Start with a good base

Prepping your skin before you apply makeup is key, says makeup artist Lucy Halperin. Start by washing your face so it’s sparkling clean, then apply a quick face mask – Halperin loves REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, which does its job in a mere 60 seconds – before applying moisturiser. “The skin is plump, it’s moisturised, and it’s even-toned,” she says. “I end up putting on less foundation on than I would.”
Follow these extra tips for healthy glowing skin (no makeup required).
Prime your face

Even if you’re using a product with built-in primer like BB cream or tinted moisturiser, starting with a primer will even out the texture of your skin and keep your makeup in place, says Jessica Mae, founder, creative director and makeup artist of WarPaint International Beauty Agency. “Putting primer down first gives an additional layer of something to hold on to,” she says. Pick one to match your skin type: a smoothing one for large pores or fine lines, a mattifying one for oily faces, or a hydrating one for dry skin.
Apply with a brush

No matter how tempted you are to ignore your brushes and apply foundation with your fingers, this has to be a hands-off process if you want your look to stay. Otherwise the oil from your fingers could transfer to your face, and you’ll use more product than you need, Mae says. “Brushes apply the product evenly, which is the key to longevity of it,” she says. “You aren’t having a thicker layer on one side vs thinner on the other. You’ll have consistency with how the natural oils of your face mix with the product.”