This tutorial will walk you through, step-by-step, on how to apply liquid foundation, powder, contour, blush, and highlighting for a semi-dewy face. You may want to peruse my red lips tutorial, as well as brow tutorial. Also, I have done a few face tutorials in the past (you can never have too many, right?): glowy cheeks, and my original face tutorial.

Do let me know what you think, and if this was helpful! (Now, back to studying!) And if you have a TeamSugar account, make sure to show us some love!

You will need:

• Products: Liquid foundation, concealer, blush of choice, contour color of choice, highlight color of choice
• Tools: concealer brush (194), buffer brush (182), stippling brush (187), angled contour brush (168), blush brush (150)
• I used: MAC Face & Body (NC30), Make Up Forever Lift undereye concealer, Afterdusk blush, Sculpt sculping powder, Tenderdusk beauty powder

Now, it is time to build the full-face with all the trimmings…

Step 1: Start with a freshly cleaned and moisturized face–free of makeup.

Step 2: Using the 194 brush (small, firm concealer brush), apply dabs of liquid foundation onto cheeks, chin, and forehead (nose, too, if you wish!).

Step 3: With your buffer brush, pull each dab of foundation out to provide even coverage of the area (e.g., chin as shown).

Step 4: Continue to pull the foundation dabs to cover your skin (e.g., cheeks as shown).

Step 5: You can use sweeping or circular motions, depending on your preference. I usually sweep the dabs out across the skin and then use circular motions to even it out.

Step 6: This is what a naturally dewy liquid foundation looks like.

Step 7: Admittedly, most people apply concealer first, and I do it sometimes as well — I haven’t found it particularly meaningful for eyes (which is the only place I use it). If you use color-correcting concealers, then it is a must to apply prior to foundation! Nonetheless, same technique can apply… Apply undereye concealer underneath lower lash line covering the dark circles life has given you, and make sure you apply enough that it goes below the area you want to conceal.

Step 8: Introduce MAC’s 187 stippling brush–a cult favorite–is great for gently brushing concealer into skin.

Step 9: Sometimes I need to close my eye to really be able to sweep the concealer to perfection.

Step 10: Bye-bye dark circles, well, kind of.

Step 11: Using the 187 stippling brush, apply a pressed powder like MAC’s Mystery Powder all over face to set the liquid foundation and help minimize shine.

Step 12: See, less shine already, yay!

Step 13: Using the 168 angled contour brush, I picked up a token amount of Sculpt sculping powder and place it just below the apples of my cheeks.

Step 14: Suck it in, ladies. Finding the right place to contour is easiest by making the “fish face.” Where your cheeks hollow out, that’s where your brush should be going.

Step 15: Gently blend the contour out–not too much–but just enough so it fades out and isn’t a harsh line.

Step 16: It’s coming along, right?

Step 17: It’s easier to see the effect of contouring from straight-on–too bad I’m a little off-center there! But you can tell on the left side (your left) that my cheek isn’t so pudgy.

Step 18: Using the 150 powder brush, pick up a little bit of Afterdusk blush.

Step 19: Smile pretty, because you want to see the apples of your cheeks, which is where the blush should be concentrated on (and blended outwards so you don’t have two circles on your face).

Step 20: Blend the blush color upwards towards your temple, but not so high as to extend past your eye area.

Step 21: Like so.

Step 22: If it’s not dark enough, go over it with another pass, utilizing the same technique.

Step 23: See, same technique!

Step 24: Back to our beloved 182 buffer brush, because we need to buff the blush color and contour color together.

Step 25: Don’t leave out any part!

Step 26: Now we have raspberry-ish cheeks.

Step 27: Subtle blush, I would say, perhaps a touch darker than subtle…

Step 28: Again, with the 150 powder brush, pick up a bit of Tenderdusk beauty powder (our highlighter).

Step 29: Apply on the top of the apples of your cheeks–essentially, we are trying to highlight the cheekbones, so if you need to, feel around your cheeks for good measure.

Step 30: Move upwards towards your temple.

Step 31: Pretty!

Step 32: Hey, if you want to utilize your highlighter, feel free to dab a touch of it on your forehead.

Step 33: Chin, too — reflecting light off your chin can accentuate features. If you really want to go all out, dust a touch along the center of your nose (best to do this last, so you use remnants of highlighter rather than a full swipe of it, so you don’t overdo it).

Step 34: Cheeky, aren’t you!

Step 35: Always fun to see it from the side-view.

Step 36: Add eyebrows (thank god for brow filling!), change shirt (love green shirts, but not with this blush!), and you look instantly more put together.

Step 37: Yes, I do believe we’ve done our skin a favor.

Step 38: Add eyeshadows and lip color for a true view of how it all comes together.

Step 39: One more view from the side, just to show off the cheeks better. Voila!