Every woman is envious of the naked, glowing, flawless face. Come on, this is exactly why Instagram and Facebook created the “No Makeup Challenge”, women can’t stop dreaming of the perfect flawless complexion. Yet in reality, at least in social media terms, photoshop and photo filters go a long way to create this illusion. Real life is no different, the perfect no-makeup makeup requires a ton of light coverage foundation, contouring, and blending, but it doesn’t require the hands and brushes of a professional makeup artist.

Achieve the flawless face of your dreams using the following steps:

1. Foundation primer
Makeup primer provides the clean, smooth, even base for your foundation and makeup. You can think of a primer as the beauty product that prepares your art canvas (aka: face) for color, shading, and contouring. Foundation primer is applied smooth all over the face (including the eyelids), but comes in a powder, gel, or cream formula. If your face is oily, a powder primer will work best and it won’t be absorbed by facial oils. While a normal to dry face will do better with a cream or gel primer that moisturizes at the same time it creates a smooth, even base. Makeup primer is essential for foundation that lasts all day and night long.

2. Blend with foundation
Next, you’ll begin applying a creamy, medium coverage foundation all over your face. Use a foundation that closely matches your skin shade and avoid too light or too dark shades. Yes, you’ll likely need a different foundation in winter and summer if you tan easily. Use a slightly dampened makeup sponge to dab, no wipe, foundation over the entire face. Remember you’re not masking the skin, you’re enhancing it. To do that you’ll need to even out redness, uneven texture, blemishes and other discolorations by blending the foundation gently into your skin, including up into the hairline and around the lips, nose, and eyes so no visible lines remain.

3. Conceal stubborn blemishes
Concealer is your literal camouflage for pimples, under eye circles, and redness in your T-zone (forehead, nose, and either side of the nose to cheeks). Also known as coverup, you can tailor your coverage with a creamy concealer and fine tipped makeup brush. Start by banishing blemishes by applying a green-tinted cream concealer directly over a pimple using a clean brush, let it set and thicken a tad, then blend, blend, blend the concealer into the skin in a circular motion. To banish under eye circles, draw a downturned triangle with your concealer right under your lower lid and blend into the surrounding skin. Using a slightly lighter shade than your natural skin tone will lighten, open, and lift the eyes. Finish with a touch of brightening powder in the corners of each eye.

4. Ready, set powder
Finish your look with a quality setting powder to hold your makeup in place while creating dimension and locking in your look. Setting or finishing powder sets the foundation and concealer in place and banishes any uneven lines or cracks around eyes, nose, lips, and on the cheeks. Choose a colored loose setting powder to banish redness and add brightness. Apply a translucent setting powder using a large makeup brush for polishing off your look with no color variation.