How to apply full coverage face makeup

If your makeup routine usually calls for basic coverage with a sheer lip, you may be worried about trying full coverage makeup. The term sounds ominous, but creating a full coverage look doesn’t require 20 extra steps or an additional hour of prep time in the morning.

The key to full coverage makeup is to work in stages and to build up coverage where it’s needed. This tutorial walks you through the basics, including foundation, concealer, contour, and blush. It even tackles those wayward brows and offers a no lipstick lip look that’s anything but boring.

Tools are important when creating this look, so doublecheck your arsenal to make sure you have a beauty sponge and multiple brushes. The cheek brush does double duty here, so don’t sweat it if you don’t have a highlighting or contour brush.

Materials
- Liquid foundation (NYX Total Control Drop Foundation)
- Damp beauty sponge
- Two shades of concealer (Fenty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Concealer)
- Dark concealer or contour cream (L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal, Espresso)
- Fluffy foundation brush
- Deep brown contour powder (Anastasia Beverly Hills Tan to Deep Powder Contour Kit, Espresso)
- Cheek brush
- Rose gold highlighter (Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit, Tourmaline)
- Brow pomade (Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, Ebony, not shown)
- Angled brow brush
- Spoolie
- Translucent powder (NYX HD Finishing Powder)
- Fluffy powder brush
- Brown lip liner (NYX Lip Liner Pencil, Cocoa)
- Concealer (Fenty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Concealer, 330)
- Coral blush (NYX High Definition Blush, Tuscan)
- Fluffy blush brush

Instructions
1. Apply liquid foundation to your face and press it into your skin with a damp beauty sponge.

2. To cover dark circles under your eyes, apply the darker concealer with the applicator wand where you have discoloration, then layer a small amount of lighter concealer on top of it. Press the concealer into your skin with the damp beauty sponge. Give your face added dimension by dabbing the residual concealer on the beauty sponge onto the center of your forehead. Tip: You can also conceal discoloration on your eyelids the same way.

3. Apply dark concealer or contour cream below your cheekbones and onto your upper forehead and jawline. Use the fluffy foundation brush to buff the product into the skin.

4. Deepen the contour to make your bone structure more prominent. Use the cheek brush to pat and swirl deep brown contour powder onto the areas you contoured in step three.

5. Highlight your cheekbones, temples, brow bone, nose, and chin by brushing rose gold highlighting powder onto the skin with a cheek brush.

6. Define your brows and fill in sparse areas by applying brow pomade with the angled brow brush. Use the spoolie to diffuse the pomade, so it looks natural.

7. For an all-day matte finish, apply translucent powder to your entire face with a damp beauty sponge. Sweep away any excess powder with a fluffy powder brush.

8. Line your lips with brown lip liner. Fill in the lips with liner as well, but leave the center of the lower lip untouched.

9. Dab concealer onto the center of each lip with your fingers.

10. Liven up your complexion by applying coral blush to your cheeks with a fluffy blush brush in light tapping strokes. Tip: Begin at the apples, then sweep the blush up toward the top of your ear in a diagonal motion. Blend thoroughly to eliminate harsh edges.

Your full coverage look is now complete. Stay pretty!