( InStyle.com ) -- As an aspiring ballerina , 9-year-old Brooke Burns took an aggressive approach to makeup . `` I would borrow my mom 's red Borghese lipstick and smear it on like a clown ! '' she says . `` For sexy eyes , there is nothing better than this drugstore black liner . '' Nowadays , the 29-year-old Burns , a single mom , tries to pass along subtler application tips to her 7-year-old daughter . `` I taught her ' a dab 'll do ya , ' `` says the actress , who stars in the ABC comedy `` Miss Guided . '' `` She 's going to wear it anyway , so she might as well have some experience . '' Did you pick up any makeup tricks working as a model ? One of my favorites is putting white pencil on the inside of the bottom eyelid for that very awake look . At night if I 'm in a hurry , I 'll just put on a lot of mascara and black pencil all the way around the inner rim . It 's a totally sexy eye in a minute and a half . What 's the one makeup item you ca n't live without ? I 'm in love with Revlon Color Stay foundation . I can do anything in that makeup and it stays . Plus , it has sunscreen in it and gives me a really natural glow . It covers everything . You alternate between being a blonde and a brunette . Which do you prefer ? My natural color is dark blond , but right now I like being a brunette . I did a movie last summer and they dyed my hair platinum -- I hated it . I have a big personality , and I think big personality plus blond hair makes me come across as glib . With dark hair , people look at your face more . Before , it was all about the hair . How do you keep color-treated hair healthy ? I 've never found a conditioner that makes my hair feel as amazing as Nature 's Therapy Mega Moisture Nurturing shampoo by L'Oréal . My hairdresser used it on me one time , and now I 'm obsessed . I also use a new color from Paul Mitchell -- it 's called Fudge Brownie -- that 's incredible . So many people comment , `` Your hair looks so healthy ! '' Have you always had great hair ? No . I totally had big hair in high school . I was a big user of the hot rollers and teasing . And I had mall bangs . I also wore my hair in a bun a lot because of all the dancing I did . I was n't really popular in high school . No one will believe you if you say you were n't popular . `` Olive Oyl '' was my nickname . I was totally gangly and a foot taller than all the boys . It was not attractive . Clearly you 've come a long way . What 's your secret ? I think it 's very important to take care of your skin . Obviously the No . 1 thing is sunscreen . All my life I have used Oil of Olay as my daytime moisturizer because my mom did . I also use their foaming face wash . It 's the best makeup remover ever . And in the morning I use Olay Age Defying Daily Renewal cleanser because it has these tiny microbeads that are great for exfoliating . People go , `` You have such great skin ! '' and I 'm , like , `` Thank God I 'm not spending $ 150 on products . '' I 'm sure that stuff is great , but if it ai n't broke , do n't fix it . E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2008 Time Inc. All rights reserved .
` ` Miss America '' ' references Burns as being a lesbian . This explains why ` ` Olive Oyl '' was high school nickname . Her daytime nickname is same that her mom used .