No amount of makeup can replicate the power of a good complexion. When you have great skin, makeup becomes a playful accessory, not a necessity.
When wearing makeup, especially a base, bronzer, or blush, always be sure to clean it from your face. Taking it off is as simple as finding the right makeup remover.
1 Saturate a cotton pad with cleansing water, coconut oil, a gel-based makeup remover, or a milky cleanser, and gently use it to wipe the majority of makeup from your face. Use both sides of the pad.
2 Saturate a second cotton pad with your makeup remover of choice (see previous step) and gently swipe it from the inner corner of your eye outward. For extra-heavy eye makeup, start by pressing the saturated pad on your closed lid for a few seconds before wiping.
3 Use an additional saturated cotton pad to wipe lipstick off your lips. For especially long-wearing formulas, apply petroleum jelly or coconut oil to your lips and let it sit for a few minutes, then gently buff off the lipstick with a warm washcloth, working in a circular motion.
It is among the cardinal sins in beauty to not wash your face before falling asleep. Cleansing is an important ritual for the beginning of your skincare routine.
1 Splash tepid water on your face.
2 Put a quarter-size amount of cleanser on your fingers and rub your hands together.
3 Massage the cleanser in a zig-zagging motion (up and down) across your forehead.
4 Massage the cleanser down the bridge of your nose and out across the cheeks toward your ears.
5 Follow the jawline starting at the center of your chin and going up to your ears, massaging the cleanser into your skin.
6 Splash tepid water on your face until the cleanser is completely washed off. Repeat if necessary.
7 Pat—don’t rub—your skin dry with a clean towel.
TIP • Most cleansers will target a skin type directly on the label. But acne-prone skin types can opt for formulas with salicylic acid or honey, which is antibacterial. Oily skin should reach for oil-free gel-based formulas. Combination skin can use anything so long as it’s not too drying. Dry skin types should use milk, cream, or oil-based cleansers. Sensitive skin should look for gentle cleansers with few ingredients.
One of the most pleasurable aspects of skincare, face mists are designed to give you instant, on-the-go hydration that is all but guaranteed to elevate your mood and energy. But a spritz of face mist can also work as a skincare primer, contributing a thin, easily absorbable layer of moisture to your skin before you layer on moisturizer. And, even better, a quick mist will give cakey-looking makeup a lived-in finish.
Classically designed to reestablish the pH balance of your skin and to remove any excess dirt or makeup that your cleanser missed, modern toners are now formulated to also prevent breakouts, counter dryness, and add an extra boost of complexion-brightening ingredients to your skin. After washing your face, apply your toner to a cotton pad and press onto dry skin.
Created to target your primary skin concerns, from dullness to acne and aging, serums are denser with active nutrients than your average moisturizer. Apply after washing (or using toner) and wear alone or layer under moisturizer.
ANTI-AGING
Look for serums packed with pollution- and UV-fighting antioxidants, such as vitamin C. Peptides and growth factors will also strengthen the skin against wrinkles.
LIFTED APPEARANCE
Peptides boost collagen and elastin production to restore strength to the skin for a firmer, tighter look.
BRIGHTER COMPLEXION
Retinol and vitamin A are ingredients that will accelerate cell renewal to smooth the complexion and make the skin more radiant.
The skin bordering your eye is surprisingly idiosyncratic. Targeted creams address the especially delicate skin, small pores, and dark circles surrounding the eye.
1 Dot on your eye cream along the lowest border of your under-eye area. Don’t get too close to the eyes.
2 Gently press the eye cream into your skin with your ring finger, outside to inside, to avoid tugging the skin and causing future wrinkles.
3 Spread any remaining product under your brow bone.
4 End with a gentle circular motion, starting at the inner brow bone, working out to the outer brow bone, down to the outer corner of your under eye, and in to the inner corner.
Moisturizing is arguably the most important step in maintaining a radiant and wrinkle-free complexion.
1 Place a dime- to quarter-size amount of product in your hands, and warm it between your palms.
2 Gently press the product evenly into the face and neck.
3 Then start massaging into the jawline and chin with small, upward movements. Do not pull the skin.
4 Press the face cream into your cheeks, then onto your forehead.
5 Press remaining product onto your neck and décolletage.
The importance of daily sunscreen cannot be stressed enough for keeping your skin safe from premature aging and cancer-causing UV rays. Always choose a broad-spectrum formula with an SPF between 30 and 50—any lower will not be effective and any higher than 50 offers no added protection.
PHYSICAL
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are natural minerals that, when ground to a fine powder, block harmful rays from touching your skin. Generally speaking, these formulas tend to have a heavier feeling but a longer life on the skin than their chemical counterparts.
CHEMICAL
Chemical sunscreens block UV rays with carbon-compound cocktails that reduce ultraviolet radiation penetration to the skin, and can also contain UVB- and UVA-absorbing chemicals. They tend to have a lighter finish on the skin.
Supercharge your skincare routine with masks that help to hydrate, smooth fine lines, clear clogged pores, and boost radiance.
DETOX AND ACNE
Mud masks and charcoal-based masks draw impurities to the surface and deeply cleanse the skin.
RADIANCE
Chemical peels and physical exfoliating masks slough away dead skin cells for brighter-looking skin.
FINE LINES
Retinol masks and masks containing vitamin C and lactic acid will boost collagen production to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
HYDRATE
Sheet masks, sleeping packs, hyaluronic acid masks, and moisture-rich masks will all help restore suppleness and glow to your skin.
DE-PUFFING
Cooling ingredients and caffeine will help boost circulation to de-puff the skin.
Turn your daily skincare routine into an at-home spa treatment by applying serums and creams in a wrinkle-fighting, de-puffing, circulation-boosting face massage.
1 Using your fingertips, gently massage product from the lower neck upward to the chin.
2 Massage serum, cream, or sunscreen from the lower jaw to the earlobe. Repeat on the other side.
3 Massage from the chin to the earlobe. Repeat on other side.
4 In sweeping, gentle gestures, massage from the outer corner of your lips, under the cheekbone, up and out to your earlobe. Repeat on other side.
5 Massage the product from the outside of the nostril up to the temple. Repeat on other side.
6 Starting at the bottom outside of the nostril, massage up and in to the bridge of the nose.
7 Starting at the forehead and going up to the hairline, massage the product into forehead.
