Makeup How-To: Get Summer-Ready, Gorgeous Matte Skin

 

Summer skin is often shiny skin, which can translate to sweaty, greasy, and not cute. To tone down the sheen and leave your skin looking gorgeously matte, follow these simple steps from celebrity makeup artist Kirstin Piggott, who dolls up the faces of Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger, and more. 

1. Prep your skin. First, cleanse, tone, and moisturize your skin, so your makeup goes on easier and lasts longer. Then, apply a matte primer over your T-zone to give you extra mattifying protection in that area, since it's the oiliest spot on your face. Charlotte swiped on MAC Cosmetics Matte.

2. Break out the matte BB cream. Apply a matte BB cream all over your face using your fingers to warm the formula and really work it into your skin. Use no more than a pea-size amount because you don't want the makeup to look heavy and caked on. Try Rimmel London Matte BB Cream, which Charlotte applied in "Light."

3. Add a bit of concealer. If you need extra coverage, apply concealer to touch up any problem areas, like dark circles or a blemish. "You always want to apply concealer after you've put on your base to avoid using too much concealer," Piggott says. Charlotte used YSL Touch Éclat concealer.

4. Set your concealer. Sweep a transculent powder, like Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, underneath your eyes only, since the concealer can get greasy in that area. This not only sets the concealer, but also has light reflective properties so it brightens the eyes.

5. Dab a bit of matte blush onto the apples of your cheeks. In keeping with the matte theme, use a cream blush with a matte finish (or a powder), so your look doesn't fade by 4 p.m. And go for a natural shade of blush, such as Rimmel London Stay Blushed Liquid Cheek Tint in "Peach," so you're left with a soft flush. Do not top your your matte skin with a shiny blush, because it will make your cheeks look greasy.

6. Finish with lip balm. Apply a flesh-toned lip balm to your mouth for a beautiful, natural-looking lip and to complete your fresh-faced matte skin. Try Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.

Finally, here you go! :*