By Joanna Davy

Do you ever feel like professional make up artists know every full-stop-capital-letter in the rulebook, while the rest of us are still on the first chapter? Sure, there’s some merit in quality cosmetics (as if we at Modern Woman’s Survival Guide don’t harp on enough about our latest finds), but insider tips and tricks are what makes us look red carpet ready as we walk out of a salon, instead of ‘still need a latte to look semi-normal’ when we walk out of the bathroom.

Frustrated with my latest attempts to recreate Chanel’s S/S ’11 gunmetal smokey eyes (the result being Taylor Momsen with a fragment of Marilyn Manson), I was thrilled to be invited to a VIP Makeup Master Class hosted by the extremely talented Justine Poniris, Director of Paintbox Cosmetics and Elite Hair & Makeup Academy.

Justine was there to coach us through the top beauty trends for summer 2011, as well as bestowing upon us some insider technical know-how for our old favourites that is sure to produce some outstanding results. Even when chewing food, I never could keep my mouth shut, so here are some fabulous tips and tricks that need to be in your make-up manual immediately.

One of the top trends for eyes this summer is colour, and with a range of highly pigmented eye shadows on the market, the only trouble you’ll have is choosing a colour. On the night, Justine introduced us to Paintbox’s pigment pots, which are essentially pure colour in powder form, sans talcs or other products mixed with eye shadows that dilute the colour.

These colour pigments work best when combined with a Paintbox product called ‘Transfix’, and mixed so the consistency is like paste, then simply blended across the eyelid. A trick I managed to glean from this stage was to hold the eyelid in place with one hand, and apply the pigment with the other to avoid the delicate skin around the dislodging your makeup. Justine recommends thinking of your eyes as a piece of paper – you hold the paper down with one hand when you’re writing with the other, and the same applies to makeup.

The next step is to buff the colour into your eye socket. When it comes to blending, Justine recommends softer brushes with longer bristles, and says that a firmer brush should be reserved for the actual application of colour.

(Justine gives expert instruction to Gaynor on the application and blending of pigment) – Ed.

(Look mum, no hands – Gaynor applies gold pigment to Joanna) – Ed.

The look that Justine created was straight off a runway, using a flamboyant pink pigment mixed with the tiniest smattering of silver/blue to add dimension. We all took turns in applying the pigment to one another, and although I chickened out on the green and blue, Gaynor did a fabulous job with a pot o’gold and some excellent brushwork, which scored a firm nod of approval from Justine.

If you prefer a bit more depth and dimension to your eyes, we were instructed to try eye shadow in a deep burgundy. Justine billed it as her go-to colour, and I was excited to find a shade that wasn’t brown, but also didn’t give me heart palpitations. We were told to apply the burgundy to the outer corner of the eye, then up and through the socket in an outward circular motion. Justine said this application technique works well with any smokey eye needing a bit more definition.

Mascara provided the finishing touch, and boy have I saved the best tip until last. Justine’s mantra (apart from a debilitating fear of eyelash curlers), is that a mascara wand is only as good as the hand that manoeuvres it, which is why the following techniques will have you making waves with good old Maybelline in no time.

(Justine waves her magic with the mascara wand – what this woman doesn’t know about the application of mascara isn’t worth knowing about) – Ed.

1, Lower your eyelids, and glide the wand down the top of your lashes to remove any particles from your eye shadow or powder.

2. Open your eyes, and hold the wand right on the underside of your lashes.

3. Close your eyes, as you zig-zag the wand up your lashes, pushing against the grain of the hair, as if your curling it back onto itself.

4. Repeat this manoeuvre until every lash is covered, and finish the look off by repeating the zig-zag across the bottom lashes.

I’ve been using this technique non-stop and it’s an absolute winner, but if it’s your first attempt, try not to use a wand loaded with mascara as it can get a bit messy until you get the hang of it.

So go forth and spread the good news ladies, for we all know that every trick up your sleeve helps when navigating your way through cosmetic country.

Joanna Davy is a journalism and PR student at RMIT, who has more sides to her than you can poke a stick at (please don’t, she bruises like a peach). She enjoys being right, reading non-school books on the train, and arriving home with pretty shopping bags. Jo wants to be a features writer, travel Europe with a Birkin bag on her arm, maybe get famous, and never again run out of conditioner in the middle of a rinse and repeat.