At this is the time of year your skin may need a little more help to look radiant. Here are the 10 makeup artists' secrets to finding the foundation that brings out the loveliness in your skin:

1. Cleanse your skin before you set out foundation shopping. You need a make-up free face on which to try out a range of products. (Moisturising cleansing wipes are handy to have in your bag, if you're trying on lots of products. A quick swipe between applications will help, and you'll be able to keep finger marks off your clothes, too.)
2. Don't test foundations on the back of your hand or the inside of your arm. They won't give a true reading of how the foundation or tinted moisturiser will look on your face. You need to try a product on your cheek to see whether it matches your skin tone.
3. Once you've applied a tester, take a compact mirror and check the colour and texture at a window with natural light. If it blends in effortlessly with your skin tone, and seems to sort of disappear into your skin, then it's your True Love foundation... you were meant to be together!
4. You can use one foundation all year long – just add a little tinted moisturiser or bronzing gel for a more sun-kissed effect in the summer.
5. To create the perfect sheen, cleanse your skin, and apply a moisturising cream with SPF, a skin serum to help plump out laughter lines or a skin brightener. Skin brighteners are particularly useful for more mature skins as they give you a just-been-for-a-bracing-walk glow. Let moisturiser sink into your skin for about 10 minutes if you have time.
6. Now apply a primer... it might sound like something you buy in Homebase, but is in fact there to help your makeup last longer.
7. Gently using your fingertips apply your tinted moisturiser or foundation.
8. Now here's the secret to covering up imperfections, such as spots or dark circles under your eyes. Apply a concealer in the same tone as your base coat. The secret to this is to apply it after your foundation, so that it stays in place.
9. For dark circles, moisturise the skin before you put on concealer, and cover only on the darkest part of the circle for a natural look.
10. Use powder to set your foundation in place. And there you have it... skin that's buffed to perfection.