Covergirl

1. On her skincare routine: Nina spends much of her days on the Vampire Diaries set in full hair and makeup, so it makes sense that she takes her skincare routine very seriously. "Even when it looks like I'm not wearing much makeup, I totally am. So, as soon as I'm done on set — I don't even wait until I get home — I'll use a makeup wipe, wash my face, and then use a hot towel. I use it to let my skin breathe, let the pores open up, and then I put tonnes of moisturiser on."

2. On her mum's beauty advice: Mother knows best, right? "My mum told me once that if you put an egg in your hair, it will make it super shiny." In fact, Nina's mum is onto something — our favourite DIY hair recipe masks serve as further proof.

Nina's Summer beauty essentials, plus more, right here.

COVERGIRL's head makeup guru, Pat McGrath, mixed a brown pencil with burgundy eyeshadow to make a sexy, delicious Winter eye for Gucci's 2013 Autumn Winter Milan fashion week showing. We're moving away from the bold lip and further into smoky eye territory this year; and Pat's intense, deep-hued offering is the perfect inspiration for your beauty look over the colder months. Burgundy — much like lavender, brown and bronze — is a universally flattering shade on the eye, but blue-eyed beauties will see a real pop because the tone picks up all the special flecks and specks in your iris.

Now, before you grab that three-step smoky eye palette, look instead to your favourite eyeshadow singles and get blending. With your fingers. This year's smoky is less about defined, graduated colour, and more about smudging solid colours (and even opaque glitter) all over the lid. It's a bit messy and very sexy.

To get the look at home, smudge the lash lines with a brown pencil, and then go in with COVERGIRL Smoky Shadow Blast in Purple Plume ($17.95), using the plum end only.

Valentine's Day nail art does not always have to include hearts painted all over your nails. This decorative take on a moon manicure dresses up your nails with another Valentine's Day motif: the doily. This lacy design seems more complicated than it really is, but all you need is one romantic nail polish shade, a bottle of white lacquer, and a bobby pin.

First, paint your nails the base colour. I chose Chanel Le Vernis in Fracas ($39) for a vibrant pink that kept the look from getting too dainty. After you've applied two coats, use the white polish to create a moon shape at the base of your nail. I used COVERGIRL Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in Snow Storm. You don't have to worry about making the perfect shape because the next step is to add the scalloped edges of the doily.

Using the bobby pin, dab the ball tip into the white polish, and then create the white doily shape. Remove the white polish from the bobby pin with remover, dab the tip into the pink polish, and add the pink dots along the scalloped edges. The final look creates a pretty lace-like accent on your nails.

The statuesque Australian DJ duo Nervo are making major waves in the music and beauty scene. They're the newest faces of COVERGIRL in the US, and while there are other popstars with the coveted title, twins Liv and Mim Nervo are the first faces from the electronic dance music (EDM) scene to represent the brand.

"We're still pinching ourselves. It's incredible," Liv said of the honour. "It means we're joining the long list of ladies who are leading the way of individuality, being confident in your own skin, and feeling beautiful," Mim added. To learn more about these beauties, read on.

Update a classic red lipstick look with a bold, matte hue this party season. "There's nothing more passionate than red," says Pat McGrath, Procter & Gamble's global creative design director, who created a look similar to Miranda Kerr's, above, for the Spring 2013 Prada runway. Find out her insider tips to modernising this makeup staple when you read more.

We all know the power of a strong lip, and on Wednesday night, stars were ditching red lipstick for a bold new colour: purple. Actress Naomie Harris and singer Rihanna went for rich bordeaux hues, while Bérénice Marlohe opted for a softer wine-stained look. You can try aubergine lips, too, with a bold lipstick like MAC Lipstick in Rebel ($36), or you can go for a stain like CoverGirl Lip Slicks Lipgloss in Edgy ($10.95). Whether you have a fair or dark complexion, plush plum shades will make a glamorous statement.