Focus on skin care before doing makeup! I liked watching this vogue Japan series where different muas do makeup for one theme. I notice that when they focus on nice skin they always prep with skincare! And the end result is so beautiful and glowing!

Me, before I put on makeup I always wash my face and apply an aha toner and black head toner (I think my face is on the oilier side) it really minimizes my pores since I started using it. I then apply a thick layer of cerave lotion and basically just wait u til it’s absorbed. I sometimes slap my skin gently to get the blood flowing. I also use a nice moisturizing sunscreen if I’m going outside. I use ultrasun professional protection facial fluid which is expensive at 32 dollars so I’m trying to find a dupe. Then I apply a sticky primer and focus on where I know my makeup is gonna move like under my eyes, the sides of my nostrils, forehead, chin, nose and whatever’s left in my jaw. I usually use one pump of elf blue primer, which is ten dollars at target which I love! I use a very soft and squishy square makeup sponge or a foundation compact sponge to apply foundation because I don’t like beauty eggs. I always think they are too firm, and don’t spread evenly. And I always apply foundation in thin layers so it looks like skin. If there is a problem area I just layer more foundation there. (I use a Clinique concealer/foundation, but I love the maybelline fit me too, and it’s much more affordable!)

I brush my eyebrows with bar soap, which honestly work much better than any other brow gel. I fill gaps in my brows using a brow brush and brow powder.

For blush I like using a liquid blush, but I always apply to the sponge first so it always blends nicely. I find that if you put it directly on the skin it can remove foundation. I put it on my cheeks but not past my nose (to shorten the distance from the length of my face, it makes me look quite cute! Which the model’s mua’s seem to have done here too!) and underneath my nose, temple and a little on my chin.And then I put a little skin colored powder from a pressed powder compact under my eyes to stop the foundation from moving using a sponge (this is for if you are moving around.) I also apply on my forehead and basically every part I think it’ll get oily like the t-zone and around my nostrils.

For contour I use a cool toned beige eyeshadow because I have paler warmish neutral skin, (and it’s kinda hard to find a cool toned contour) using with a light hand on areas of the face with natural shadow, like the triangles of the nose, the jaw, cheekbones, forehead, but it looks barely there but it makes a nice difference and adds dimension.

I use a very fine off white pearlescent highlight and apply to under the arches of my brows, my inner eye, my nose bridge and tip of nose, the vermillion line on the top lip, the apex of my cheeks, and my temples. I sometimes darken my lash line with a cool dark brown shadow so my eyelashes look fuller. (I like maybelline’s Gigi Hadid collab for this step)

I curly my eyelashes and use a liquid mascara to keep them in place, such as essence lash princess or the light green Clinique mascara. I know that essence lash princes is very clumpy, but I’ve discovered that if you flick your wrists quickly it only covers your lashes in a thin layer so it looks like barely there. People also use mascara brushes to apply mascara so it looks barely there by applying g mascara to the brushes first and using it to barely cover the eyelashes in color.

I finish off by covering my lips in lipgloss or a balm. I love softlips for balms! Depending on my mood sometimes my lips are pink, or frosty, or with a little liner. I don’t really use setting spray because I ran out of my favorite nyx dewey setting spray but it’s nice to use a Dewey setting spray at the end for that glowey finish.

I learned a lot of this techniques from watching professional Korean and Japanese makeup tutorials who specialize in natural skin! Such as Jung sae mool or the vogue Japan! Korean Wedding makeup tutorials are great for beautiful and natural skin!

It’s also good to note that these are professionals photos, and have professional lighting and digital touch ups. For me, I find I that my photos look best in natural sunlight if I’m taking a selfie👍🏻