Beauty

9 Steps to Your Daily Flawless Face

September 5, 2013

A lot of women tend to get into makeup ruts (myself included). I also have the tendency to keep using a product even though it may no longer work for me. However, over the years I’ve been able to perfect my daily makeup routine into 9 easy steps with my tried-and-true favorite products that I use every. single. day. Keep reading to find out what my favorite everyday makeup is and how to look truly gorgeous on the daily!

Flawless Face

1. Start by priming your face. On the back of your hand, mix together a tiny squirt of Benefit the POREfessional and Benefit “That Gal” to create a balm. Spread all over your face with a paddle foundation brush, focusing on your t-zone.

2. Apply M.A.C. BB Cream foundation. Squirt a small amount onto the back of your hand. Use a dampened beauty blender sponge (that has been squeezed under running water 10 times) to blend foundation into skin using a buffing motion. Apply a second layer and blend as needed.

3. Dot Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch highlighting concealer under eyes and on the inner corners of eyes. Gently blend with your ring finger.

4. Using a large, fluffy powder brush, dust Maybelline Dream Matte pressed powder onto t-zone. Dust over closed eyes to set the concealer and to add a thickening layer to your eyelashes.

5. Using the same fluffy powder brush, swirl into NYC Smooth Skin bronzer (in Sunny). Tap and dust off excess product on the back of your hand. It is very important to always start off with a small amount of bronzer and slowly build the color onto your face. Starting below your cheekbone near your ear, gently dust the bronzer onto your face, moving in tiny up-and-down movements while slowly working your way in towards your mouth. Repeat this process again below the other cheekbone, making sure to dust off excess bronzer before ever touching your face with the brush. Dust a tiny bit of bronzer on your temples, hairline, jawline, and down the bridge of your nose.

  • Pro tip: always use a matte bronzer with no trace of shimmer or sparkle to avoid looking clownish.

6. Apply Tarte Cheek Stain to cheekbones and blend up towards your temples and out towards your hairline with your fingers. This blush has a gel-like consistency and gives a very natural-looking flush.

7. Fill in your brows using an angle brush with Benefit Brow Zings. Start 1/4-1/2″ away from the start of your brows to avoid a heavy-handed look. Fill them in using light, feathery strokes and working your way through to the tail. Accentuate your arches because they’re the money-makers of your eyebrows! After you’ve filled them in, run a clean spoolie brush through them to add softness, fullness, and to make them look more natural.

  • Pro tip: filling in your brows is the one step that makes your look completely polished and the one thing I’d never leave the house without doing!

8. Apply Benefit Watt’s Up! highlighter to your browbones, cheekbones, inner corners of your eyes, down the bridge of your nose, and your cupid’s bow. Be sure to softly blend it to create glowing, radiant skin. Also, apply the Maybelline concealer from step 3 underneath the length of your brows and above the upper outer half (past your arch). Blend gently with your ring finger but do not wipe off.

9. Curl one set of eyelashes. Apply Benefit They’re Real! mascara to upper lashes only. Hold the brush horizontally and, starting at the base of your lashes, wiggle in a zig-zag motion up through the tips. Then, flip the brush vertically and use the spiky tip to comb through any clumps, focusing on getting into the outer corners to coat every lash. Repeat on the other eye.

 

With your newly flawless face, the possibilities are endless! Feel free to swipe on some bright lipstick, a fun eyeshadow, or bold eyeliner (just not all at the same time, please!). Now put your best face forward, gorgeous!

XO, J