I usually wear only a minimal amount of makeup, but I still find myself buying all sorts of beauty loot. Some products look so tempting that even I, a professional makeup artist, occasionally end up with too-loud lipstick, intensely colored eye shadow and dull-looking blush.

The good news: Rather than tossing any duds aside, you can master the art of mixing and matching them with other cosmetics, just as makeup artists do. We often take a little bit of this and a little bit of that to create custom colors and textures that make our celeb clients look gorgeous. Here’s what you need to know.

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