How to Blend Your Makeup So it Looks Flawless Every Time

If there’s anything makeup lovers everywhere can agree on, is that blending is key. It’s the difference between a smoky eye and something resembling panda costume makeup (which is only cute so many days of the year), and blending is what separates the beginners from the experts. Barring correct color choices and high performance products, correct blending can make drugstore makeup look expensive, and mediocre blending can make even the priciest beauty buys underperform. Blending different areas of the face also requires different skills, tools and techniques (contour is different from eyeshadow and blush), which is why we’ve rounded up our favorite tutorials by the best beauty gurus to help you out along the way.

Here’s how to blend your makeup perfectly every time:

How to Blend Eyeshadow

Eyeshadow can be a tricky thing. With amazing color palettes and shades comes millions of possibilities, if you can get it right. The key to landing a solid shadow look almost always depends on your blending ability and is one of those makeup techniques that only gets better with time. Whether you’re picking up an eyeshadow brush for the first time or know your way around an eyeshadow palette, brush up on your skills with this tutorial by Eimear Mcelheron where she shares how to nail a simple eyeshadow look from start to finish.

How to Blend Blush

Rosy, vibrant cheeks have been one of the major makeup trends sweeping the beauty world this season, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Bright, flushed cheeks are the perfect companion to any (or most) makeup looks, especially if you know how to make it look natural and subtle. For perfect application every time, see this tutorial by makeup artist Wayne Goss, who shares five different placement options for your blush (there’s more than just the apples of your cheeks!) so you can completely customize your look.

How to Blend Foundation

For foundation that looks like a second skin (our forever goal), try this “no Facetune needed” tutorial by Alissa Ashley, who’s the queen of flawless makeup looks. Perfectly blending your foundation is the key to a great base, and will set the stage for any makeup look.

How to Blend Contour

Unblended contour is practically a makeup sin at this point, making this one of the most important blending techniques on this list. It’s the perfect way to add definition to the face, and an easy way to create dimension and add warmth to the skin. Try this tutorial by Roxette Arisa ahead, where she shares how to blend your highlight and contour to perfection.