The 'bargain' £4 concealer behind Alex Jones' fresh and wide-awake eyes on our cover shoot

Nobody understands how to build a flattering and long-lasting beauty look like a professional makeup artist - particularly those who work with celebrities to create magazine cover-worthy makeup.

With decades of experience and industry know-how, pro MUAs are justifiably fussy about which products make it onto their client's faces. So, it's no surprise we keep a close eye on the backstage kit of the artists who work on our woman&home photoshoots.

And we've got quite the tip-off from our August issue cover shoot, featuring presenting royalty Alex Jones in a 'sunny and warm and lovely' makeup look created by MUA Liz Beckett. Not only has Beckett exclusively shared the insider tricks she used on Alex on the day, she's also revealed an 'amazing' drugstore concealer, picked up for just £4.

Chatting to woman&home behind the scenes of our August issue cover photoshoot, Beckett explained, "This is a bargain from Amazon, which I found. It's a tiny little concealer, it's about £4."

Holding the concealer up to the camera, she praises its "amazing, amazing coverage," and goes on to share her application tip, saying, "I always use a sponge to really buff it in. It's great for the darker bits under your eyes, freckles, or just anywhere that you want to correct; it's a really great palette."

And the professional insights didn't stop there. Another key component of Jones' wide-awake and fresh eye look is her lifted lashes - and Beckett shared the exact product and technique you need to achieve them.

"My absolute top item for Alex is eyelash curlers, and these are from Trish McEvoy," she explains. "I always curl her lashes before mascara, and I curl them again afterwards to really get them up. You have to be very careful when you curl afterwards because you don't want to take the lashes out."

This double curling trick is an amazing way to achieve maximum possible lift and flutter, especially if you have straight or short eyelashes naturally; however, as Beckett says, it's important to proceed with caution.

Don't go in while the mascara is still totally wet; give it a moment to partially dry so it's still flexible but not so sticky that your lashes adhere to the curler. Clamp gently and quickly, and if you feel a lash sticking to the pads, leave the curler closed and 'blink' your eye a few times to gently release them before slowly opening the curler back up.