Ask The Beauty Department

My under-eye circles make me look like I went 15 rounds with laila ali.

Makeup artist Laura Mercier, whose clients include (bad-pun alert!) knockouts Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker, has a few intriguing tricks, one of which she includes in her just-published book, The New Beauty Secrets: Your Ultimate Guide to a Flawless Face ($35). Put a little concealer on your hand, dip a brush into it, and apply just to the dark bits under your eyes. Finish by gently tapping with a finger and setting with translucent powder.

There is no end to my fight against frizz.

Just a guess - sounds like your hair is thirsty and simply drinking up the humidity in the air. To remedy, use hydrating products that keep your hair's moisture level balanced. Also, after showering, pat your hair with a towel (rubbing encourages more fuzz). When blowdrying, don't aim the airflow directly at the hair; instead, tilt down and slightly away. Shown: MOMO Moisturizing Shampoo ($14) and Revitalizing Creme Conditioner ($16).

I'm working up the courage to have a fling with fake eyelashes. Any tips?

Sonia Kashuk's Leading Lady Holiday Eye Set, $14.99, is pretty much novice-proof: It includes a pair of jewel-rimmed falsies, a tube of lash adhesive, an eyelash applicator (herein lies the genius), and black liquid eyeliner. Allow the glue a minute to dry, then sex up with a little liner (it covers up the glue). Finish with a coat or two of mascara to bind your real lashes to the fake ones then peel off before bed.

I think I'm in love. I used my mother's original epilady, and WOW! Please tell me there are modern-day epilators that work as well.

Yes ma'am, and you need go only as far as your computer: www.epiladyusa.net. The newedition Epilady, starting at $29.99, employs multiple tweezers attached to rotating discs—rather than the antiquated vibrating coils—to pluck hairs meticulously and lessen the "ouch" factor.

A hairstylist told me that face shape should determine haircut. Is this true?

Time for a new stylist! It's actually the shape of your wholehead, not just the face, that many seasoned pros say dictates the direction your hair should take. Ishi of Salon Ishi in New York explains that the goal is to create the illusion of a perfect oval, which means balancing out any flat spots on your skull—whether they're on the sides, top, or back— usually by layering, volumizing, or using rollers. According to Ishi, the biggest no-no is a stylist who "undercuts"—i.e., shears from underneath while your head is bent downward. This will have a flattening—and unflattering— effect. We've all been there . . .