Danessa Myricks Beauty Secrets to Radiant Skin & Glowy Met Gala Looks

Courtesy of Danessa Myricks

How Do You Prep The Skin For A Glowy Complexion?

Myricks spends the first ten minutes (or longer) of every makeup application to prep and prime the skin. She prepares, primes, and hydrates the skin with a sheet mask, a microcurrent device, and a cooling facial roller.

"I would really focus on the skin, like hydrating it and plumping it out," she told E!. "I realized early on that literally determined how well that makeup was going to look at the end."

The ordinary makeup wearer, though, doesn't have time for that. We would rather skip it for the sake of time. But trust this legendary makeup artist and founder, the work is well worth it. Her mission has been to find an easier way for people of all skin types and skill levels to achieve that glowy and hydrated skin.

"When you do that, it literally wakes up your whole face, and it just gets your skin ready to receive everything that you're about to put on top," she said. 

The Secret To An Even Complexion? Use Multiple Shades On Your Face

There is no single perfect foundation match, according to Myricks. Instead, we need to match to the different shades on our faces. "We have been sold a myth," Myricks told E!. "Everybody is looking for their one perfect shade of foundation. And if you look at it in reality, the face is three-dimensional."

Whether you have dark spots and hyperpigmentation or not, no one has a single shade across their entire face. Normally, there are lighter shades in the inner portions and darker shades in the outer portions.

"If you do find one thing that can go over your entire face, it probably has more coverage, and also it's flattening out everything beautiful about the dimension of your face," she said. "[That's] why you have to go back and add blush and bronzer, and contour. You've got to put all of that dimension back because you erased it."

Myricks' advice is to use varying shades that match the dimensions of your face, or use correcting pigments to seamlessly balance your face if you have unwanted dark spots or redness. 

"Around my mouth is maybe four shades deeper than the rest of my face. So, I have to think differently. I have to think about correcting and neutralizing those tones to create the appearance of a more even tone," Myricks told E!.

What Is Face Mapping? & Why Is It The Go-To Technique Danessa Myricks Uses?

Face Mapping is what Myricks calls the unique makeup technique, specific products, and application that work best for each individual's face and skin. "The way you design your makeup, and your coverage should be specific to your face and its individual needs," she said. "It's not this generic blanket. I think that's what really creates the frustration." Faces are unique, and so it makes sense that our makeup routines are as unique as well. So, why are we expecting our makeup application to match someone else's perfectly? It shouldn't. 

The first step to mapping out your face is to figure out your texture and skin type. Then, find out what you want from your makeup, and answer some questions: "What are some of the challenges? Can you explain your own face? What are some of the things that happen during the day? Do you find that your nose is sweaty, or do you have oiliness throughout your cheeks, but the rest of the face is dry?" 

Once you have those specific details settled, the next step is to figure out what finish and coverage you're looking for. Then, build your products. "I want people to like look at themselves. Just focus on you. This is all about you. What do you want? What are your desires for your face today? And let's work from there," Myricks told E!. 

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