Want to be best dressed, take the perfect photo, manage stress and just be happier? Well, you’re in luck.
We asked your favorite stars, fashion icons and top experts to share their words of wisdom on exactly how to do it.
And trust Us, it’s not unattainable advice, either — whether you’re wondering something simple, like how to capture an Instagram-worthy photo, or tackling life’s more complex questions, such as how to keep a long-term relationship thriving. (Spoiler alert: We got the details on snapping Instagram-worthy shots like a pro from Alix Earle, while basketball legend Magic Johnson revealed how he keeps his marriage strong with his wife of over three decades, Cookie.)
Keep scrolling for more advice that never gets old, from a smart trick to help you try something new with confidence to the foolproof way to pull off a successful dinner party:
1. CHASE THE LIGHT
Alix Earle’s advice for the perfect photo? “You have to get good lighting,” the Dancing With the Stars alum tells Us. “Standing in a doorway or on a balcony is always the best lighting. If your back is towards the room and your face is towards the sun, that’s always going to be great. Doorway lighting — nothing tops it!”
2. MASCARA MAGIC
Molly Sims’ trick for beautiful eyes: “Use black mascara on upper lashes and brown on the bottom to instantly open up your eyes and get a soft, lifted effect without looking harsh,” she shares.
3. KEEP IT CLEAN
“Something that surprised me from traveling with [my costars] is that not everyone washes their face at night,” The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Whitney Rose revealed. “I’m not gonna name names, but you better be washing off your makeup every night. Skincare is a lifestyle, and it’s AM and PM, and use your sunscreen. Wash your face, ladies and gentlemen.”
4. GET DRESSED. GET OUT. GET LIVING.
“If you’re in your single era, put on a push-up bra, go out, have a martini,” model and reality star Brooks Nader says. “Don’t stay at home and watch movies or me on TikTok. Go out, just live your life and be you.”
5. CURATE A STANDOUT WARDROBE
“People always ask me, ‘How can I dress in a more fun way or more colorful way?’” Bronwyn Newport says. “It starts with what you buy. You can’t all of a sudden wear color if you don’t have any color in your wardrobe. I always try to find the craziest thing when I walk into a store. If it catches my eye on the rack, it’s probably going to catch someone’s eye when I wear it, right?”
6. REALLY PLAN YOUR DINNER PARTY
Know what you are doing and do it early, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis shares. “Please don’t pick recipes you’ve never made before when you’re having people over. Try to do something that you’ve got under control, that you’ve made a few times, that you feel comfortable doing.”
7. FIND THE RIGHT CREW
Glen Powell, who starred in 2025’s Chad Powers, a Hulu series that explores second chances, has this advice: “Surround yourself with people who are patient, elegant and graceful, who root for you and that don’t kick you while you’re down.”
8. GROUP CHAT = FRIENDSHIP GLUE
“I have group chats for all my different friends,” Kelly Bensimon tells Us of how she nurtures her relationships. “I name them all. I have my OG models or my iHeartRadio family and I always reach out. ‘Happy Friday’ or whatever I feel like just to let them know I’m thinking about them. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation. Just saying hi means a lot.”
9. MAINTAIN AN EVERLASTING LOVE
“Remember who you fell in love with and don’t try to change them,” NBA legend Magic Johnson, who recently celebrated his 34th wedding anniversary with wife Cookie, says. “Keep the line of communication open. Even if you disagree about something, never go to bed upset at each other. Don’t forget date night. Our first date was at the movies and we still do that. Then — this is the most important nugget — keep everybody out of your relationship! Always remember to make yours, yours.”
10. FEEL GOOD, DO GOOD
“Experiencing joy is literally our birthright,” Jonathan Van Ness says. “We live in this world that makes us feel guilty for experiencing joy because there’s so much suffering around us. But one thing I’ve learned on the podcast (‘Getting Better’ with JVN) is that people who feel joyful — and this is study-backed — are much more likely to want to help other people. People that are miserable don’t really want to help anyone else out. So it is actually selfless and good for community for you to do things that bring you joy.”
11. PREPARATION BRINGS CONFIDENCE
WNBA player Angel Reese’s tip for stepping out of your comfort zone? “Put the work in before you do it. Don’t just go out there and wing it. That’s not what I’m doing,” she tells Us of walking in her first Victoria’s Secret fashion show last October. “This is the biggest stage I’ve ever been on as far as modeling. So I trust my work. That’s why I’m not nervous. I’m really confident. I’m going out there because I put a lot of work into my walk.”
12. MANAGE WORK/LIFE BALANCE
“You have to go with the flow when job opportunities come up,” Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas tells Us. “But you also have to know when to take a break. It’s a delicate balance. Obviously, as a young person, you pursue your goals. And if you find success, you’ve got to know how to balance it with the rest of your life rather than just try to keep on extending it.”
13. MAKE THE PERFECT COOKIE
“You have to bake a tester cookie,” Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi tells Us. “Scoop one cookie, put it in the oven and let it bake. It gives you the opportunity to go, ‘I want this cookie to be a little more fudgy, so I am going to bake the rest of the batch a minute less.’ Or ‘I want my cookie to be a little more caramelized, so I am going to turn my oven up 10 or 15 degrees.’ That tester cookie will set you up for success every single time.”
14. EMBRACE YOUR ANXIETY
Jane Lynch revealed that she had anxiety before each show while starring in Funny Girl on Broadway. Her tip for dealing with it? “Just accept it,” the Glee alum says. “I’ve been doing this for a very long time… I don’t fight it. I always do my best to relax more. I’ve gotta be good on my lines. But I count on that anxiety, because if you don’t let it destroy you… you can actually use it to give you a little more sparkle. Just don’t fight it. The worst you can do with anxiety is fight it, because it doubles and triples it.”
15. MANAGE YOUR FINANCES
“Be responsible,” This Is Us alum Milo Ventimiglia says. “I go back to something my mom would say: ‘If you really want something, wait until you just can’t stand it any longer.’ When I was a kid, I had my eyes open, excited for everything in life. I wanted to take drum lessons. I wanted to have a motorcycle. I wanted to do these things, but that probably would have made my parents financially broke.”
16. GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP & NUTRIENTS
“Sleep at least 10 hours a night,” actress and model Julia Fox shares. “Yes, 10! That whole myth about six, seven is all you need is a lie. And drink lots of water, electrolytes and bone broth. Get the minerals, get the vitamins, the nutrients. The food in America is poison. Those are the things that will keep you young, and you’ll feel healthy and vibrant.”
17. LOVE YOURSELF FIRST
“What I do that changed my life drastically is look in the mirror in the darkest part of my eyes and I say, ‘Tiffany Haddish: I love and approve of you,’” the Girls Trip star tells Us. “Say your full name. ‘Tiffany Sara Cornelia Haddish. I love and approve of you, beauty.’ I do that for about five minutes while I’m brushing my teeth and rinsing my face every day. And when I don’t do it, the Internet tears my ass up.”
18, CREATE THE PERFECT PLAYLIST
“Know your audience,” Shaquille O’Neal, also known as DJ Diesel, tells Us. “I’m three types of DJs. I really love [playing for] the dubstep crowd. But I could do the EDM Vegas sets, too. And then I got the white-guy classics for the corporate parties. I always have to look at the crowd first. When I started, I would put together my playlist first, and I would bomb. So now I read the crowd… I never come in with a set already made.”
19. KEEP KIDS OCCUPIED
Tina Knowles knows a thing or two about raising good, successful children. “Try to keep them grounded and keep them busy,” the mom of Beyoncé and Solange advises. “Keep them so busy that they don’t have time to get into trouble. And support them in whatever they decide they want to do.”
20. GRANDMA-APPROVED SKIN SECRET
Model Barbara Palvin’s secret to glowing skin is old-school! “What my great-grandma always said is to drink milk,” she says. “I do that, even though I’m [lactose] intolerant. I still drink a glass of milk because she said I’ll be beautiful. And I guess it’s working!”
21. WEAR THE DRESS!
“Don’t save the good dress,” Nicole Ari Parker tells Us. “That’s one thing I’ve learned from LTW (her And Just Like That character, Lisa Todd Wexley). Just wear it. If you’ve got a cape that you’ve been saving for the opera and you haven’t been to the opera, wear it to the movies. Yes, baby, you’ve got to live.”
22. DOUBLE THE GLUE, DOUBLE THE GRIP
“You should apply the eyelash glue to the actual eyelash as well as on your eyeliner,” RuPaul’s Drag Race star Laganja Estranja tells Us. “Let both dry for a second, and then it’ll almost be like a magnet. The lash will stick exactly where you want it.”
23. SPICE UP YOUR LIFE
“We don’t use as many spices as we should, as often as we should,” Padma Lakshmi says. “They are the best way to add flavor without adding calories. And please toast the whole spices and grind them in a mortar and pestle. I promise you, it’s worth it.”
24. HOW TO BE A COOL MOM
“Don’t just bake. Twerk, too!” Mormon Wives’ Jenn Affleck says. “We twerk and bake when you’re a cool mom.”
25. NO RULES RELAXATION
Chelsea Handler’s advice when it comes to winding down? “Smoke a joint, obviously,” she tells Us. “And have a cocktail at the same time. Anytime of the day or night. Don’t put boundaries on yourself. No parameters. Live out loud.”
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