How-to: from foundation to flawless

With so many cosmetics available to us, often it’s hard to know which products we should be using in order to put our best face forward. When trying to achieve complexion perfection, one has to wonder – is it all in the base? Or is it the finishing touches that make us look fantastically flawless?

The truth is there are a number of steps you need to take in order to rock a seemingly flawless face. From how you prep your skin to how you set your finishing touches, each step is as important as the next – and we’ve got the tips and tricks you need to showcase your best face ever.

Prep

Preparing your skin for make-up is the most crucial step in achieving a flawless face. You have to picture your skin as a blank canvas – that is, smooth, soft, evenly toned and line-free. To ensure your skin is all of these things and therefore the perfect base for your make-up, get the help of a hard-working primer. The smoother the primer, the better your make-up will sit and the more flawless your face will look. We love L’Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer because it works as velvety base for your make-up, while simultaneously hydrating your skin and minimising fine lines, wrinkles and an uneven complexion. Plus, soft powders in the formula work to absorb sebum and gently mattify the skin, so you’re left with your smoothest face base ever.

Need a bit of an extra boost in the anti-ageing department? Before you apply your primer, use a skin refining treatment like Lancôme Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate. It actively helps to improve the condition of your skin each time you use it, minimising fine lines and wrinkles and helping you to look younger and your skin to look more refined.

Apply

Once your skin is prepped and ready, it’s time to deal with any imperfections that may be plaguing your complexion. Think blemishes and dark under-eye circles. We love COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Concealer, as it blends over lines and blemishes with ease, evening out skin tone and improving skin texture at the same time. The radiant formula also works to brighten the under-eye area, banishing dark marks without caking.

Next is your foundation. For perfect application, ensure you have a foundation that is perfectly matched to your skin tone and skin concerns (for example, opt for an oil-free formulation if you suffer from combination skin, or a long-lasting formulation if you’re constantly on the go) and that you’re armed with a foundation brush. We love Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation for its skin smoothing formulation that applies like a dream and leaves a flawless-looking result that won’t budge! For the best result possible, apply the foundation to the back of your hand and sweep it over your skin in circular motions using your foundation brush.

Enhance

To ensure your handiwork definitely doesn’t budge, set your foundation in place with a translucent powder that will work to ‘lock’ all of your make-up in place. We love Alexami Mineral Setting Powder for the gentle velvet finishing touch it gives your skin.

Next, choose a bronzing powder that will look natural on your skin while still sculpting your cheeks. A bronzer that can build intensity slowly will guarantee that you look naturally sculpted, with subtle definition. We love Clinique Almost Bronzer SPF 15 for its naturally sun-kissed hue and buildable colour.

For a touch of radiance, opt for an illuminating powder that will make your face look as though you’re exuding an inner glow. We love Prestige Cosmetics Skin Loving Minerals Sun Baked Highlighter for its light reflecting particles that instantly illuminates dull skin and adds a brightening effect to your complexion.

To finish off your look, grab a setting spray that will help to keep you looking luscious all day long, without fear of fading foundation or blotchy bronzer. MAC Fix+ is infused with a blend of calming green tea, chamomile and cucumber, and will provide a refreshing burst of moisture, locking your flawless face into place.

What are your tips for achieveing a flawless face?