Uneven Skin Tone | How to Effectively Reduce Dark Spots | Skin School on Clinique (2024)

Your foundation will only look better with great skin underneath, so maintaining a consistent skin care routine is key. Right before applying your best natural looking foundation, it’s important to cleanse your skin to help prevent clogged pores and remove any dirt that may be dulling your natural radiance. Next, gently exfoliate your skin to sweep away any dry, dead skin cells that may cause foundation to go on unevenly or look flaky. Finally, apply moisturizer; foundation sinks best into hydrated skin. Check off all these boxes with the 3-Step Skin Care System.

Yes, a primer may add an additional step to your makeup routine, but it will go a long way to ensure that your foundation looks flawless, because it turns your skin into a perfectly smooth surface. If your preference is skin that’s smooth with a matte finish, choose a soft-focus primer like our Even Better™ Pore Defying Primer. Its weightless water-balm texture blurs pores and reduces oil and shine. If you want something more radiant and glowy, choose a primer like our Even Better™ Light Reflecting Primer that is hydrating and boosted with Vitamin C.

Always start by applying just a little bit of our best natural looking foundation, and then add more until you have just the right amount of coverage. The goal is to only apply foundation where you need it, so that your skin still looks like skin. And let’s face it: there’s nothing worse than ending up with a face caked in foundation. (Hint: If you have to apply foundation all over your face for it to look even, then you’re using the wrong shade.)

Where to put foundation? Concentrate the foundation in the center of your face where redness and blemishes tend to be more problematic. Apply just a dab of foundation on each side of your nose, and in the center of your forehead and chin, then blend outward. After blending, see if there are any other spots where blemishes are visible and apply a light layer of foundation to those specific areas.

Whether you’re using a foundation brush (synthetic bristles are best) or your fingertips, apply foundation in a stippling motion, which means gently tapping it into your skin. Avoid any wiping or rubbing motions because that will only push the foundation around and cause streaks. Instead, use your fingertips to gently press the foundation into your skin. Another option: the densely packed bristles of the Foundation Buff Brush gently buffs foundation into skin and can be used with liquid, powder, cream, or stick formulas.

Often overlooked, your ears are a part of your face, too. If you’re prone to red lobes, lightly sweep your foundation brush over them so that they blend in with the rest of your face.

Most people associate powder with a matte, cakey look, but dusting a silky loose setting powder, like Blended Loose Powder, over your foundation will ensure it won’t budge without dulling its finish. Dip a large, fluffy powder brush into the powder, then tap or shake your brush once to remove any excess—you should be able to see the bristles through the powder. Lightly sweep it across your face, using a heavier hand on areas that tend to get shiny, like your T-zone, chin and undereyes, if necessary.

The question of how to apply foundation often leads to how to apply concealer. If there are any areas where foundation simply wasn’t enough, such as dark undereye circles, red spots or blemishes, dab a concealer over them, then tap it into your skin to blend seamlessly without rubbing your foundation away. A good one: Even Better™ All-Over Concealer + Eraser instantly perfects and visibly de-puffs under eye circles over time. Check out our article about the best ways to apply concealer to learn more.

Follow these steps, and you’ll discover how to apply foundation can be a flawless breeze.