A foundation sets the mood, but the concealer makes the correction. I like to keep two, since the same face needs different things on different days, and NARS makes one for each temperament.

Radiant Creamy Concealer is the hydrating, medium-coverage one, and it is the one I would start with. It sits softly under the eyes, where skin moves the most, and it blends out with a fingertip in a few seconds. This is what I reach for on ordinary mornings, after foundation, when I want the color to look like skin rather than paint.

Soft Matte Complete is the fuller, longwear one, with hyaluronic acid in the formula, which is a helpful reminder that matte does not have to mean parched, and it is the one I choose when a tired eye area needs real coverage for a photo. It is better on spots, redness around the nose, and the small patches you want to hide for the length of a wedding. Use a tiny amount and pat it on with a flat brush or a clean fingertip instead of dragging it.

Apply concealer in a triangle beneath the eye instead of a straight line, and blend outward toward the temple. Wait thirty seconds before you go back in to touch anything, because the product needs a moment to settle and will often look better than you expect.

Setting is where a lot of makeup goes wrong, usually because there is too much of it. The whole point of a light-reflecting powder is to leave the skin looking like skin, and this NARS range is built around that idea.

The Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder is the one for a bag, a small compact for the middle of the afternoon. The Loose Setting Powder is what I use at home, applied with a big soft brush and pressed only on the T-zone and under the eyes. Light Reflecting Undereye Brightener is the quiet trick of the lot, a light-catching touch for the eye area so it looks rested without extra coverage. And the Hydrating Makeup Setting Mist is the finishing step that takes the powdery look away.

What I would skip: dusting powder all over the face and then wondering why it looks flat. Also skip powdering right after a heavy layer of concealer without blending first, since the two will crease. Tap the excess off the brush before it touches your face, and mist once from an arm's length away, not straight into your eyes. If you tend to get shiny by midday, the pressed powder in a bag beats reapplying anything heavier. One light press with a sponge, and you are done. The brightener is also worth trying on its own on days when the rest of your face is bare, on the inner corners of the eyes and the tops of the cheekbones.

My order never changes. Tinted moisturizer or foundation goes on first, concealer next, and powder only where the shine actually shows up. The mist comes last, held at arm's length and blinked through.

If you are unsure which foundation to choose, buy the lightest coverage you would be happy in on a bad day, and add concealer for the rest. That leaves you free to change your mind. Test in daylight on the jaw and the neck, and wait ten minutes to see how it settles, since foundation always looks different once it has met your skin. A shade that seems right in the shop can turn orange or gray by the time you get home, so I never decide under store lighting.

At night, take everything off with a proper cleanser before bed, because a full base with powder on top can sit in pores overnight. If you use a longwear formula, use an oil or balm first to break it down, then wash. Give your skin the mornings it needs without makeup too, and let a tinted moisturizer do the lightest lifting on those days. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together NARS Powermatte Lipstick and NARS Orgasm Blush.