Subtlety is an art form that Manhattan makeup artist Julie Tussey has mastered.

Working out of the Warren-Tricomi Salon at the Plaza, she employs her own brand of shading and highlighting techniques to create the sheerest, most radiant complexions. 

"I play with low, middle and high tones, so everything looks 3-D, " Tussey explains. "I enjoy mixing and finding the right colors." Using airbrush makeup and a brush, she customizes textures, too, adjusting formulas so that they last all day and all night, yet remain undetectable. "Skin should always glow, like there's a soft filter on it," she says. 

No wonder Tussey has such enthusiastic fans, from fashion designers Catherine Malandrino and Tory Burch, to socialites Katie Lee Joel, Beth Ostrosky, Ivanka Trump, Tinsley Mortimer and Whitney Fairchild. Magazine editors including Cosmopolitan's Kate White and Us Weekly's Janice Min are likewise "addicted" to her techniques.

But it's Tussey's keen intuition that makes her a true powerhouse. "When I first meet a client, I try to assess: Is she natural or is her look and her lifestyle more polished? Her wardrobe might give it away. I strive to work within a woman's comfort zone, so that she'll feel beautiful, not like someone made up for the red carpet. Another key question for me is: What's the occasion? Dinner by candlelight? A TV appearance? A wedding? Once I know that, I know what will work and more importantly, when to stop."

It's really small touches that make all the difference, Tussey notes. "By adding a single element, false lashes for example, you'll start to bat your eyes. When I apply lip gloss, you'll want to pucker."

"I love handing someone a mirror when I'm done and seeing her begin to sparkle from within," she adds. "I help women find that inner light, that moment of love. There's always an instance when it happens. And that's what keeps me going."

The Hammond, Indiana native originally moved to New York in 1982 to fulfill her dream of dancing on Broadway. After appearing in such blockbuster shows as "A Chorus Line " and "Damn Yankees," she channeled her energies into another passion: make-up artistry.

Before joining Warren-Tricomi in 2004, where she works as a Laura Mercier makeup artist, she was a makeup show host on QVC's sister network Q2 and a representative for makeup lines ranging from Indian Earth and Ultima II to Estée Lauder, Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Nars, Elizabeth Arden, Prescriptives and Bobbi Brown.

"As a makeup artist, I manipulate light. I use colors and textures to throw the light and catch the light," Tussey says. "My friends have a nickname for me that is based on my Cherokee heritage. They call me Light Catcher."

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