How to Get a Dewy Complexion

1. Exfoliate - make sure you wash your face with a gentle exfoliater with microbeads (as these tend to be the most effective) or use your cleanser with a soft silicon exfoliating pad. These should be done about 3 times a week for ideal results. I don't recommend doing extreme chemical peels as these can sometimes cause harsh skin reactions and may remove even healthy skin layers. The ideal exfoliation practice removes only the oldest, dead skin cells on the outermost surface of the skin and reveals the healthy, glowing layer underneath. Sugar scrubs, salt crystals, pumice, loofahs, sponges and microfiber cloths all can achieve the same results. Getting rid of dead skin cells and build-up naturally means that your makeup will go on smoother and you will avoid nasty clumps.

2. Moisturize - you'll want to use an emollient to make the outer layers of your skin more pliable and soft, this increases the skin's hydration level (or water content). Usually moisturizers tend to be a little bit fatty and may have a greasy feeling on the skin, but these lubricants really do make an enormous difference to the way your makeup (specifically foundation) will apply and last on your skin. If you have dry skin, it is extremely important to use a heavier moisturizer or even a dry oil - this will reduce your makeup's patchiness if used well in advance of application.




3. Use a liquid highlighter and a moisturizing foundation - Some women prefer to use their highlighter over top of their foundation, however I have found that for the most natural looking results and to blend your highlighter seamlessly into your foundation, you will want to mix the highlighter you are using (in my case this is the Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid (Shade 03 - Rose Gold)) with a moisturizing foundation of your choice (my favorite is The Body Shop Moisture Foundation in Shade 04). I use equal parts and mix them on the back of my hand with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Equal parts liquid highlighter (Stila All Over Shimmer)
and foundation (The Body Shop Moisturizing Foundation)

Mixed together on the back of my hand with Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

4. Highlight and contour your face - For a maximized dewy complexion, apply a powder highlighter (such as Stila's Kitten Highlighter) to the areas on your face which should reflect light and a bronzer (such as Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer - Ticket to Brazil ) to the areas on your face you would like to recede to the background. Here's a handy infographic on highlighter/bronzer placement.

Getting Rid of Redness - How to Lighten Your Skin Naturally

Do you have an uneven skin-tone? Perhaps your capillaries are overactive and there are reddish spots on your skin where your circulation can be seen too close to the surface of the skin. Or maybe you're unhappy with your freckles and dark spots that you're gaining with age. Skin tone is constantly varying with time and environmental conditions, it never remains as light as it used to be. The worst skin damager is the sun, although you may love your darker complexion, you ought to think about the consequences of weather-beaten effects on your skin cells. However, there are ways to lighten your skin naturally, seeing as those expensive beauty regenerating creams tend to be filled with unhealthy chemicals and do not show the results they promise. You should always be using sunscreen in your daily routine (even in the winter) because it's the easiest way to keep your skin's youth, most moisturizers can be found with at least SPF 15-30.

Natural exfoliation - do this once a week

1. 2 tbsp brown sugar (+ 2 tbsp oatmeal if you choose) and mix with 1/4 cup milk
2. stir until pasty consistency
3. scrub your face gently
4. rinse with water
5. apply moisturizer so your skin doesn't dry out from treatment

Lighten your skin - do this as often as you'd like

1. take 2 egg whites and an equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix together
2. heat mixture in a pan and put it inside jar
3. let mixture cool until room temperature and apply to skin
4. rinse after 15 minutes with water

Another method of lightening - you can do this 3x a day if you want

1. take 1/2 cup tomato juice and 1/2 cup oatmeal and mix together
2. place mixture on your skin
3. rinse off with water after 20 minutes

Drinking lots of water regularly helps maintain your hydration level and make sure you eat many fruits and vegetables in your pursuit of lighter skin. If you wish you can rub your face with lemon juice, milk, or papaya as all of these have natural whitening properties. Be extremely wary of skin lightening treatments you can purchase as many of these are not FDA approved for such usage and increase cell turnover (how fast your skin's cells are killed and replaced) which can lead to detrimental effects such as the pigment going underneath the outermost layer of your skin and possible skin cancer-promoting mechanisms. The chemical whitening solutions that can be found in stores also have a high possibility of causing an allergic reaction on your skin.