James Molloy shares his secret to beautiful, balanced makeup (and the one mistake to avoid)

James Molloy is the King of glow. Scroll through his truly delicious Instagram feed and he offers up smash-hit after smash-hit of dreamy, perfectly executed, sheeny skin. And, for your viewing pleasure, he throws in next-level graphic eyes and pillowy-looking lips for good measure. 

If you’re looking to spice up your makeup look with an alternative to black liner, or you’re in the market for a highlighter recommendation, he’s your man – which is probably why Dior tapped him up to be their Makeup Artist Ambassador. 

So, to kick January off with an injection of makeup inspo – and intel – we tapped James up to ask him his secret to incredible-looking makeup so we can bring the glow, even when our post-Christmas skin is not playing ball…

How would the James Molloy makeup aesthetic in three words?

I would say graphic, gorgeous and glam.

What’s the one major mistake you see people making with their makeup?

When I see when people go in too heavy or too hard in the beginning, there’s no way to pull it back. So I always think, tread light in the beginning – light layers – and then you can always add. When you’re thinking about complexion, if you’re going in too heavy with a foundation or a concealer, you’re having to blend it for days. Just apply a little bit and then see what it does and if you need some more. Yeah. You might not

What’s your top tip for incredible makeup?

I make sure that I spend the same amount of time on the skincare as I do the foundation. You really need to spend all of that time on making sure that your skin is smooth, and plumped, and hydrated and that you’re taking care of it before you even think about applying foundation or colour. It makes such a massive difference. Lately I’ve been using the Dior Prestige Serum, which has a gorgeous rose base and is full of nutrients. You can use it day and night and it makes skin look a lot more plumped and glowy. With this time of year, we’re coming home to central heating and everybody’s skin’s feeling dehydrated. Using a serum like that feels like you can massage it in makes a massive difference.