Matte skin starts with a prepped base, and that starts with a good skin care routine. "Doing a DIY express facial at least once a week can make the world of difference," says Piggott. "A good daily skin routine is essential for all skin types, giving you a great canvas to work on when applying your makeup."

If your skin tends to get oily during the day, use a gentle cleanser, toner and a water-based moisturizer. "Don't over-cleanse or exfoliate," Piggott warns. You should always avoid using products that strip your skin because these harsh treatments can actually stimulate your skin to produce more oil, says Piggott.

If you have dry skin, you're probably worried that matte makeup will dry your skin or look cake-y. Piggott recommends exfoliating three times a week to reveal smooth, radiant skin and following with a creamy cleanser and a rich moisturizer to help prevent flakes.

A necessity for both skin types? A great primer to prep your skin. "They get your skin ready for makeup, giving you a smooth base," says Piggott. "Your makeup looks flawless and stays in place all day long. Always apply your primer on clean, moisturized skin and wait until it's dry to the touch before applying your foundation." Rimmel London's New Stay Matte Primer can be used under foundation as well as on top for touch-ups.

Whether you have oily or dry skin, choosing a lightweight foundation with good coverage is key. If you pick a formula that's too heavy, you'll veer into stage-makeup territory. But not enough coverage can draw attention to flaws. Rimmel London's New Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation is a silky-smooth, oil-free formula that gives buildable coverage with a lightweight texture.

"Color-match your foundation by applying a swatch of color along your jaw line and blend down onto the neck," says Piggott. "The right shade will disappear into your skin."

To apply, Piggott recommends using your fingers, which is the ideal technique for Stay Matte's spongy texture. Apply the foundation lightly and, starting at the center of your forehead, blend the foundation outward, and add more coverage where it is needed. "A beautiful matte base is right on trend," says Piggott. "It's classic, elegant and sophisticated."

The satin-y, shine-free look of matte skin makes it ideal for daytime or nighttime. (Yay! No more 2 p.m. oil slick at work or waiting in line for the ladies' room to touch up at night.)

Matte makeup is like a classic pair of black flats: It looks good on everyone. But to keep your face from looking flat, don't wear matte shades on your eyes, lips and cheeks at the same time. Too much matte all over can be harsh and aging, Piggott says.

Instead, pick a focal point and use a contrasting finish. Think: a matte lip with a shimmery eye, or a bold lip (try Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss) with matte eye makeup. Contrasting textures is a "fresh, modern and super flattering" accompaniment to velvet-finished skin, says Piggott.

Skip powders with shimmer or luminizers -- these accents defeat your mattifying efforts. If you have oily skin, use a fluffy powder brush to lightly dust an oil-controlling pressed powder like Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder on shine-prone spots. If your skin is on the dry side, apply powder only to your T-zone; this will keep your lightweight matte finish from appearing cake-y.