Photo: Henry Leutwyler

Maybe, like me, you have recently stood in front of a mirror, touched your index fingers to your jaw, and gently pulled back the skin, just to see what it would look like if your face were tight again, the way it was three or five years ago (or more). Maybe you have then idly wondered what it would take to make that fix permanent. Or maybe you haven't, so I will remind you: It would take a scalpel. But there is an easier way to lift your looks. Bobbi Brown, celebrity makeup artist and author of Living Beauty, calls it the Makeup Facelift.

Say you have a particular facial bugaboo: that slight sag at the jowl, or crepey eyelids, or a couple of marionette lines on the sides of your mouth. You can't hide these kinds of issues by piling on makeup (and don't even try, because it will only emphasize them), but you can deflect the focus to other areas of your face with a combination of great moisturization, which leads to beautifully textured skin, and highlighting the features you're happiest with. It's all about diversion. And it works. To show you what we mean, we found four women who might have considered more drastic measures but were delighted to be transformed instead by the expert employment of a makeup brush. No needles, knives, recovery time—or bank loans—necessary.

See our 4 makeup "facelift" transformations!