How to Get Made in Chelsea-style Perfect Skin

For those of you who reside in the US, Made in Chelsea is a British reality TV show following the dramatics of pretty and privileged 20-somethings frolicking in the affluent London borough of Chelsea. Whether you’ve seen it (love it or hate it) or not, you have to admit that there is one aspect worthy of admiration: the perfect skin paraded around by all the cast members (see Millie Mackintosh, above). Well, we’re going to tell you how to get that. This post is not about choosing the right shade of foundation, which is an epic venture in itself, but about applying products to create a photo-ready, dewy, truly flawless finish.

You will need: a good moisturizer (if you have oily skin, try Vichy Normaderm Total Mat Fresh Hydrating Gel), a liquid/cream/gel-like foundation (we love Clinique’s BB Cream), a powder concealer (or you can use powder foundation; we recommend the eco-friendly and pure mineral offering from Alima Pure), foundation brush, cream blush and setting powder.

After moisturizing your skin, start by pouring a little foundation on the back of your non-dominant hand. Using the middle finger of your other hand, get a dollop of foundation and swirl it on a patch of uncovered skin on the back of your hand to thin it out. Then blend the foundation onto your face in straight strokes. Blend up and over your lip line (later, using a tissue, just lick your lips and wipe off any excess). It’s always a good idea to use a small amount of foundation and build coverage, rather than slapping a load on at once.

Once you’ve applied your base, take your powder concealer or foundation and foundation brush. Shake some powder into the top of your powder container and shake the powder a little bit so it separates into tiny dots. Pick up these tiny dots one by one on the very tip of your foundation brush and dot over individual blemishes. You can also dot over areas of shadow, redness or uneven pigmentation. Yes, this is incredibly fiddly, but this is how you get truly flawless skin.

Next, take your cream blush. Smile into the mirror, and dot blush onto the apples of your cheeks and then upwards in a curve along the cheekbones and onto the temples. Finally, dust the tiniest touch of setting powder over your t-zone. This will keep you from looking oily while encouraging a dewy glow that will develop beautifully over the course of the day. You beauty.

Laura Hunter-Thomas,

Ici Fashion