is to blend it enough so that it looks soft, but not blend it so much that it takes the product out. Tap a tiny bit on your forehead, tip of your nose, and chin, just for balance."
$12, available at Inglot.


Photo: Courtesy of Abigail de Casanova

There are a few key phases of life when time goes by so slowly, you'd swear the earth had stopped rotating: when you're anticipating a first kiss, waiting to hear back after a job interview, or counting the days until a loved one returns. Another stress-inducing period that fits the bill? When you're growing your hair from a short cut to something shoulder-grazing or longer. It can take months until your mane is legitimately long enough to pull off an elegant updo. But don't panic—and don't do what we've done many times, and reach for the scissors in a moment of weakness. (Impulsive bangs have never helped a bad situation.)

Instead, click your way through our handy tutorial to create three so-easy (and super-cute) hairstyles for medium-length hair. We collaborated with Jacqui Davis, stylist and partner at Metro Center's PR at Partners salon, to whip up some classic looks that you can master in minutes, with only the bare minimum of supplies. The great thing about these styles? They're meant to appear a little messy, so it's okay if you've got a few loose strands or regrettable layers to grow out. Plus, each ultra-versatile 'do can take you from work to weekend, no sweat. So, grab a can of working spray and get styling!

We know — your fingers and toes are currently covered by winter boots and fuzzy mittens, so indulging in a mani/pedi doesn't make much sense. But sometimes, we girls (and some guys, too!) just need to be pampered, and if we can find a mani/pedi that fits our budget, we don't mind the whole not-making-sense part so much.

It's no secret that there's an abundance of cheap nail salons in D.C., but finding the really great places that offer the most bang for your buck can be tricky. To make it easy for you, we’ve narrowed down a seemingly endless array into a handy (get it?) list of select nail salons in the D.C. metro area — spots that not only offer the best deals, but are also located near Metro stations and open late on weeknights, making them ideal places to unwind after a long workday. Click through to discover 13 local nail outposts where a mani-pedi will cost you less than $45 — it's true! (And we consider a little massage-chair-induced stress relief an added bonus.)

Photographed by Holly E. Thomas

In the District:

Pleasant Nails
Mani/pedi price: $38
The bonus: Close to Columbia Heights metro station, this salon stays open until 8 p.m. on weekdays features some sweet massage chairs.
Where: 3114 Mt Pleasant Street NW; 202-299-9595

Blu Nail Spa
Mani/pedi price: $45
The bonus: Close to Logan Circle's array of bars and restos, this tucked-away spot has a super-sweet staff and an abundance of massage chairs.
Where: 1339 14th Street NW, Second Floor; 202-939-1414

Golden Nails
Mani/pedi price: $40
The bonus: Close to Chinatown metro station, this salon stays open until 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and offers massage chairs.
Where: 517 H Street NW; 202-621-7523

Eastern Market Nails
Mani/pedi price: $44
The bonus: Close to Eastern Market metro station (and directly across from the market itself), this salon is quiet and intimate, tucked away into a serene second-floor location.
Where: 218 7th Street SE; 202-548-0022

PL Nails
Mani/pedi price: $35
The bonus: The salon offers massage chairs and stays open until 7:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Where: 2108 18th Street NW; 202-232-7040

Envy Nails
Mani/pedi price: $28 on Tuesdays; $32 all other days
The bonus: Near Tenleytown metro station, this salon is open until 8 p.m. on weekdays and offers massage chairs.
Where: 4425 Wisconsin Avenue NW, between Grant Road NW & Albemarle Street NW; 202-244-1440

Qwest Nail
Mani/pedi price: $40
The bonus: Just up the street from 18th Street marg-central, Lauriol Plaza, this Adams Morgan spot is open until 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and offers massage chairs.
Where: 1919 18th Street NW; 202-332-3001

Star Nails
Mani/pedi price: $41
The bonus: This Foggy Bottom salon has massage chairs.
Where: 2558 Virginia Avenue NW; 202-333-6993

We recently queried Twitter followers about their fashion and beauty conundrums, and got a batch of pressing questions in return — one of which is this beauty dilemma:

"I need a black gel liner that won't bleed onto my upper eyelid by the end of the work day!"

To get the best possible intel, we checked in with our senior beauty editor, then hit the interwebs to find some top-notch eyeliner options. The result? Two quick-and-easy rules to follow for perfect liner, and the products you'll need to pull it off.

1. First things first — a primer can be your best friend! It cuts down on greasiness and keeps the liner from transferring to your upper lids. We're fans of Bare Escentuals' range of lid primers, including the original Prime Time Eyelid Primer. Apply it lightly before eyeshadow to keep color (and ultimately, liner) in place.

2. Gel liners that come in pots can be tricky, especially if your eyelids tend to get shiny by the end of the day. Also, keep in mind that pot liners require you to clean your brush after every application, which isn't ideal if you like to keep your makeup routine short and sweet. Try a gel liner in pencil form, such as Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, Zero, or Oil Slick, to streamline the process while still getting major impact.

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Eyelid Primer, $18, available at Bare Escentuals; Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, $18, available at Urban Decay.


Photos: Via Urban Decay and Bare Escentuals

It's an inevitable holiday happening — the last-minute shindig or the friendly gathering you (oops!) forgot to pencil in. While we can't help you handle flaky party hosts or manage your Google calendars for you, we can arm you with the best tips and tricks you need to get party-ready in minutes. We consulted with MAC Cosmetics' senior makeup artist Keri Blair recently and watched her work some holiday magic on one of our lovely contributors. The result? Two party makeup looks that you can pull off in less time than it takes to make your way through the crowd and to the bar. And that, dear friends, is a holiday miracle.

Some girls know just how to dial it up for the holidays — the right amount of glitz, the perfect dash of glam...and they make it look so easy! We wanted in on that, so we connected with one such lovely lady, blogger Jasmine Smith of WebHauteJas, to give us a little insider info on creating a mesmerizing mani for New Year's Eve. She walks us through the super-easy steps to recreating one of her signature designs, the "Who Needs a Ring?" manicure — seriously, how cute is that? — and we promise you won't have any trouble DIY-ing it at home. Click through for all the deets on this subtly sexy lacquer look — and get ready to give your blinged-out baubles a temporary rest.

Since we're all about natural beauty around here, we reserve a special place in our hearts for ladies with organically curly hair. Nothing makes us stop in the street quite like a spiral mane bouncing and gleaming in all its glory.

So, we went out and found four such ladies, with awe-inspiring, envy-inducing 'dos. These curl girls talked to us about why they love their ringlets, how they keep them looking fabulous, what they do to fight frizz, and which specific products they rely on to keep their hair from going haywire. One look at the gorgeous hairstyles in this curly hair guide, and even the sleekest-haired girls will be tempted to bust out a curling iron to try and replicate these twisted tresses!