How to Apply Flawless Makeup

Moisturize and clean your skin daily. Good skin is the first step in achieving a flawless makeup look, because makeup adheres best to smooth skin.

Choose makeup suited to your skin tones. The two most basic tones are warm and cool. If the veins under your arm are greenish, you are a warm tone. If they are bluish, you are a cool tone.

Apply a foundation to start the makeup application process. There are three kinds of foundations. These are loose powder, pressed powder and liquid. Regardless of the kind you use, make sure you match it to your skin type and skin tone. Use a makeup sponge to dab the foundation on. Then use an outward motion to smooth it over the face. With a liquid foundation it helps to lightly dust over it with a loose powder foundation in a matching shade. This helps the liquid last longer.

Apply blush to add color and enhance or diminish the cheekbones. Using a makeup brush lightly spread the blush across the cheek "apples." This is the part where your cheek bones are. Blend the blush upward into the foundation. Adjust this process until the color you desire is achieved.

Line your eyelids with eyeliner. There are pencil eyeliners and liquid eyeliners. It is a matter of preference as to which to use. Draw a line on the lower lid to enhance eyes. If you'd like to outline more of the eye, continue on the rest of the lid. Lightly smudge for a more natural look

Choose your eye shadow color. Remember, you want a softer, more natural look to enhance your eyes, not overpower them. Use a small brush or sponge to sweep the color across the lid. There are two ways to shade eye shadow, rounded and winged. The round application keeps the shadow nearer the eyelids on the corners. The winged shading draws the shadow up in the corner towards the brow. This method is better for firmer eyelids, as it will draw attention to wrinkles.

Open eyes wide and brush lashes with the mascara applicator. Wipe the mascara wand with a tissue first to remove clumps. Use an upward sweeping motion on the top lashes to lengthen them. Repeat the process on the bottom lashes, moving downward, if desired. Start at the inner eye and work out. If there is too much mascara, place a tissue gently against the eye, but not close enough to poke the eye. Blink your eye so that the extra mascara comes off on the tissue.

Finish your makeup with lip color. Use a lip pencil, if desired, to lightly outline and shape the lips. Then use a small lip brush to fill inside the lip liner with lipstick. Lipstick can also be applied directly from the tube without lining the lips. If a slight shimmer is wanted, dab a bit of lip gloss on the lips over the lipstick