Tips for Evening Out Your Skin Tone β€” Plus, Our Fave Foundations and Concealers

Some days may call for a bright,Β statement-making lipΒ orΒ graphic eyeliner, but on other days, we’re all about letting our skin take center stage. No matter the condition your skin is in, there are ways to even out your skin tone with makeup and get a soft,Β satin skin finish. Below, we reached out to celebrity makeup artistΒ Dean Fournier, who’s ready to divulge his best tips for achieving flawless, even skin. The best part? You can master the steps in less than 10 minutes.

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What Is Uneven Skin Tone?

AnΒ uneven skin toneΒ is characterized by varying colors and pigmentation on the skin. Everyone has some degree of unevenness on the skin β€” after all, nobody’s skin is just one single color all over. An uneven skin tone can show up in the form of redness, hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and even an uneven sunburn or suntan. An uneven skin tone is different from an uneven skin texture, which typically comes from breakouts, bumps, enlarged pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.Β 

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What Causes an Uneven Skin Tone?

As mentioned before, an uneven skin tone can come about due toΒ discoloration, redness, sunburns, and/or hyperpigmentation. These can be influenced by a variety of factors, including but not limited to genetics, excess sun exposure, and fluctuations in hormones. If you’re concerned about having an uneven skin tone, we always recommend checking with a board-certified dermatologist to help determine the root cause and figure out a treatment plan. Protecting your skin from the sun by wearing aΒ broad-spectrum SPFΒ every day (which we recommend everyone doing anyways) and practicing sun-safe measures such as wearing protective accessories can help minimize and prevent an uneven-looking skin tone.Β 

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How to Even Out Your Skin Tone

Step 1: Start With Primer

L'OrΓ©al Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Dullness Reducer

β€œIn order to speed up your complexion perfection, don’t skip primer,” says Fournier. β€œA good primer will help smooth out your skin and allow makeup to glide on and blend easier and faster, not to mention last all day.” To even out your skin tone, Fournier recommends opting for a color-correcting primer, which can target specific concerns of discoloration. If minimizing the look of redness is your top priority, look for a primer with a green tint to it, such as theΒ L’OrΓ©al Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Redness Eraser. If you have a tan to deep skin tone and you struggle with dark spots and hyperpigmentation, look for a primer with an orange or peachy tint β€” we like theΒ L’OrΓ©al Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Dullness Reducer.Β 

Step 2: Apply Foundation

Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation

β€œNext, apply a sheer-to-medium-coverage foundation,” says Fournier. β€œBlend out with your fingers, then pat it in from your hairline to your jawline. This presses the product into your skin and gives you the most natural finish.” If you have extra time on your hands to blend and desire a fuller-coverage look, you can opt for a full-coverage foundation instead. For a medium-coverage foundation, you can’t go wrong with theΒ Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation, or theΒ Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid FoundationΒ if you’re looking for a drugstore option. If you prefer a full-coverage foundation, we recommend theΒ LancΓ΄me Teint Idole Ultra Wear FoundationΒ or theΒ NYX Professional Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation.

Step 4: Dust on Setting Powder to Finish

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Finishing Powder

Looking to cover blemishes? β€œA quick dusting of a powder is an important last step to help even out skin texture around any bumps,” says Fournier. Lightly dust on theΒ IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Finishing PowderΒ as a final touch to help you get an airbrushed finish.Β 

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The Best Products to Even Out Your Skin Tone

Looking for more recommendations to help even out your skin tone? Check out our picks below.Β 

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NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Blur Tint Foundation

NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Blur Tint Foundation

A little goes a long way with this buildable medium-coverage foundation. It instantly blurs the look of discoloration, texture and pores, leaving your skin with an even tone and filtered finish. The formula includes good-for-your-skin ingredients like glycerin, matcha and niacinamide for an ultra-smooth and moisturized look. This pick is very matte, so it’s recommended for keeping shine in check on oily and combination skin types.

LancΓ΄me Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer

LancΓ΄me Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer

It can be hard to find a concealer that offers full coverage in a lightweight, natural-feeling finish, but this one manages to check all of those boxes. It provides a flexible, soft matte finish that won’t cake or crease all day, long-lasting hydration and is non-comedogenic.

Valentino Beauty Very Valentino 24 Hour Wear Liquid Foundation

Valentino Beauty Very Valentino 24 Hour Wear Liquid Foundation

This semi-matte foundation looks and feels like your skin but better, with a breathable, buildable finish, 24-hour wear and 40 shades with a wide array of undertones.Β Our editorsΒ love how lightweight and long-lasting the formula is, even on high-humidity summer days.Β 

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Maybelline New York SuperStay Up to 24HR Hybrid Powder-Foundation

Maybelline New York SuperStay Up to 24HR Hybrid Powder-Foundation

Whether you use this powder as a foundation all over or pat it on top of another foundation to add extra coverage and staying power, this powder does the trick when it comes to evening out your skin tone. With a soft matte finish, medium-to-full coverage and a formula that resists sweat, water and transfer, it’s the perfect finishing touch to a full glam base routine.

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 50+

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 50+

Get all the benefits of a serum with an impressively full-coverage finish from this CC Cream. Hailed as the #1 SPF Foundation in America, it’s packed with skin-loving ingredients and a completely transparent SPF to protect your skin without leaving a white cast on tan and deep complexions. The original formula works for all skin types, while theΒ matte versionΒ is ideal for controlling shine on oily and combo skin. IT Cosmetics also offers anΒ illuminating formula, which helps revive and add glow to dry skin types.Β 

L’OrΓ©al Paris True Match Blendable Foundation

L’OrΓ©al Paris True Match Blendable Foundation

You don’t always need a full-coverage foundation to achieve a near-flawless, even-looking skin tone. What matters most is finding a formula that matches your skin tone exactly and blends in easily for a truly seamless finish. This lightweight foundation comes in almost 50 shades, which are formulated with up to six pigments to help you find your closest match.Β Our editorsΒ love it for its silky, lightweight feel and ease of blendability.Β 

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YSL Beauty All Hours Foundation

YSL Beauty All Hours Foundation

This foundation’s soft matte, full-coverage formula leaves skin looking picture-perfect and even in tone. Infused with hyaluronic acid, jasmine petal and PSF 30, it softens skin and helps defend against the sun’s rays with each use. After two weeks of continued application, it’s designed to leave skin looking and feeling softer, smoother and more hydrated.Β Β 

rms SuperNatural Radiance Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

rms SuperNatural Radiance Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

Part SPF, part tinted, radiance-enhancing corrector, this serum leaves skin looking glowy and protected from the sun’s rays. It comes in three shades β€” light, medium and deep β€” which are sheer enough to blend into any skin tone and add a subtle luminosity that looks especially stunning in natural light. With a combination of skincare ingredients, it helps to even out your skin tone overtime and increase the look of natural radiance.Β 

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Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder

Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder

Not quite a foundation but not quite a skincare product, this balm to powder formula offers skin a subtle tint as it blurs the look of texture and helps manage oily skin throughout the day. It contains oil-absorbing upsalite to help mattify your skin and can be worn alone or underneath a foundation for added coverage and blurring benefits. 

Makeup Products for Your Glowiest Skin Yet

Glowy, luminous,Β glazedΒ β€” if these are the words you want people to think of when they look at your skin, you’ve come to the right place. FromΒ highlightersΒ as reflective as a compact mirror to subtle glow-enhancing foundations and blushes that will make your cheeks look naturally kissed by the sun, we’ve rounded up a list of our favorite radiance-boosting makeup products ahead.

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The Best Glowy Makeup Products

L’OrΓ©al Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer

L'OrΓ©al Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer

Achieve a head-to-toe glow with this viral multi-use liquid luminizer. You can tap it onto the high points of your face for a targeted dewy sheen, mix it into your moisturizer or foundation for an all-over glow or apply it on your body to make your limbs gleam. Available in four shades, from pink-y champagne to deep bronze, there’s a hue made to complement every skin tone.

NYX Professional Makeup Jumbo Multi-Use Highlighter Sticks

NYX Professional Makeup Jumbo Multi-Use Highlighter Sticks

Scribble these chubby pearl-infused pencils anywhere you want an instant glow, from your cheekbones to the tip of your nose. The high-shine pigments, creamy texture and retractable tip make them incredibly easy to use, and the shade options range from classic coppers and golds to bright white and purple.Β 

Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation

Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation

A cult-favorite for a reason, this foundation delivers softly lit skin that looks glowy and blurred, even under harsh fluorescent lighting. You can sheer out or build up the formula to your desired coverage and watch your skin transform as though it’s been placed under an IRL filter.

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Maybelline New York FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter

Maybelline New York FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter

These richly pigmented and metallic powders are the perfect option for those who want their highlight to pop all day. Choose from four chrome-inspired shades, including a rich rose gold and a burnished topaz.

YSL Beauty NU Halo Tint Highlighter

YSL Beauty NU Halo Tint Highlighter

Not a fan of a blinding highlight? You might love this pearl-infused liquid, which imparts a subtle shimmer that looks glowy and refined, not overpowering. We love that it’s infused with moisturizing ingredients too, like vitamin E and jasmine flower extract.Β 

Urban Decay All Nighter Extra Glow Setting Spray

Urban Decay All Nighter Extra Glow Setting Spray

Lock in your makeup and preserve your glow all day with this longwear setting spray. Infused with hyaluronic acid and agave extract, it gives even matte foundations and powder products a subtle dewiness.Β 

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Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Glow Blush

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Glow Blush

These blushes give cheeks a smooth airbrushed pop of color and glow.Β Our editorsΒ fell in love with the versatile shade range, from rich berries and plums to sunset corals, along with the subtle luminosity they give the skin.Β 

about-face Vinyl Effect Eye Gloss

about-face Vinyl Effect Eye Gloss

Eye glosses give any eye look a layer of slick, wet-looking shine. This one is highly reflective and non-sticky, with a doe-foot applicator that makes application easy.Β 

The Best Pink Blushes For A Sun-Kissed Glow

Blush is a secret weapon a lot of us have incorporated into our makeup routines. It’s a simple step that adds dimension, a pop of color and creates a beautiful sun-kissed glow. Whether you’re a recent or a long-time user, you know that adding a little bit (or a lot – you do you!) of blush to your skin can do a whole lot to your appearance. The best thing about blush is that it comes in all different shades, making it easy to find one that pairs well with your skin and makeup preferences.

Pink is probably one of the most popular blush shades – along with any coral and peach shade. It looks great on any skin color and can give you a sun-kissed glow we all know and love during the spring and summer months.

Keep reading to see our favorite pink blushes that give you that just kissed by the sun look.

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Multi-Stick Cream Blush + Highlighter + Lip Tint in Washed Pink

$36

You can never go wrong with a cream blush. This Multi-Stick Cream Blush from Ilia can be used as a blush, highlighter and lip tint. It can be easily carried around in your purse for a touch-up whenever you need it. You’ll fall in love with its dewy finish and pretty pink color.

Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Happy

$23

The shade Happy in this Rare Beauty liquid blush is a dewy, cool pink color that you’ll love finishing your makeup look with. The liquid formula allows you to add as much or as little as you’d like. This shade is a brighter pink, which is perfect for creating a sun-kissed look all year round.

BYO Blush Color Changing Blush Oil

$36

Youthforia color changing blush oil will give you the right amount of flush to create that β€œnatural blushing” look. It works by reacting to your skin’s natural pH to give you a universally flattering glow. The blush is light and small, easy to be thrown into your purse for easy on-the-go touch-ups.

On-The-Glow Blush in Juicy

$18

If you love that rosy, flushed look after spending the day on the beach (which may ultimately be sunburn – don’t forget your sunscreen!), achieve it in a less skin-damaging way with Pixi On-The-Glow Blush in the shade Juicy and Ruby. It’s a beautiful sun-kissed that will blend easily on your skin, giving your skin a touch of glow.

Multi-use stick provides a hint of color while hydrating and conditioning skin in one swipe. This hydrating solid cheek tint is formulated to blend effortlessly on the skin for a natural finish on cheeks and lips. Enriched with botanicals and fruit extracts to create a nourished natural glow.

Blush in Orgasm – Peachy Pink with Shimmer

$32

While liquid and cream blushes are having a moment, we’ll always have room in our hearts for Nars Orgasm Blush. The shade is a peachy pink with a touch of shimmer. It’s perfect to use all year round, and will always give you a sun-kissed, golden glow. The powder formula is buildable, allowing you to get as sun kissed as you’d like, and a silky finish.

Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in 04 Crush On Cupid

$24

The only cupid we’re crushing on is this gorgeous, soft cool pink cream blush from Fenty Beauty. Miss Rihanna blessed us with this light-as-air blush that will melt into your skin. The pink shade will blend into your skin, creating a seamless and natural-looking finish, even with how pigmented it is.

Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum

$11

This powder-gel blush formula is extremely lightweight. It applies on your skin like a powder, and melts into your skin like a cream. The pink plum shade may be the perfect pink color that will look great with any and every skin tone. It’s the kind of color that makes you feel fresh and ready to tackle your day.

Blush Color Infusion in Passionfruit

$36

If you’re searching for a sheer powder blush that is also long wearing, look no further than the marvelous Laura Mercier. The Blush Color Infusion in the shade Passionfruit is a lighter pink color with a hint of warm coral. The blush adds a sheen to your skin, giving you a gorgeous glow and sun-kissed look instantly.

Cheek To Chic Blush in Love Glow

$42

Charlotte Tilbury’s richly pigmented blush will brighten any complexion. The blush comes in a stunning compact, which just adds to the experience of using the game-changing Cheek To Chic Blush. The Love Glow shade will give you that coveted sun-kissed glow. Its formula is rich and will blend beautifully on your skin.

Major Headlines Double-Take CrΓ¨me & Powder Blush in She’s That Girl

$36

Not only is this blush ideal for creating a natural, but noticeable finish, the formula locks into your skin for extended wear. It comes with a cream and powder blush. The powder goes on first to set the tone for the sun-kissed glow, and the cream goes onto the apples of your cheeks to create the dewy and natural glow. The beautiful shade and glow will make you feel like you’re really that girl.

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As you can see, there are many products out there to help you create that kissed-by-the-sun glow we all know and love. Whether you’re a cream-based or powder-based fan, we’re sure you’ll find your new go-to pink blush with the list we’ve curated.

Ilia’s New Brow Products Are Go-Tos for Celebs Like Emily Blunt and Miranda Kerr

In the realm of celebrity beauty, I’m always intrigued by what stars put (or don’t put) on their brows. Having good brows is practically a requirement for being famous. While celebrities have access to the highest-caliber experts to pluck, thread, and microblade their brows, the products they use to enhance them are also of the utmost importance. 

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The latest brow products sweeping Hollywood? Ilia’s new launches. Despite only just launching, the In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil and In Frame Brow Gel are already making waves. So many celebrities, from Kate Hudson and Pamela Anderson to Gwyneth Paltrow and Kourtney Kardashian, are obsessed with the brand for its skincare-first ethos and clean yet effective formulas. ILIA’s new brow products are no different β€” made with nourishing ingredients such as hydrolyzed quinoa and provitamin B5 to maintain hair health.

In true Ilia fashion, these brow products help you get the vibe of your brows. The In Full Micro-Brow Pencil has a microtip to help you create the most realistic-looking hair-like strokes. It comes in eight shades and glides on easily but doesn’t smudge, so you get the best of both worlds. The In Frame Brow Gel is a flake-free formula that conditions brows while it adds flexible hold. There’s no doubt that these brow products will keep gaining momentum. 

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In Frame Clear Eyebrow Gel

Ilia In Frame Clear Eyebrow Gel

$24

In Full Micro-Tip Eyebrow Pencil

Ilia In Full Micro-Tip Eyebrow Pencil

$24

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Other Ilia products our editors love:

Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil

Ilia Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil

$26

This tinted lip oil is so easy to use and gives lips a dreamy wash of color. 

Limitless Lash Lengthening Clean Mascara

Ilia Limitless Lash Lengthening Clean Mascara

$28

Everyone’s favorite.

True Skin Serum Foundation

Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation

$54

This foundation blends seamlessly onto skin. 

True Skin Serum Concealer

Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer

$32

Infused with vitamin C, this innovative concealer treats while it masks. 

Liquid Powder Eye Shadow Tint

Ilia Liquid Powder Eye Shadow Tint

$28

A cream-to-powder eyeshadow is the height of versatility. 

Multi-Stick

Ilia Multi-Stick

$36

This stick can be used as blush, a highlighter, and a lip tint. 

Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

$48

Niacinamide, squalane, and hyaluronic acid make this a powerhouse. 

Liquid Light Serum Highlighter

Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter

$42

This highlighter is like moonlight in a bottle.