20 Beauty Secrets Every Teen Should Know

There's nothing worse than getting advice from older people, we know, we know, but the truth is some advice is worth taking and keeping, especially when it comes to fun beauty tips. We've been reading fashion magazines and testing beauty products for years. In this time, we've read 1000s of beauty tips, tried 1000s of products, but only a few are worth keeping around. So, here we share with you the 20 things we wish we knew when we were teenagers.

1. Skip the foundation If you have acne the first thing you want to do is slather on the thick foundation. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Foundation is for women over 40. Not only will it cover up your natural beauty, but foundation on a teenager looks anything but natural. Instead, cover up blemishes with concealer, then follow with a powder.

2. You pat concealer in, you never rub it in We know this from watching the Tyra Banks show. When applying concealer, put a bit on the pad of your middle finger and pat it in. Never rub. Got acne? Pat the concealer on top of it.

3. Play up your lips or your eyes, never both If you are wearing heavy eye makeup, go for nude lips with just a bit of gloss. Prefer the drama of dark lipstick? Keep face light (stay away from heavy blush) and wear only mascara on your eyes and a light eyeshadow. Don't heavily line your eyes. Play up both and you'll look like a clown.

4. Less is more Ever notice how some of your friends look best with no makeup at all? No matter your age, too much makeup makes you look worse. If you wear foundation, powder, blush, liner, mascara, eyeshadow, lip liner, gloss on an everyday basis, then you're doing too much. Tone it down: All you really need is a great mascara, concealer for acne and gloss.

5. Natural hair is always hot If you have super dark hair, lighten your look by going a shade darker or getting lighter highlights. Blonde? Try highlights, especially around your face. We see too many teens lightening their hair several shades and the look is super tacky, not super fabulous. The trick is to let people assume you were born with sun-kissed hair, not that you gave yourself a bad dye job from a bottle. More hair color tips here.

6. Vaseline is your best friend Skip the bottled cleaners: Vaseline is the best eye makeup remover hands down. It's also great for fixing chapped, scaly lips. Slather on a bunch of Vaseline, then use a toothbrush to massage lips. Wipe the excess off on a tissue. Your lips will be smooth and soft.

7. You can never go wrong with layers Layers are great for any hair type: Super curly, straight or wavy. It makes thin hair appear thicker, curly hair appear manageable and wavy hair appear just-got-back-from-the-beach sexy.

8. Acne? Get thee to a dermatologist, stat Biggest mistake people with acne make? Not going to a dermatologist. Forget those $150 jeans you covet. Getting rid of those pimples will be the best investment you'll ever make. And the only guaranteed way to do it is with a dermatologist.

9. Spend money on key beauty products Not sure what to splurge on and what to save on? Here's our Golden Rules: Don't scrimp on eye shadow, facial moisturizer, powder, self-tanner or lipstick. There's a big difference in quality for these products. Don't waste your money on fancy mascaras, cleansers, eye liners or lip gloss.

10. Buying foundation or lipstick? Test it first There are some beauty products you simply must try out at a department store or Sephora before you buy. These include: Foundation, lipstick, blush and powder. Buy these products in a grocery store and you'll be lucky if you picked the right color for your skin tone. What you can get away with without testing: Mascara, eye liner, most basic eye shadows and lip gloss.

11. When can you skip sunscreen ? Never Here's a trick we wish we knew: The first beauty product you should apply every day is sunscreen, even if it's cloudy or rainy outside. Why? Good habits start young and if you use sunscreen now, you'll have gorgeous skin when you're 50, 60, 70. Plus, the sun's UV rays can penetrate clouds.

12. Wrapping hair around the barrel creates waves There's nothing sexier than long, layered waves. To get them, wind hair AROUND the barrel of a large curling iron. Reverse direction for each 2-inch section (wind up for one, down for another).

13. Self-tanner will always stink Unfortunately, even the best ones smell. Your best bet is to apply self-tanner a good 24 hours before an important event and take a shower (don't loofah) to wash off any smell.

14. Don't let nails go Not into manicures and pedicures? No worries. Just make sure to keep nails clean and the same length. If you do want to paint them, don't keep the polish on until half of it's chipped away. Also, there's nothing worse than too-long toenails. Keep nails clipped between pedicures! People tend to judge others by the care they put into their hands and feet

15. Don't line the inside of your eyes It will make your eyes appear smaller. Instead, line just at the lash line. Also, an obvious line doesn't look natural. Smudge the line just a bit.

16. Oily hair? Invest in a dry shampoo If you have blonde hair, sprinkling a bit of baby powder on your roots and at your crown will soak up excess oils. If you have brown hair, you might be better off with a dry shampoo for your hair color.

17. Shave legs at the end of the shower Cut down on nicks and cuts by making shaving the very last step in your shower or bathing ritual. Nine more shaving tips here

18. Know your best feature and play it up What feature do people comment on most? Play it up. If you're told you have Angelina Jolie lips, make sure to wear gloss and play with bold lipstick colors. If it's your eye color people love, find eyeshadow colors that complement them and make sure to wear mascara. Also, know what color shirts look best on you and go shopping.

19. Scrubs are great for dry skin If you have dry, itchy skin in winter, invest in a scrub and handmitts and scrub away in the bathtub. Make sure to slather on a thick moisturizer afterward. For dry, callousy feet, buy a pumice stone. They work better than any of the other wimpy options on the market.

20. Remember: Beauty is mostly internal Think about a girl you know who's overweight yet all the guys love her. Why? Because she's confident. If you aren't wearing makeup and your toes haven't been repainted in weeks, if you're happy and smiling you will still be 10 times prettier than the mopey cheerleader sitting next to you in class. Trust us (wink).