Before the lipstick, eyeshadows, blush, and the falsies, comes the foundation.  So simple, yet so complicated, choosing the right shade and texture can be a daunting task for most of us.  In need of a beauty basics refresher, we turned to Hollywood makeup artist, Mayli Hernandez.  A talented makeup artist and model, Mayli knows what it's like to be both the makeup expert behind the scenes and the face in front of the camera.  Read Mayli's tips for creating a flawless base and click through her slideshow to see what products she recommends and which celebs she highlights as having the best bases in Tinsletown.

What are the first steps in prepping skin for makeup?

Make sure your canvas is completely clean.  If you start off with a clean canvas, your makeup will automatically have a fresh look.  I start off by using Christian Dior Purifying Cleansing Milk, spreading that all over the face, and then use a wipe to cleanse the face.  I then like to use a primer so the foundation can go on smoothly. Then I'm ready to start.

What is the best way to choose your proper shade of foundation?

When you are looking to match your foundation, you are looking at your overall body.  Your neck should not be a different shade than your face.  You want to match your color under direct light or in the daylight.  When testing a shade, apply from the chest upwards. You shouldn't see the foundation on your skin if it looks natural.  That's how you know you have the right shade.                                       

What is the proper way to apply your foundation and base makeup?  Fingertips?  Brush? 

I use both my fingertips and my foundation brush. Using your fingertips works very well because the natural warmth of your fingers helps spread the foundation better and it doesn't leave streaks.  If I want very full coverage, I will then go in with my foundation brush and really fill in the areas that need more coverage.

­­­Liquid foundation, compact foundation, BB cream, CC cream?  What to use?

Liquid foundation is for everyone.  You can use it for full coverage and set it with powder.  I recently fell in love with the ck one 3-in-1 face makeup SPF 8.  It's light on the skin and gives good coverage.  For compact foundation, I recommend Bobbi Brown.  It has a very light feeling and I would recommend using a small amount because a little goes a long way. My preference between BB or CC cream would be CC because it has better coverage and it is not as oily in texture.

Thanks Mayli!  Next week's Beauty 101?

Smokey eye deconstructed.