3 Underrated Steps for Flawless Makeup 

We can all get a little lazy with our daily beauty routine. We skip a step here and there, but at the end of the day we're left wondering why our makeup falls flat. Learn which three steps you just can't skip.

CURLING THE LASHES

One of the quickest tricks that makes the hugest difference, curled lashes subtly lift your lashes and put a twinkle in your eye--dramatic results for such a small step. On occasion, when we do wear mascara, curled lashes also boost their performance and impact. We stick with our tried and true Shu Uemura lash curler, but Shiseido and Revlon also make fantastic alternatives.

PREPPING THE SKIN

Many people forget to hydrate the skin in the morning because they don't want an extra step in their routine. Skin needs some kind of moisture in the morning for foundation/powder to glide over, otherwise you end up looking dull and cakey by mid-day. For dry and sensitive skin, use a gentle and emollient moisturizer like Embryolisse Lait Creme or Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer. Wait for the cream to absorb into the skin, then blot off excess product after 10 minutes—apply makeup as usual. For oily skin, spritz a generous amount of toner or hydrating facial spray like MAC Fix+ to skin, and wait five minutes before application.

CONTOURING AND HIGHLIGHTING

Many apply contour and highlighter separately, but they need each other to work efficiently.We darken the sunken parts of our face to recede—facial contours, the eye socket, and the sides of the nose—while we illuminate the parts of the face that light hits first—the tops of cheekbones, brow bones, and the bridge of the nose. When we use both techniques on the face together, the sculpted effect is much more dramatic. Luckily, many brands already make pre-made contour/highlight kits to take the guess-work out your routine.