Perfect-Looking Skin Cheat Sheet
Get perfect-looking skin
Go for a subtle glow. Apply foundation with a dampened sponge - it'll give you a sheer, natural finish that's nongreasy, light, and lasting.
Make your face look slimmer. Strategic highlighting and contouring will make you seem svelter, especially in photos. How: Along the sides of your nose, blend (well!) a smidge of base or bronzer (in a shade darker than your skin). Then highlight the narrowest part (the bridge) with a shimmer cream, to draw the eye there.
Don't powder your nose. Stop shine with blotting paper. (Layering on too much powder can cause it to settle into fine lines and exaggerate them.)
Make the most of your lips
Do a Pre-Lipstick Priming. Apply a little concealer around your mouth and just a touch in the middle of your bottom lip, then add color. Your lips will look more shapely, and your lipstick will last longer.
Turn Thin Lips Into Fuller Ones. To create the illusion of plumpness, apply a light lipstick all over, then use a brush to paint a slightly darker hue along the outer edges of your lips.
Keep it Creamy. A soft shade of rich, moisturizing lipstick will fill in lines, making lips appear smoother and fuller.
Wake up your eyes
To hide circles, you're usually advised to use undereye concealer in a shade lighter than your skin. Instead, go with concealer that's slightly darker, since a shade that's too light can mix with the blue in your skin and look gray.
To create a little eye lift illusion, highlight your browbones and the inner corners of your eyelids using a frosty white pencil. This will draw light to your face and disguise droopiness.
To fatten your top lashes, skip the faux kind (too much gluing!). Instead, enlist a flat eyeliner brush and a black powder shadow. Wiggle the brush into the makeup, then between the roots of your top lashes. The result: a lusher look.
To open up your eyes, lighten your lower lashlines. Instead of black liner, use nude, then clear mascara.
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