Mary Phillips is the makeup artist behind the "soft glam" makeup look often seen on celebrities like Hailey Beiber and Jennifer Lopez. Phillips has taken over our TikTok “For You” pages with her viral tutorial on how to achieve the same look at home. The technique uses Phillips' version of "underpainting," which is a method of makeup application where contour and highlight are applied to the skin as the base prior to applying foundation.
Mary gave us her secret sauce, and I’m breaking it down step by step so you too can master this effortless glam. Keep reading to learn how to achieve this soft glam makeup technique.
Step 1: Apply bronzer.
The first step is bronzer and highlight which Phillips refers to as “laying down the bones under the skin.” Take a bronzer shade of your choice and apply it to the following parts of the face:
The cheekbones:
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The forehead:
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The brow bone:
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The jawline:
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Down the nose:
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The completed bronzer placement should look like this:
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The blended result should look like this:
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Step 2: Apply highlight.
Now for the highlight. For the highlight in the Mary Phillips technique, you can use a lighter shade of concealer as I did, or use a shade closer to your skin tone.
The placement for highlight starts right under the bronzer on your cheekbones:
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Under the eyes:
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Down the bridge of the nose:
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Blend for a result that looks similar to this:
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Step 3: Apply foundation.
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Use one pump of foundation and a fluffy brush to blend everything together with a light hand. The key is making sure you don't cover the base you just created.
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Step 4: Add blush.
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I apply blush by using my finger and tapping the blush into the high points of my cheeks and over my nose.
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Step 5: Complete the look with the optional addition of mascara and lipgloss.
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Mary Phillips' technique blew me away the first time I tried it! I wasn't expecting the amount of dimension while maintaining a soft, glowy, and effortless look. It is a new standard in my routine.
If you are a fan of “no makeup” makeup, you need to try this!
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Featured image by Jorine Dorcelus/xoNecole
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"When Kerry Washington slid into my DMs, I nearly said no."
(L-R) Brandee Evans, Kerry Washington, and Marque Richardson on 'UnPrisoned' Season 2
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Brandee Evans graces the 2024 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Ceremony.
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