How to Make A Lot of Makeup Look Natural

Step 1: Moisturize your face and eyes. Without moisturizing your face might look cakey later in the day. Use an oil-free moisturizer, like Garnier Moisturizing Gel Cream, and apply all over face and eyelids. You could opt for a cream especially for eyes as well, as they tend to hydrate even more.

Step 2: Primer. Apply Bare Minerals Foundation Primer all over your face and eyelids. The less, the better it looks. Make sure it is a thin and even layer over your face and let dry. Smashbox Photofinish is a great matte primer as well.

Step 3: Conceal. Stick concealers tend to look cakey, so opt for a liquid concealer that comes with a brush tip or foam tip for easy use. I use L'Oreal Paris True Match Super-Blendable concealer because it is truly super-blendable and builds well to cover heavy dark spots and zits. It is also moisturized so it doesn't look dry. There is nothing beautiful about dry skin. Whether dark spots, an uneven skin tone, or zits, apply a thin layer of concealer over the area. Let settle for about ten seconds and then press/dab into skin, making the concealer stick better. Continue to dab around area until it is blended well with the skin around it, leaving no distinct line from concealer to skin.

Step 4: Apply foundation. Pixi Flawless Beauty is a wonderful liquid foundation. It covers very well and makes skin look fresh. It also builds very well for areas that need more coverage. Use a sponge applicator and pump a pea sized amount of foundation onto the sponge. Break the face up into areas to concentrate blending (for example, one cheek, the other cheek, forehead, nose, chin). In the same way that you dabbed and pressed the concealer in, press the foundation into the skin and dab around the whole area to get an even coverage. Pay special attention to the jaw line and make sure there is no distinct line of foundation, as this is the easiest way to look like you are wearing a ton of makeup. Pick a foundation tone that works well with your skin and blend at the jawline so it looks like natural skin.

Step 5: Repeat concealer. Unless there are no more places that need concealing, apply concealer again over foundation like in step 3. I usually dab a little extra beneath my eyes to get a little extra glow.

Step 6: Powder. The key to powder is using a little just to set the liquid foundation. I use L'Oreal Paris True Match Powder, as it is matte and offers great coverage. If your skin is not naturally oily, don't get a matte powder. Bare Minerals normal face powders work very well for normal to dry skin types, as they make your skin glow. But for oily skin, this can look oily. Bare Minerals does offer matte powders. If you feel like you don't need any more color coverage after liquid foundation and concealer, you should use a translucent powder. My favorite is Bare Minerals Mineral Veil. It is sheer and looks pink but once applied has no extra color. Bare Minerals is tough to apply because mineral powder very very easily looks like you applied too much make up. Once you get the technique down for Bare Minerals, it is an awesome product.

Step 7: Blush and/or Bronzer. Once again, the key is little bits at a time and build up the color. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blush and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Bronzer both complement any skin tone and don't go on too heavy. Swipe your brush once or twice through the palette, then sweep across the apples of your cheeks, going back to near your hair line. Repeat this process until the color you see is noticable but not fake looking. Applying a lot of blush at one time usually is clown-looking. You want to avoid this.

Step 8: Brows. Eyebrows are so important. They are the key to looking healthy and fresh. Always maintain your eyebrows. Pluck them, wax them, thread them, I don't care, but make sure they are neat and full and not over plucked. Even women with the thickest eyebrows need an eyebrow brush. Brush all hairs vertically and then swipe the brush along the top of eyebrows to set in place. For women who have some gaps or want thicker brows, find an eyebrow pencil that is exactly or slightly ligther than the color of your eyebrows (not hair--as they are often different colors). Lightly pencil in the gaps in the eyebrowns mimicing the stroke and direction of your already existing hairs. Do not color outside of your existing browline--ever! This will make your brows look fake or sharpied or unnaturally arched. Just plain weird.

Step 9: Hilight! Using a hilighting blush, hilight the tops of your cheeks. Using the same hilighter or a white or lighter than skin tone shade, apply to under the eyebrows, especially on brow bone, and to the inside corners of the eyes for a fresh and awake look.

Step 10: Eyeshadow. This is pretty optional. Just choose a color that is in the neutral tones and build up the color like with the blush.

Step 11: Eyeliner. To look natural, don't use too much. Line your eyes as close and thin to the lash line as you possibly can. I lift up my eyelid and apply eyeliner under my lash line for an even more natural look. Most people should use a dark brown, unless you have darker skin, and in that case black would enhance your eyes more.

Step 12: Mascara. Use an eyelash curler at first if necessary. Then, using Rimmel Lash Accelerator, apply the mascara. Rotate the wand as you go upwards from the base of your lash line. Apply a small amount of mascara to bottom lashes.

Voila! You're done and look naturally gorgeous!