How to Get Perfect Legs

A little bit of body makeup goes a long way for perfect legs

Supermodels, beauty queens and Vegas showgirls are amongst Mother Nature's leggiest creatures. By now, everyone knows the hard work that goes into their manufactured brand of beauty (hello airbrush!), yet it really is possible to achieve enviably perfect legs in real-life. Mimic their pro makeup artists and reach for foundation and concealer to temporarily erase imperfections. With these simple rules for faking perfect legs, you can go stocking-free with confidence year-round. In the meantime, try on makeup in our virtual makeup studio.

Make sure your gams are thoroughly exfoliated, clean-shaven and hydrated with a rich and creamy moisturizer that imparts a luminous finish. When applied to dry, dead skin, makeup often takes on a mottled, cakey and unrealistic appearance. Remember that it's extremely important to keep your legs, arms and face in the same color family, and never attempt to create an allover tan with makeup or you run the risk of streaking. Sometimes a little sunshine-in-a-bottle (self-tanner) is all it takes to enhance muscle definition, diminish veins and create definition everywhere--and the color stays put for a few days at a time.

Want to camouflage a tan line on the legs? Reach for a creamy, hydrating foundation and apply it directly to the feet, ankles and other areas that may be lighter than the majority of your legs. The trick to creating an even tone is blending well with a sponge.

Want to camouflage spider veins or shaving cuts? Pick an opaque, cream-based concealer that's almost white to neutralize greenish, bluish or reddish imperfections on the skin. Using a sponge or brush, pat the concealer on the areas you want to cover, then apply a flesh-toned foundation. When applying the foundation, pat lightly using a sponge. Additionally, you can slenderize and lengthen legs by blending a highlighter cream with iridescent shimmer down the front of your shins.

Once you've achieved your ideal coverage, allow the makeup to dry for a few minutes and set with a matching powder to make it smudge-proof (saturate a puff with powder, apply it generously to the skin, and brush off excess with a wide, fluffy brush). Just to be safe, avoid sitting on white fabric couches or rolling in white sheets until you've had the opportunity to thoroughly wash off your body makeup with soap and water. --Stephanie Simons