Beauty Secret Weapons

You Can Do What With a Tea Bag?

We thought we knew everything there was to know about these tried-and-true products. But leave it to the experts to discover the hidden potential of these six basics.

"The fibers in a tea bag are strong enough to doctor a split or broken nail. Rip off a small piece of an unused tea bag. Put a drop of nail glue where nail needs fixing. Place the torn piece on the break, buff it smooth, then polish nails. Fibers seep into the crack; if you reapply glue every time you remove polish, the patch should last six weeks." --Roxana Pintilie, celebrity manicurist

"Visine Eye Drops doubles as an eyeliner sealer. Apply a few drops to a powder eyeshadow, then pick up the dampened shadow with a fine eyeliner brush and stroke it next to upper lashes. The liner lasts for hours-a better result than you'd get with water." --Charles Douglas, makeup artist for the spa at Nubest & Co. Salon, in Manhasset, New York

You can find All Ways Natural Castor Oil ($2.99), a versatile hairdressing cream, in the African-American hair-care section of drugstores-it works for any hair type. "I take a jar to every shoot. A tiny amount distributed through dry hair takes care of frizz and static and creates a natural sheen without making hair greasy. One rule: The finer your hair, the less you use." --Travis, NYC-based stylist/Artists by Timothy Priano

"If your highlights turn dull, shampoo your hair once a week with Dawn Dish Liquid until your next coloring appointment. The soap is gentle yet does the trick to brighten highlights." --Judith Starnes, senior colorist at Peter Coppola Salon, NYC

"Johnson's Baby Lotion makes a great hairstyling lotion in a pinch. Depending on how long your hair is, rub a nickel- to quarter-size amount in your hands and slick palms over just-washed, towel-dried hair." --Ramy, NYC-based makeup artist and founder of Ramy Beauty Therapy cosmetics

Preparation H offers relief from the symptoms of you-know-what, but it can also come to the rescue in other emergencies. "I find that a small dab quickly brings down the swelling and redness of pimples." --Robin Schoen, NYC-based makeup artist