I was 15 the first time I waxed my eyebrows.

It was the ‘90s. Everyone wanted super skinny brows like Drew Barrymore. My beastly unibrow, though, made me look like Peter Gallagher.

It all changed the moment I walked out of the JC Penney salon, my skin streaks of red where most of my eyebrows had been. I knew then that nothing would ever be the same.

I was right. My eyebrows were never, ever the same. Years of waxing in my youth has left my brows sad and puny. I fill them in before I even consider leaving the house these days.

It seems like nearly every woman has her “thing,” a staple in her beauty routine she swears by. Thick or thin, grooming my eyebrows is something I’ve done for years to look my best.

But the more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder: What do most of us really know about looking our best? My high school eyebrows, after all, made me look perpetually shocked, and I thought they were the best.

It was time to seek out the pros. Scheduling an appointment with a makeup artist is a terrific way to learn whether you’re on the right track or making a huge beauty blunder. A professional also can show you tricks to help play up your prettiest features.

Leesa Simone

I reached out to my friend Leesa Simone, a makeup artist in Los Angeles who works in film and television. I asked her what advice she gives to clients who want to look their best even when they’re not on the red carpet. Leesa told me she preaches “less is more.”

“Women, especially young teenagers, are wearing too much makeup nowadays,” she said. “Social media formats are very influential and profitable for the company and consumer, but I feel this is making women feel like they have to walk around with a mask of makeup.”

It’s important to balance your look, Leesa cautioned, so you don’t look overdone.

“Want to have a smokier eye? Wear a softer lip. Want to showcase your glowing skin? Wear less on your eyes and lips and really let your skin be the star,” she said. “Want to wear a bold lip? Learn to balance the makeup properly to showcase the features you want to stand out.”

Brielle McKenna

Brielle McKenna is a LA-based makeup artist who makes everyone from models to brides-to-be look flawless. She advocates classic makeup looks — picture old Hollywood glamour seen in starlets like Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth.

“We live in a world where trends multiply by the minute, and we try to wear everything at once,” Brielle said. “I adore and always gravitate toward classic looks … pick colors that work for you personally and always emphasize your best features. Trends don’t always work in favor for everyone.”

Where was Brielle 1992 when I needed her?

Makeup can do wonders, but the real key to looking your best is good skin, Leesa and Brielle agreed. And that goes even for you lucky ducks who have a genius like one of them making you camera-ready every day.

“The base for any beautiful face or makeup comes down to how we care for our skin,” Brielle said. “Well-pampered and hydrated skin will always look so much better, no matter what goes on top of it. It truly shows when someone takes care of their skin by exfoliating and moisturizing properly.”

Even if you’re out late partying, they said, don’t blow off your nightly skin-care routine.

“The most important time for your skin and body to rejuvenate is when you are sleeping,” Leesa said. “Take off your makeup, use your skin-care products and go to bed with a clean, moisturized face. And don’t forget your neck!”

I always forget my neck.

What’s so cool about women like Leesa and Brielle is that while they are a wealth of information, their most important message is simple: Whatever you put on your skin, lips or eyes — work it, own it and feel amazing doing it.

The truth is, trends come and go. Our look changes as we grow older and (hopefully) wiser. But beauty starts with confidence on the inside — and it shines on the outside.

Great eyebrows don’t hurt, either.

Guest Post by Maggie O’Brien