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A few years ago, I attended an online makeup class and learned a ton—but recently, I felt like I needed a refresh.
My goal? To achieve a natural, glowy, “but better” look, similar to the Pinterest photos I had saved.
So, I booked a makeup lesson with the MAC artist at my local Ulta. The one-hour lesson is free with a $60 MAC purchase (which is easy to hit!).
I showed her my inspiration photos when I booked the appointment, so she was ready with a game plan when I arrived.
Key Takeaways from My Lesson
💡 Skin Prep is Key!
Instead of a traditional primer or moisturizer, she prepped my skin with Peach & Lily Glass Skin Serum. The trick? Spraying a hydrating mist first so the serum has something to grip onto (I like using the Heritage Store Rose Water). This created a dewy, tacky base for makeup to adhere to beautifully.
💡 Less is More
I tend to go heavy-handed with products, but throughout the lesson, I noticed how little she used. Just a dab of product in the right places made all the difference for a more natural finish.
💡 Blend, Blend, Blend
After every step, she took extra time to blend—something I’ve always rushed through. This made everything look seamless and effortlessly polished.
Products & Techniques for a Glowy Look
✨ Base: After skin prep, she applied a MAC glowy lotion all over my face, followed by a skin tint instead of a heavy foundation.
✨ Concealer: She used just a tiny amount in targeted areas (inner eye corners, chin, and between my brows).
✨ Blush & Contour: Liquid blush and a light cream contour kept things soft and natural. Then, she set all the cream products with their matching powders—setting powder for concealer, powder blush over liquid blush, and powder contour over the cream.
✨ Brows & Lashes: A simple tinted brow gel fluffed and set my brows. To finish the look, she applied outer-corner lashes for a subtle cat-eye effect.
What I Purchased
Since I already own a ton of makeup, I wanted to be intentional with my purchases. I ended up buying:
🖌️ Some of the brushes she used, including the Real Techniques Sculpt + Snatch Contour Brush and the Ulta Beauty Buffing Concealer Brush (number 120).
✨ The MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite – this is what she used under the sin tint for an all-over glow.
💗 A MAC Powder Blush in Gingerly. I have so many blushes already but this was a unique enough shade, it was worth the purchase!
🍉 The Urban Decay Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Setting Spray; I’ve never tried this, but the glowy makeup look requires layers of hydration, so this one seemed perfect to get!
Final Thoughts
Since my lesson, I’ve applied these techniques a few times and have already gotten compliments! Someone even asked me why I was taking a makeup lesson when I already know how to apply makeup. But I think it’s so valuable to refresh our skills and learn new techniques—especially as our skin and personal styles evolve.
Would I take another lesson in the future? Absolutely!
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