A recent client of mine wanted a natural look for a party she was throwing. She asked for her eyes to "pop" without looking overdone and her skin to look flawless and glowing.

The before photo was taken with her own makeup and the after photo was taken with my camera (no retouching) after our session. Below are my 2 biggest tips for stepping up your makeup routine to create a more polished look without looking overly made up.

1. For the eyes- Line your upper water line. Get your liner, whether it be gel, liquid or pencil, right between those upper lashes. This helps to fill in those gaps and leaves you without any eyelid skin showing through. In effect, this creates a thicker and fuller lash line. This technique is called tightlining. I find it most easily acheived using Laura mercier's tightline cake liner and her flat synthetic brush. Wet the product slightly until you achieve a thick and dark consistency and wiggle the brush in between the lashes. This takes some practice, but it's worth it!

2. Flawless skin- it's all about layers! When you use thin layers you don't have to pack on a ton of product all at once to cover imperfections. Try starting off with a concealer to cover any discoloration and blemishes. You can mix a bit of the concealer (if it seems too thick) with your moisturizer or primer. You'll be surprised at how much less foundation you will end up needing and using. For a more natural, airbrushed look, layer your favorite foundation with a natural hair brush instead of the typical synthetic. This will keep you from depositing too much product and help you focus on blending. Only apply the foundation where you need it instead of slathering it on your entire face and creating a makeup mask. Your skin will thank you!