James Kaliardos is a name that's synonymous with beauty.

The upbeat makeup artist and international creative director of L'Oréal Paris International, who's been consulting for the company since 2003, has rightfully gained his position within the industry with credentials that include perfecting the faces of celebs like Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Nicole Kidman and prettying up models for runway shows and advertising campaigns for bold-faced fashion names like Balenciaga, Hermès, Gaultier, Versace, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Chanel.

Recently the Fashion Week fixture teamed up with supermodel Linda Evangelista to create L'Oreal's Studio Secrets Professional, a cosmetics collection that makes creating the look of professional backstage beauty easy for every woman.

Packed with cutting-edge products including the Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base that minimize pores and smooth out imperfections like fine lines and the Studio Secrets Professional Ready-to-Wear Shadows that maximize your specific eye color, the collection aims to put the tips of beauty pros into the hands of every woman.

Eager to mimic Kaliardos' beauty brilliance, StyleList recently caught up with the renowned makeup artist to learn more. Read on for Kaliardos' top backstage beauty secrets, tips for "real" women on how to use the products, and the Studio Secret Professional goodie he believes you should always have in tow.

StyleList: What are your top five backstage beauty secrets?
Kaliardos:
1) Dot primer anywhere skin needs a minor miracle. It will minimize the appearance of large pores around the nose, smooth out rough edges around a pimple, fill in pockmarks and smooth fine lines.
2) Apply a color correcting primer to hide imperfections or brighten a dull complexion. I use a green shade to neutralize redness before foundation and pink or peach tones to add a gorgeous, healthy glow.
3) Get high-impact eyes from pigment-packed shadows that provide bold color instantly. I recommend always applying shadow before eye liner.
4) A makeup look is never complete without liner to enhance the eye.
5) Add a high-shine lip gloss right to the center of the lips as a finishing touch.

SL: How can "real" women incorporate these into their daily lives?
Kaliardos: For women who cannot have a professional makeup artist on hand every day, the L'Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Professional line offers an affordable alternative. The secret to great makeup is great products. Studio Secrets gives women access to professional-quality formulas that are easy to apply. The Magic Perfecting Base and Color Correcting Primers are the perfect products to achieve natural, even skin. The HIP Crystal Eye Duos and selection of eye liners and lip glosses provide bold color and with all the shades available, you can create a full spectrum of runway-inspired looks.

























SL: What's unique about the Studio Secrets Professional Collection? What are some of your favorite products from the line?
Kaliardos: The Studio Secrets Professional line has great products to make your skin look flawless and retouched. My favorite is the Magic Perfecting Base, a small pot of retouching "magic" that transforms fine lines and large pores into smooth, shine free, soft feeling areas of skin. The base can be used under foundation to achieve a truly retouched, perfect skin. I dot it on in tiny amounts on clean but moisturized skin, just where I need it, to perfect and create a surface which is super smooth. I apply under eyes and center cheek areas that often have large pores and on the nose, center and upper forehead to cut shine immediately. Follow with foundation focusing on the center of the face working outwards and you will have a great result.

SL: Which Studio Secret Professional product should a woman always keep in her handbag?
Kaliardos: A woman should keep the L'Oréal Paris Anti-Dullness Primers in her handbag for on-the-go radiance. The moisturizing formula blends effortlessly onto skin and can be used as a very natural blush or a highlighter to brighten dull skin throughout the day. The primers helps lift and add color and glow to the cheeks and temples in a very subtle way. It will look like you just went on vacation or a small walk in the sun. I take four dots and apply to upper cheek bone, top of nose bone, temples and jaw line. It will impart a sweet glow and healthy look during a long day.

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