Katie Holmes dove in head first into learning as much as she can about makeup when she signed on as Bobbi Brown’s first celebrity spokesperson. In the March issue of ELLE Holmes chats about the new techniques she’s picked up from her makeup mentor that she practices on friends and even some of her favorite beauty picks. Here are a few highlights from the interview:

On what she likes about Bobbi Brown’s aesthetic:
To me, Bobbi’s makeup is like having a beautiful, tightly edited closet. It all goes together, and it’s all really nice. You just can’t go wrong…I 
feel like Bobbi designs with people like me in mind, who aren’t that good at makeup.

On her favorite tip she’s learned so far:
Just today [Bobbi] told me that when I apply blush, I need to bring it down, not just up. So you sweep it up toward the temples, and then blend it down. Otherwise you look streaky.

On her collaboration with Brown during the Holmes & Yang spring 2013 presentation:
Bobbi’s focus is on being confident and powerful, and that’s what Jeanne and I try to do with our clothes. They don’t scream fashion! And it’s the same with her makeup: You see the woman first.