From Magazine Pages to Real Life Faces

We all want the look: a perfect, flawless, air-brushed face. Skin so perfected you think Photoshop worked it's magic outside the computer. Flip a page in the latest magazine and there it is -- staring up at you with a doll-like complexion through the glossy page of a billion dollar marketing campaign promising you too can look that good. Dazzled and then depressed because you know you can't replicate that look because it isn't in your genetic makeup to have skin so smooth, you flip the page and move on to the next ad.

While we may not naturally have a face that would launch a thousand ships, we have the tools and materials we need to get us there. Over the years I have experimented my way through countless brands, spending money faster than I earned it and spending more time than the average makeup guru in Sephora. Of them, I have developed love and hate relationships with various brands; picking up different tricks of the trade to creating the illusion of a flawless finish. For starters, let's talk tools. A great foundation brush is key in creating a look that will have guys wondering just how smooth and soft your perfect complexion really is. Of the numerous foundation brushes available, I prefer the "188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush" by MAC Cosmetics. Made from a blend of soft goat and synthetic fibres, this white tipped brush is perfect for applying foundations of any kind -- creme, fluid or powder. TIP: Blend foundation into skin in circular motions to create an air-brushed illusion. To blend in those hard-to-reach spots, any regular foundation brush will do!

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT146&PRODUCT_ID=1391CATEGORY_ID=CAT146&PRODUCT_ID=1391 $34.00

Primers, Foundations and Powder Compact Brands I swear by:

- Cover FX Mineral Powder Foundation: The Cover FX brand was developed to "correct and perfect" the complexion of your skin. With A+-mazing coverage, this compact (and entire brand!) can make absolutely anyone's skin look model perfect without the feeling of layered-on, caked-on makeup. Nobody likes to see streaky makeup lines of too-heavy foundations! Cover FX is one of the most highly recommended brands for sensitive and intolerant skin by dermatologists.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=Cover%20FX&categoryId=C108 $32

SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer: Smashbox is the leading brand for photography friendly cosmetics. Makeup artists around the world swear by this brand and many have offered their tricks of the trade. This award winning foundation primer is the perfect start to a perfect face! Patted on (rather than rubbed), this primer comes in numerous, purpose-driven shades that prep your face for foundation.

Clear, colorless: original and light

Green: minimizes redness

Lavender: for yellow skintones

Apricot: conceals under eye cirlces, veins and sunspots

Bronze: gives illusion of a sheer tan

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P9889&categoryId=C10905 $36

Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation: This camera-ready, photo-friendly foundation fills in fine lines and pores, giving its users a fabulously flawless finish. Available at Sephora, this professional brand has mastered a liquid foundation that gives buildable, oil-free medium to full coverage.

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P217905&categoryId=C13402 $40