Style + Beauty Editor

Your best girlfriends are the lifelong chums who keep you in line and keep you sane. They're the straight shooters who tell you your highlights are off, your skin is begging for a facial and "you really do need a bodyshaper under that." In my case, I have one who passes along celebrity beauty secrets.

She is my friend Dianne Vavra, vice president of public relations for Dior Beauty, who personally stuffed me into a strapless gold Dior couture number and took charge of my hair and makeup when I was presented with the Skin Cancer Foundation Award last fall. The fact that she hangs out with Sharon Stone and Charlize Theron a lot hasn't changed Dianne one bit--just ask her husband, Michael, or kids Eve and Thomas, who treat her like the suburban mom she actually is.

I asked Dianne to share her top ten celebrity beauty secrets, the ones she's picked up during her star-studded workdays, exclusively for all you Bettys:

1. Wear sunscreen on your chest and hands--not just your face. I think I can always tell someone's age by looking at the sun damage on their chest. I think my own gives away my age, and I wish someone had told me this at 18.

2. To make the whites of your eyes really pop, use the redness relief eyedrops by Rohto. Charlize Theron's makeup artist, Shane Paish, turned me on to these. No matter how little sleep you've had, if your allergies are acting up, or your man is being a jerk and you're upset, these drops make you look fresh, awake and ready for anything.

3. Try Latisse, the new prescription eyelash growth product (you need an Rx from the derm) for five weeks. I swear I need to trim them. It's crazy. I also put a little bit on the spot where my brows refused to grow, and voila, they're perfect!

4. Never leave home without mascara. I swear by DiorShow brown for day and black for night. It's the one makeup essential you need.

5. Make an eyelash curler your best friend. It's like opening the curtain for the eye...do it every morning before mascara.

6. If your nail polish chips, remove it immediately. Better to go bare than chipped--there's nothing worse. A former boss who thought I was too messy once said, "Cluttered desk equals cluttered mind." From that day on, I've organized files for everything. Chipped polish reminds me of this saying for some reason--it says something negative about you. I'm not sure exactly why or what. It just does.

7. Remember to exfoliate a couple or times a week--face and body. I have this thing that I think men wrinkle less because they shave often and therefore exfoliate without even knowing.

8. Drink a glass of water while you do your hair and makeup. This way if you forget during the day, at least you start out your day hydrated.

9. I think teeth whitening is a great beauty investment. Right now, dentists are offering deals on Zoom and BriteSmile has specials. Crest WhiteStrips are great too! Even if you have crooked teeth like me, if you whiten them, you just smile more and there's nothing more beautiful than a genuine smile.

10. Wear spiritual jewelry--it's so calming and sends good things your way. Sharon Stone hooked me up with L.A. jewelry designer Catherine Michiels, and now we're both fans of the silk and bead bracelets with mystical spiritual charms that can be worn stacked or singly (check out Catherine Michiels at saksfifthavenue.com).
Everyone in Hollywood wears them--you don't remove them to shower or swim either!

Incorporate some of these celebrity beauty secrets and style tips into your routine to look--and feel--your best.

Read more expert and celebrity beauty and fashion tips: How to Fake Perfect Skin, The Best Cleanser for Your Face and How to get Pretty Feet...

Photo Source 1