RUBY REVEALS | It's Not The Product, It's The Technique

If you've ever heard a makeup artist talk about buffing, pressing or stippling and found yourself quietly wondering what they actually mean, you're not alone.

These terms are often thrown around as though everyone instinctively knows the difference, but understanding them can completely change the finish of your makeup.

One thing I've learned over the years is that beautiful makeup isn't about owning more products. More often than not, it's about knowing how to apply them and choosing the right tools to do the job.

A £10 product applied well will almost always outperform a £50 product applied incorrectly.

A small change in technique can be the difference between foundation that sits on the skin and foundation that looks like skin. Between blush that looks flat and blush that looks like a natural flush.

Let's start with the three techniques I use every day.

BUFFING

When you want makeup to look seamless, buffing is your friend.

Buffing involves using small circular movements to work product into the skin, softening edges and creating a beautifully diffused finish. It's particularly useful with foundation and around areas you've spot concealed, helping everything melt together so there are no obvious lines or patches.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is applying product beautifully and then stopping there. More often than not, the magic happens in the blending.

PRESSING

Pressing does exactly what it sounds like. Rather than moving product around, you're gently pressing it into the skin exactly where you want it.

This technique is brilliant for concealer and powder and any area where you want a little more coverage or longevity. Pressing helps product adhere to the skin rather than simply sitting on top of it.

When I'm applying concealer around the nose, under the eyes or over pigmentation, I'll often press the product in using the Tapered Brush from my Magnetic Brush Set 01 rather than sweeping it around. The result is usually more precise, more natural and far longer-lasting.

STIPPLING

Stippling is one of my favourite techniques because it helps create dimension.

Using light tapping motions allows you to build colour gradually rather than applying everything at once. This is especially useful with blush, where the aim isn't to create a flat block of colour but something that looks believable and alive.

Healthy skin isn't one uniform shade. There are natural variations in colour throughout the face, and stippling helps recreate that effect beautifully. It's a technique I use often when applying cream blush, building colour slowly until it looks as though it's coming from within the skin rather than sitting on top of it.

YOUR TOOLS MATTER TOO

Technique is only part of the story. The tools you use can completely change the finish you achieve.

Many people assume they need a different brush for every product, but in reality, understanding how to use one brilliant brush is often far more valuable.

Take my Face Brush. It's one of the hardest-working tools in my makeup bag because it can be adapted to create completely different results.

FOR BLUSH: I use a slightly firmer hand and focus on the apples of the cheeks before blending upwards and outwards.

FOR BRONZER: I lightly sweep the brush across the areas the sun would naturally hit, the cheekbones, temples, nose and jawline.

FOR POWDER: I use gentle buffing motions to work the product into the skin so it becomes virtually undetectable.

FOR HIGHLIGHTER: I'll often tilt the brush and use the tapered tip to place product precisely onto the high points of the face without disturbing the makeup underneath.

The same brush, completely different results.

Once you understand how a brush behaves and how different techniques affect the finish, your makeup instantly becomes easier, quicker and more polished.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

The most transformative makeup techniques are often the simplest. You don't need more products. You don't need a complicated routine. You simply need to understand how to get the very best from what you're already using.

Whether you're buffing foundation into the skin, pressing concealer exactly where it's needed or stippling blush for a natural flush, these small adjustments can make a remarkable difference to the finished result.