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T
HIS IS THE
makeup that has the most contact with your skin and (in a perfect world, anyway!) stays put all day long. Make it a priority to choose the cleanest products possible to protect your pores and give you a safe, healthy glow. A great base layer minimizes flaws, but it’s really about letting your true beauty shine through.

Most days, I have no desire to do the full primer-foundation-concealer routine, but I still need a little something. Enter tinted moisturizer: It evens things out and makes you all glowy but takes 2 seconds to apply.

I’m particularly fond of tinted moisturizers with SPF because it helps me do even more product multitasking; 100% Pure makes a nice one. And I really love Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer with SPF; it’s a bit pricier, but you cannot beat how well it glides on and never cakes.

Whatever moisturizer you use, let it sit and absorb for a few minutes before you layer on more cosmetics. This gives your skin a chance to drink it in and get thoroughly hydrated, which makes everything else easier to apply. And always insist that your moisturizer (and all your cosmetics) be synthetic-fragrance free. It’s a key way to avoid
phthalates
, since this product sits on your face all day, and you want to minimize chemical absorption into your bloodstream.

Primer is one of those products that I thought was a total waste of time—until a makeup artist made me try it. Then I realized how completely poreless it makes your face—and how much longer the rest of your makeup stays in place. I was a convert! Think of it as a 3-second investment in the rest of your face. (Plus you’ll break out less because it prevents everything else from gunking up your pores.)

I tend to skip primer if I’m just using tinted moisturizer, but if you’re very oily or have the kind of skin where everything seems to wear off by noon, primer can help make it last. Otherwise, use it after moisturizer but before foundation. You might also want to look for a mattifying primer (Hourglass and Korres make nice ones), but don’t over-matte yourself—I like a little shine because I think it makes skin look young and dewy! Plus it can look weird if your face is super matte and the rest of you is normal.

Most primers are white or clear, so they’ll be invisible. I’m also a big fan of Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Makeup Color Base, which comes in shades of yellow, purple, and green and lets you correct color imperfections (like dark circles and red spots) before you layer on your foundation.

I apply my concealer over tinted moisturizer or foundation—I know that sounds a little counterintuitive, but it gives me a much cleaner application. (When I put concealer on first, I find the moisturizer just wipes it all off!) The trick is to apply concealer with a small brush or a
Beautyblender sponge
so it mixes in seamlessly with your base—and you can avoid that globby raccoon-eyes effect.

I also stash a concealer in my purse at all times (RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up and Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer are my favorites) because it’s the fastest way to do touch-ups without having to set up for a full foundation redo. I’m always whipping it out in the car or my office—10 seconds of dabbing and I’m good to go!

I’m a liquid foundation girl all the way—with my dry skin, powder can get cakey, or worse, just settle into every little line. I’m completely obsessed with Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi Moisture Foundation. It’s from Japan (but you can find it at Sephora) and is so smooth, it almost feels like moisturizer. (It’s a little pricey, but you can always make it last longer by mixing a dab with your tinted moisturizer.)

If you’re oily, however, powder might be a better choice—the wrong liquid foundation can make you more prone to breakouts. That’s why it’s always smart to do a patch test with any new product (but you knew that, of course). Just make sure that
any
powder cosmetics you choose are talc free and 100 percent pure minerals—you don’t want any of the cheap fillers some of those greenwashing mineral lines use.

Powder is strictly optional for everyday but is useful for setting makeup and preventing shine. My favorite (Koh Gen Do again) is a translucent loose powder that’s magical for spot illumination—it’s as if a TV lighting crew were following you around. Jane Iredale PurePressed Base SPF 20 is more heavily pigmented and is a great option for an all-over matte finish.

C
OLOR IS ONE OF
my favorite ways to express myself, whether it’s a dramatic eye or a bold red lip. But it can also be a landmine because there aren’t always clean alternatives that work as well as synthetic-filled brands. Go as toxin free as you can on the everyday stuff, but don’t feel bad if you need to put performance over purity at times.

I opt for cream blushes or cheek stains (100% Pure makes a fabulous one; I also love Tarte’s) because I find that powder blushes can look chalky. But it’s a personal preference! There are some great powders out there—like Korres’ Zea Mays Blush and 100% Pure’s—if that’s your thing. Whichever type of blush you use, Lauren Andersen advises applying it only where you would naturally flush (the tops of your cheeks) with a big powder brush or Beautyblender, using loose, circular movements for a natural, not-painted-on look.

The point of highlighter is to reflect light, which brightens your whole face—so again, this is about creating a natural, healthy glow that lets your authentic beauty shine through . . . not spackling on tons of product. Lauren likes to apply highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, and just under the brow bones, as well as to the inside corner of each eye. The effect should be very subtle—but it wakes up your whole face!

I’m super into bronzer because it’s a much healthier way to look sun kissed and golden than to actually, you know, tan. (It’s also way better for you than using most sunless tanners, which can contain
sketchy chemicals
.) Again, Lauren says, think about where you’d naturally go golden if the sun’s rays were allowed to penetrate your SPF—tops of cheeks, around the hairline (not brows!), and bridge of the nose. Use a big loose powder brush or a Beautyblender to apply the bronzer with big circular motions—this way, you’ll avoid that not-so-natural tiger stripe effect. Hourglass has a great crème-to-powder bronzer that looks very authentic. I’m also a fan of Jane Iredale’s 24-Karat Gold Dust, for special occasions. And if I’m going to show some leg, I’ll mix a little into my body lotion—it creates a subtle shimmer that makes cellulite lumps and bumps a tad less noticeable!

The first rule of Honest Beauty is that there really aren’t any rules—you should feel free to play around with any color that excites you! But I’m also all about playing up your assets—and a lot people have great eyes. So choosing shadow colors that truly complement your natural eye color is a pretty effortless way to highlight your natural beauty. Here are Lauren’s suggestions: