Makeup Monday: Flawless Skin Tutorial

You all are always asking how I have such perfect skin, and now you know the truth: I don’t! But you guys have seen me without makeup many times, if you’ve seen past tutorials (and the occasional instagram), so I guess it was never a secret. I’m usually a BB Cream kind of girl (I alternate between Too Faced and Dr. Jart), but sometimes – like right now – my skin needs a little extra help. It’s a combination of allergies, cold weather, hormones, and just having pale, sensitive skin that shows every imperfection. Though I need a little more coverage, it doesn’t mean I’m going to cake on the makeup. I love my freckles and beauty marks, and want them to show through. The trick is to use as little foundation as possible – and a little bit can go such a long way, if you do it properly. Here’s a step by step tutorial on how to fake your way to perfect skin, when the beauty balm isn’t enough:

1. Start with a moisturized face, and prep with primer. I used Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.

2. Conceal any under eye circles. I use a different concealer for dark circles than blemishes – you need something with an orangey tint, to combat the grayish blue tones. I used bareMinerals concealer. I like to use my ring finger to pat and roll the concealer; imagine inking a fingerprint. This warms up the concealer and helps it sink in, and the pat/roll doesn’t wipe it away, like rubbing does.

3. Apply your foundation (I used Urban Decay Naked Skin). This can be done with your finger, a foundation brush, sponge, etc. My applicator of choice is the Beauty Blender. I soak it in water, squeeze out the excess, and apply in a bouncing motion. This gives the foundation a sheer, flawless finish.

4. Now, use the pointed end to get any smaller details: around the nose, under and at the corners of your eyes. This will also help blend the eye concealer seamlessly – but make sure to lightly tap the blender, not rub, or you’ll wipe away the concealer.

5. Conceal any blemishes. You might be wondering why I save this for after foundation — it’s because normally, blemishes require a little more love, and you don’t want to wipe away all that work. That will lead to more layering, and eventually you’ll have a mound of caked on concealer. I generally use a concealer brush (both the brush and concealer are from Anastasia Beverly Hills), because it’s a little more precise. Just dab the tiniest bit of concealer and tap, tap, tap. If I need extra blending, I lightly dab it with the larger end of the beauty blender (no extra product added).

6. Dot highlighter along your cheekbones and blend with your fingers. I used Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Rose Gold.

7. Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks (I used NARS Orgasm). When I want a natural, diffused flush, I use the MAC 187, and swirl in small, circular motions.

I finished by filling in my brows (check out my brow tutorial) and adding lip gloss (Urban Decay’s “Sesso” from the new Naked On The Run palette) – I even skipped mascara. All done!