Crave the dewey glow you see on the red carpet? the gorgeous cheekbones and perfect skin? As a makeup artist there are some absolute must haves needed in the old bag of tricks.  The best way to create a flawless face just takes a few simple steps:

 Step 1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! There is nothing worse than dry flaky skin for foundation to sit on top of.  Not pretty.

 Step 2. Primer: If you are not a fan of your own skin texture or color such as too many little bumps, pimples, (that you are working on of course- but I digress) or you have redness that comes through anything you put on you need to Prime.  It's like setting your skin up to win all the time. A nice silicone based primer will let your foundation glide onto your face. Tip: To conceal redness try a green tinged primer on those spots to counteract the red.

 Step 3. If after your primer you like what you see, then you may need only a little coverage instead of full coverage.  The newest BB creams are perfect for this.  I like Garnier's Nutrioniste BB Cream. It gives you extra hydration, a nice glow and is usually build able without getting cakey.  It also has added vitamins and ingredients that help your skin while giving you a little color and sheer coverage.  One of those glorious two for one deals. However, If you feel you still need more coverage then a regular foundation is key.  Choose one for your skin type- oily girls need more of a matte finish and normal to dry can get away with ones that give a little glow.

 Step 4. Concealer.  My preferred concealer  you can actually find in a drugstore.  Though I never really met a concealer I did not like.  For heavy duty concealing, Laura Mercier makes a great one called Secret Camouflage that you can find at any luxury cosmetic boutique or department store.  I like to conceal after I apply my base.  Only for the fact that when putting on concealer before  foundation you wind up wiping off what you put on.  With concealer last- you can blend a little where you need it such as under the eyes and around the nose (like for those pesky tissue blowing red rings) and on any blemishes that may still peek through your base.

 Step 5. Lastly, highlighter and bronzer for a shimmery glow.  NARS makes a lovely highlighting cream that can double as a blush too.  Lancome's bronzer is just the right shade to contour and givea subtle tint.  I like placing my bronzer in the hollow of my cheeks, across my forehead and chin.  Highlighting cream or powder instantly lifts your cheek bones when you place it right under your temple to halfway under your eye- like the shape of the letter C following your orbital bone.  Down the bridge of the nose helps slenderize it as well.

After these five steps your face will be ready for whatever you want next, mascara and gloss for a natural look or for a more glam look smokey shadows and black liquid liner. Either way I guarantee you will look fabulous and flawless!