It’s constantly coveted but eternally elusive–even skin tone. Whether we’ve got a few surprise blemishes, under eye circles, or dark spots that seem to manifest increasingly as the years go by, there always seems to be a roadblock on the way to perfect skin. While we believe a thorough skincare regimen is the real key to combatting your complexion woes, there’s nothing like the immediate satisfaction of squeezing that makeup—so full of promise and glittery unicorns—into your hand and covering uneven skin in a snap. To give us the expert take on even complexions, we enlisted the wisdom of professional makeup artist Mirna Jose.

Choose the Right Foundation Shade

If your skin tone is uneven, Jose recommends choosing your foundation shade wisely and varying the application on different parts of your face. “Look at your face to see where you need foundation the most. If your forehead is substantially darker than the rest of your face get a foundation color between the darkest and the lightest and it will even it out. Or you can use the same color foundation as the lightest part, just don´t apply as much on the darker areas because it will look ashy,” she says.

MDC Tip: If you need help finding a new foundation here’s more on how to find the right foundation for your skin type.

Consider Undertones

Because blemishes and under eye circles have different undertones—red versus blue—Jose recommends covering them differently. “Apply a warm undertone concealer on top of the foundation for under eye circles and cool tone for blemishes. Finish with a setting powder,” she recommends.

Employ the Color Wheel

If you’re battling redness all over, “the best solution is to get a green base primer. This would help cancel out the redness in the skin, then you can apply your foundation.” If your redness is only in certain spots, try a color correcting concealer instead.

MDC Tip: If the phrase ”color correcting” has you stumped, here’s our expert guide to color correcting concealer.

Keep it Smooth

Jose’s final skin-evening tip may be the most important one of all. “Exfoliate, exfoliate and hydrate the skin. Whether it’s powder, liquid or cream—if your skin is not smooth any foundation you use will look cakey.”

My, oh my, what an even complexion you have! Have any other specific makeup questions for our experts? Leave them below with a comment.

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