To coin a phrase, no one is born with perfect skin—that’s what makeup is for. However, flawless makeup requires more than just spackling your face full of product. True perfection, whichrenders your blemishes near-invisible, requires a minimum investment of time and a deft hand. What if you have only one of those, or neither? Don’t worry, you can still achieve makeup mastery by following our 4 simple tips:
Eat Clean and Stay Hydrated
Having great skin is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your base makeup goes on as flawlessly as intended. It’s true what they say about it starting from within! Excessive drinking, smoking, and not getting enough sleep stresses your skin out, resulting in unsightly dark circles under your eyes and a dull, dry complexion. An unhealthy diet made up of foods high in salt, sugar, and grease can trigger nasty acne breakouts and flareups, too.
Eating right isn’t just good for your body in general. By making a few simple adjustments to your current diet, you can have clear, glowing skin while barely trying. Go for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and zinc, such as fatty fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel. Avocados are packed with healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that keep your skin looking fresh. Citrus fruits, on the other hand, are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants that can brighten your skin up from the inside.
Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and steer clear of beverages loaded with sugar and artificial additives. Also, consume diuretics such as coffee and liquor in moderation.
Invest in Good Skin Care
As above, taking care of your skin is nothing short of vital if the goal is perfect makeup application. A well-moisturized face is the smoothest canvas for makeup that you can ask for; one that won’t even need a separate primer product. Learning how to do natural makeup looks will be easier, since you already have a canvas for it.
There are several ways to prime your skin before makeup. Putting on a sheet mask at least 15 minutes before you start getting ready can infuse the skin with whatever ingredient you think it needs the most that day, whether it’s tea tree to combat redness, or vitamin C to amp up the brightness. Using an exfoliating peel pad or resurfacing pad can slough off the dead skin cells sitting on the surface quickly and conveniently. Applying a few drops of face oil and rubbing it into the skin can be very moisturizing for parched, dry skin.
Don’t Commit to the Same Everyday Makeup Routine
Pay enough attention, and you’ll notice that your skin condition changes from day to day. Its problem areas are always shifting, depending on several different factors from how late you slept last night or what the weather is like this morning. To address this, it would do you well to abandon the notion that you can get away with the same skincare ritual day in and day out. For truly flawless makeup, you have to be as dynamic as your skin is.
Before you get ready, take a good look at yourself in the mirror, and check the local weather report. Does your face look redder today than it usually does? Use a color-correcting product to balance your complexion back out. Did you wake up to a zit that seems to have sprouted up overnight? Spot treatment and some concealer should take care of that. Is it colder today? Switch your powder foundation out for a liquid one instead. Assess what your face needs that day, instead of robotically going through a daily ritual.
Use the Right Tools
Having the best, most highly-rated makeup in the world won’t make much of a difference if you’re not using the correct tools to apply them. Certain products sit better on the skin when applied with a brush, while others go on more evenly with a sponge. It’s important to have a variety of beauty tools on hand to tackle all of your products. This way, you can find out which ones go together best.
At a minimum, you need at least one good foundation brush, a flat concealer brush, a fluffy powder brush, and a blush brush for your face. A great makeup sponge can be a fantastic multi-tool that can help you blend everything from foundation to concealer to contour.
By making a few lifestyle changes and working around your issues, you can make your makeup go on perfectly, every time. Now go forth and strut your stuff!
