4 Beauty Geniuses Reveal Their Holy Grail Products

Home base: New York City Claim to fame: Steckel's big break is the stuff of legend: A chance meeting in Miami landed her on a shoot with Pat McGrath, which led to a yearlong gig as McGrath's first assistant. She's now the go-to for modern bombshell beauty—barely there foundation, a soft pout, mile-long lashes. "I really believe the less you put on, the better," Steckel says. "You can't see your beautiful lips if they're covered in gloss." Secret weapon: Steckel stockpiles raw cocoa butter from her native Dominican Republic to smooth onto freshly exfoliated lips. "It's natural and moisturizing, and it tastes like chocolate." Quick fix: For instant oomph rivaling that of extensions, try faux lashes in addition to mascara. Steckel traces the upper lash line in black pencil, positions a still-tacky Make Up For Ever strip using tweezers, then fills in gaps between fake and real lashes with black liquid liner. Steckel buffs lips with Fresh Sugar Lip Polish (1) to erase flakiness. Matte beige-pink Chanel Rouge Allure Intense Long-Wear Lip Colour in Badine (2) "shows off the shape of the lips," Steckel says. For superluxe length that's "natural and understated," Steckel layers Maybelline New York Volum' Express The Falsies (3) waterproof mascara. Steckel creates clump-free volume by separating individual lashes with the Tweezerman Folding iLashcomb (4) in between coats of mascara.

Home base: Los Angeles Claim to fame: With a loyal following on Instagram, Lottie racks up likes for the signature West Coast glow she creates. "When I do editorials, I always like to have a really nice shine on the skin. That translates for my celebrity clients' looks too," Lottie says of her shiny-happy superstar fan club, which includes Alexa Chung and Solange Knowles. Secret weapon: Tinted body cream Prtty Peaushun "keeps the skin really healthy and glowy," she says. "I'll put it on legs and arms, and then use the excess on the high points of the face: the cheekbones and the top of the nose. And when I do editorial, I'll just use more of it to create a surreal shine." Quick fix: Even It Girls get acne: Lottie erases spots by "layering and layering." She uses a damp Beautyblender to dab trace amounts of Tom Ford foundation onto skin until the "face is flawless." The wonder duo—the Beautyblender (1) and Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick (2)—erase everything: "I've even used them to cover tattoos." The Swiss Army knife of powders, Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (3) does it all: Dab on lids as shadow; on cheeks for a "deep contour"; use the paler tone as a "highlighter all over" and the dark shade as blush or bronzer. To eradicate smudges, Lottie first cleans up any fallout from shadow or mascara, then taps on moisturizing Dior Diorskin Nude concealer (4) to finish. Lottie's essential for "the middle of the day when you're on a really long editorial": a few spritzes of Caudalie Beauty Elixir (5), which "wakes up the makeup, so it doesn't get cakey or powdery looking."

Home base: New York City Claim to fame: Who says you can't rock a strong mouth and bold eyes? With her sixth sense for complementary colors, Okubo makes rule breaking look effortless. The Osaka native can take a tomato-red lip from polished prep (see her work in the J.Crew catalog) to '80s excess simply by pairing it with an over-the-top emerald smoky eye. Secret weapon: "Sometimes it can be hard to bring the color out," Okubo says, especially if you're working with a pastel shade or a dark skin tone. She applies a primer (her favorite is Nars Smudge Proof Eye Shadow Base) and then white or beige shadow as a foundation to make color pop. Quick fix: When pigment strays onto skin, Okubo cleans up with Scotch tape. "I take a little piece and then tap, tap it" under eyes and along cheekbones. Okubo's perfect match for an orange-red lip? Peridot liner, such as NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Celebrate (1). M.A.C Medium Angled Shading Brush #275 (2) "easily fits the eyelid" for flawless blending. The matte texture of Troi Ollivierre lipstick (shown here in George) (3 and 4 for texture) gives it a "very modern," long-lasting finish.

Home base: Los Angeles Claim to fame: From smearing opaque brights on Lady Gaga to glossing up Gisele Bündchen's lids for her H&M campaign, for Yadim, a dramatic eye means more than just black shadow. He plays with texture and colors, "using products in places that they're not originally meant for," which means dark lip pencils double as vibrant eyeliner, and shimmery eye shadows illuminate lips and cheeks. Secret weapon: Water. Yadim, Maybelline New York's global makeup artist, uses simple H20 to increase the pigment payoff of any eye shadow, dampening the applicator for "over-the-top, intense color." Quick fix: A greasy eye may be gorgeous on the runway, but it gets messy real fast in real life. To make the look less emo and more office friendly, Yadim coats the lid with a base of indelible ink liner instead of eye shadow then dabs just a touch of lip balm on top. For an unexpected smoky eye, Yadim sweeps on burgundy Maybelline New York Color Molten Duo in Rose Haze (1). Yadim uses the thinnest part of the marker tip of Maybelline New York Master Graphic (2)—"it's like a Sharpie for eyes"—to draw on a precise flick. To brighten eyes before applying shadow, Yadim brushes Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat (3) on dark circles, lets it set for 30 seconds, then "pats it, rather than smears it" for lightweight, precise coverage. Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover (4) "is kind of an unsung hero," Yadim says. "It's a staple that I think almost every makeup artist has in their kit."