The order of applying makeup products is surprisingly critical to any makeup look. I hope to show you why by outlining the order which has been most successful for me.

1) Moisturizer/Sunscreen: I can’t overemphasize this step! Sunscreen is essential for long-term beauty preservation and, most importantly, for the prevention of the various skin cancers. For very oily-skinned types, it is acceptable to skip this step — as long as sunscreen is incorporated in some other step (i.e. foundation, powder, etc.). A great facial moisturizer for oily individuals is the Cetaphil version, which contains SPF 30 and is readily available at Wal-Mart and most drugstores.

2) Eye Primer: I never apply eyeshadow without eyeshadow primer because, without it, eyeshadow WILL crease as the day goes on. And that’s just ugly. My favorite is Urban Decay’s eye primer potion!

3) Eyeshadow: If you’re wondering why I place eyeshadow application before foundation application, here’s why! It’s very common for eyeshadow to flake/fall onto the cheeks during application. If you’ve already applied your foundation, then all your hard work to contour, highlight, etc. is ruined. It’s far easier to apply eyeshadow first then later cover up the fallout with foundation and/or powder.

4) Eyeliner: Always line the eyes prior to mascara since it is difficult not to smudge mascara if it’s done afterward.

5) Mascara: I prefer to add an eyelash primer to this step since it helps separate the lashes and gives something for the mascara to cling to on the lashes, making for more volume. But it’s not essential.

6) Foundation: At this point, you can apply foundation, which, as I stated above, will help blot out the eyeshadow fallout inevitably incurred in Step #3.

7) Concealer:. This is a great time to apply concealer, both underneath the eye and on any blemishes. Applying this product after foundation ensures that the concealer pigment remains bright as foundation is usually darker than concealer.

8) Powder: I’d advise to only apply powder on areas which become oily during the day (i.e. t-zone) since powder can quickly cake if too much is applied. The exception to this rule occurs if you are applying your sunscreen in this step with an SPF-containing powder; in that case, be sure to dust powder all over the face.

9) Brow Powder: This step needs to be taken after powder, since the latter will dust over the brows and lighten any product applied there. Strong, but trimmed, brows frame the face.

10) Contouring Powder / Bronzer: Apply to the hollows of the cheeks, the hairline around the forehead, the temples, and the sides of the nose for a chiseled (and slimmer) look.

11) Blush: Smile, and apply to the apples of the cheeks thus created!

12) Highlighter: Apply to the top of the cheekbones on either side, on the brow bone underneath the eyebrow, or perhaps along the bridge of the nose. I would not advise applying highlighter on the forehead as it can make you look even more oily/shiny there throughout the day.

13) Lipliner:. This step is completely optional, and I skip it most of the time since matching lipliner to lipstick is usually a pain. The only exception is when you can apply a lipliner close to your natural lip color and apply a gloss on top — gorgeous!

14) Lipstick: The most fun step, in my opinion!

15) Gloss: This step is also optional, but gloss does provide an extra dash of polished femininity to any look!

See you next time!