They can shop at the most exclusive outlets, take their pick from the world’s priciest beauty counters, but what do celebrities really have in their make-up bags and bathroom cabinets?

What are their makeup and beauty secrets and how can you and I benefit from what they use, what they do and what they know?

Many clues can be garnered from celebrity hair and make-up artists who often divulge their star client’s latest trend. Take for example Angelina Jolie’s hairstylist who recently shared his celebrity beauty tip for adding volume to the roots of Angelina’s hair. He does this with a little sprinkling of Johnson’s Baby Powder and a hair dryer. He rubs baby powder into the hair’s roots, and then blows it away with a hair-drier. The powder mops up any grease from ‘second or third day hair’ and acts as an emergency dry shampoo.

Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Ashanti’s makeup artist recently told that his client is crazy about neutral or beige tone lipstick. If you have fair skin he says, try a beige colour with a hint of pink to it – while darker skins should choose a shimmery shade of nude or brown.

Nicole Kidman’s Hollywood makeup artist reveals that Nicole uses baby oil to soften her skin and to make it glow – she even uses it on her eyelids to make them shimmer, while top make-up artist Agostina revealed that to makes her eyes ‘pop’ her client Mischa Barton takes a bit of powder blush (in the same shade worn on the cheeks) and brushes it over her eyebrows, from brow bones to hair line.

Charlize Theron’s makeup artist is Steven Cooper; Steven says that his client likes to accentuate her eyes with bronze shimmer lip gloss. “Just add a dab to the area right above your eyelashes,” says Steven, “and blend with your fingers. The bronze shimmer gives your eyes a flattering glimmer.”

The latest celebrity must-haves are ‘skin illuminators’. These are pearlised shimmer creams that reflect light onto the skin. These are a great breakthrough in makeup technology because by reflecting the light they make the skin look smoother and younger. When making up famous faces, top cosmeticians start with a primer, and then add a cream or lotion with a small amount of pearl essence. This is blended over the entire face or, better still, mixed it into foundation or even moisturiser. Skin illuminators are not to be confused with skin lighteners. If you’d like smoother, fairer skin, at sites like Skin Lightening Advice you’ll find the best whitening cream articles, guidance and information.

Some celebs reveal their beauty secrets directly – take for instance Tyra Banks who on a recent episode of her talk show gave away a jar of Vaseline to each audience member. “I have moisturised my face and body with ‘Leene’ since I was a little girl,” Tyra says. “Years ago, Vaseline heard I was a fan of their product and sent me a bling- bling jar of the product. I loved that little jar and wanted to share that with my audience. Each jar I gave to the studio audience was worth US$100 because each one was hand beaded with Swarovski crystals.”

Cosmetics such as eyeliners, powders, lip sticks, and blush do not have the capacity to make a person beautiful; it simply makes him look good. Being beautiful and looking good are two things which must be distinguished from one another. More importantly, what are the secrets in becoming beautiful? Of course, there are regimens like free teeth whitening and other beauty tips like how to apply eye makeup; but they are not enough.

The way you walk, the way you dress, and the way you fix yourself pretty much wraps up what looking good is all about. However, beauty is concerned with the soul as much as it is concerned with your look. When we speak of beauty, it is not what is outside which is important but rather the inside. Ergo, the secret to becoming beautiful is remembering that the heart of beauty comes from the inside.

In order to become beautiful outside, one must become beautiful inside. First, you must nourish the body with suffice nutrients. It is important to eat the right food while considering the right amount of intake. Fruits and vegetables must not be set aside in our diet. But this does not necessarily mean everyone has to be vegetarians. In fact, eating meat is also important because there are certain nutrients which are only found in meat. And the body reflects the type of food you take whether you have too much or too less of it.

Second, drink a lot of water. Hydration is of paramount importance when we speak of beauty. Water is an important compound in order to sustain life. Most living things, if not all, require water in order to maintain regular body functions. Humans are no exception. The skin is prone to desiccation. If not for the presence of water, our body’s external covering might have dried up a long time ago, and we would have wrinkles at the tender age of 10. If your body is regularly hydrated, chances are that you will have better skin, and it would delay the appearance of wrinkles.

Third, try to maintain a positive outlook of life. The way we feel is shown in our face and body. The effects of aging are more conspicuous to those who are always depressed or vexed. On the other hand, it is less noticeable for those who always smile and carry things out in an optimistic way. There is no beauty product better than a simple smile. It may be the cheapest, but it certainly is the most effective. When you finally learn to take life’s challenges with a smile that is when you will be able to understand real beauty.

Lastly, have equal amounts of sleep and exercise. Our skin is referred to as a mini excretory organ. When we exercise, toxins and other waste materials get removed from our body especially those which are embedded deep in our skin through sweat. But as much as exercise is important to make our skin look beautiful, we must also have the right amount of sleep. Sleep recovers lost skin cells. If you are able to balance sleep and exercise, no doubt, your true beauty will shine from within.