You never know when, as a reporter, you may become part of the interview you are conducting. It happened to me while chatting with makeup artist Sandy Linter by the Lancôme counter at Neiman Marcus.

One minute we are discussing makeup must-haves and plastic surgery and the next thing, Linter is fixing my eyeliner. I’m not complaining though. She showed me why it was wrong and how to fix it, two of the many things she also does in her new book Makeup Wakeup.

Linter is a teeny force, with a shaggy blonde bob, brilliant blue eyes and a straight-up honest personality. She’s the kind of friend who will tell you that yes, those pants do make your butt look big, but she will say it so sweetly, it’s welcome news.

Before addressing my eyeliner mishap, Linter was effusive about my great skin and youth (two things I question) but firm in my need to improve the eyeliner situation ASAP as to maximize my eye shape and color.

Linter loves makeup and with beauty editor Lois Joy Johnson, wrote a book that is loaded with practical tips for all women. Linter really speaks to women over 40, but shows step-by-step how to apply lashes, best cosmetic buys for brows, eyes, face, blush, bronzer and lip products and serious truth about plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures.

“It’s not a secret. I have had cosmetic procedures, but I have never told a client they should have it. But if they say they’ve been thinking about it, I will talk about surgical procedures,” Linter says. “It’s a personal choice.”

In the book Linter plainly discusses her eye lifts and works in discussions with Dr. Daniel Baker and dermatologists Patricia Wexler and Frederic Brandt, taking readers through the basics of a facelift, addresses the saggy brow and neck, a double chin, thin flat lips and other age eventual issues.

Like Linter, it’s straightforward information and each topic gives readers an idea of what to expect. For those who aren’t so sure about a procedure, Linter and Johnson also offer non-surgical step-by-step makeup solutions. Legendary models like Carol Alt, Cheryl Tiegs and Veronica Webb were untouched for the book’s pictures, which are up close and personal. She points out that super models age just like the rest of us, but

Regardless of age, Linter says all women need to remember the sun is not kind. Oil-free moisturizers with a sunscreen are not optional and should be applied to not only the face, but the décolletage and hands. And the eyes are often a problem area for all women.

“Nobody knows how to do eyes. Nothing is more fun for a makeup artist — the rest is just blah, blah, blah,” she says. “Eyes are the most fun for makeup artists because we like to layer to create a really amazing look."

She is serious about using multiple products on the eyes too, starting with an eyelid primer for either hot lids or dry lids (during my eyeliner tutorial, I found out I’m a hot lid. I kinda like the sound of that, even though it means shadows and liners tend to slip off my eyes) up to three liners and multiple shadows. And for the times when a woman is in a rush, Linter says there’s always time for bronzer and lip gloss.

“Makeup worn the right way can make you look more youthful,” Linter says. “It’s good to break old habits and throw out the rules.”