In the Nude

To get the matte finish that’s been making rounds on runways, start with a gentle massage using a product like Dior Capture Totale Emulsion, which will bring out a natural glow and make your foundation look that much better. Then apply a moisturizer designed for oily skin, focusing on the T-zone. Next, using your fingertips, apply highlighter—we used Soap & Glory’s Trick & Treatment—wherever you want brightness to come through (say, at the inner under-eye area, the center of the forehead and the center of the chin). Blend into the skin with a bit of concealer. Then apply a small amount of foundation evenly across the skin with a moistened sponge. To set the look, roll your favorite powder brush onto a mattifying powder and press the product into the skin, starting at the areas where you get shiniest first, holding the brush there for a beat and then dusting the excess away. For a natural eye, use a nude pencil and neutral shadow (we opted for Urban Decay’s Naked Palette) and finish with mascara. Voila—a flawless daytime look that can be dialed up for evening, as the following pages show.

Mario Badescu Keratoplast Cleansing Lotion, $15, Control Moisturizer for Oily Skin, $18, Both at Nordstrom; Trick & Treatment in “Bright On” Highlighter, $13.50 at Soap & Glory; Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in “No. 3” and “No. 5,” $48 at Bloomingdale’s; MAC Pro Longwear concealer in “NW20” and “NC25,” $20 at Macy’s; Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Emulsion, $160, Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder, $32, Dior Universal Brow Pencil, $29, Urban Decay “Naked Basics” eye shadow palette, $29, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara in Black, $28.50, All at Sephora

Smoke Show

You’ll need three shades of shadow to create this matte smoky eye. But first, reach for your concealer—many make a great primer for a smoky eye. Then apply eyeliner to the the upper and lower lids as close to the lashes as possible, making the line thicker on the outer corner to create a cat-eye shape. (We used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in “Demolition,” which goes on creamy and dries for a long-lasting effect.) Blend the upper liner up toward the crease with a fluffy brush, and blend the lower liner with a smaller brush—about the size of a pencil eraser—for an even and diffused look. Next, using a flat brush, pack on the deepest shade of shadow to intensify the line. Then press the lightest shadow into the brow bone area to make a matte highlight below the eyebrow. Finally, with a fluffy blending brush, take the middle-toned shadow and apply with a windshield-wiper motion to the middle, blending the light and deep shadows. Then curl your lashes, finish with mascara and hit the town.

Trick & Treatment concealer in “Bright On,” $13.50 at Soap & Glory; Fixx Creme Makeup in “Neutral Level 1” and “Neutral Level 3,” $30 at Kett Cosmetics; Make Up For Ever Matte Artist Shadows in Eggshell, Vanilla, Gray Beige, Gray Brown and Neutral Brown, $21 each, Smoky Extravagant Mascara in Black, $24, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in “Demolition,” $20, all at Sephora

Glossed Over

This slick take on a statement eye has some help from an unexpected source: lip gloss. You may already have something in your makeup bag that could work for this look, but remember that not all lip glosses are created equal, so avoid any products with menthol, mint or heavy fragrance, as these ingredients could irritate the eye. (And if you’re still concerned, turn to companies like MAC that carry gloss specifically formulated for the eye area.) First, apply a vitamin E cream to eyelids for extra hydration, and use a highlighter on the undereye area to nix any discoloration—we suggest Dior’s Skin Flash Booster Pen. Next apply a soft long-wear eyeliner to the lower lid only, extending the line out like a cat eye. Then curl your lashes and apply mascara. Just before you arrive at your destination, put a pea-sized dollop of clear gloss on a fingertip and pat on the center of your lid. No need to blend, as natural blinking will do the job for you.

Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminée Eye & Lip Cream, $42 at Blooming Way; Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen, $37 at Sephora; Super Lip Gloss in Clear, $17 at Make Up For Ever; MAC eye kohl eyeliner in “Teddy,” $16 at Macy’s

Smoke and Mirrors

Glam holiday party on the horizon? Try combining the smoky and glossy techniques for this festive evening look. Use your fingertip to apply a copper shadow liberally to the eyelid, blending upward toward the crease. Then pat on some shimmer all over the lid. (We used Make Up For Ever’s Star Powder in Copper.) Using a clean blending brush, blend from the crease up to the brow bone. This brush should pick up any excess powder, creating a natural gradient of color that ends at the brow bone. Add a pop of shine with the clear lip gloss for the finishing touch.

Urban Decay “Naked Palette” Shadow, $54, Make Up For Ever’s Star Powder in Copper, $20, both at Sephora

WHERE TO BUY IT

Blooming Way, bloomingway.com

Bloomingdale’s, The Mall at Chestnut Hill, 225 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill (617-630-6000) bloomingdales.com

Kett Cosmetics, kettcosmetics.com

Macy’s, CambridgeSide Galleria, 100 Cambridge Side Place, Cambridge (617-577-1005) macys.com

Make Up For Ever, makeupforever.com

Nordstrom, Natick Mall, 290 Speen St., Natick (508-318-2600) nordstrom.com

Sephora, CambridgeSide Galleria, 100 Cambridge Side Place, Cambridge (617-577-1005) sephora.com

Soap & Glory, soapandglory.com