5 Easy Ways to Instantly Elevate Your Makeup, According to Dimma Umeh

One common way that people learn makeup is by following and watching beauty tutorial videos made by beauty influencers, celebrities, and makeup artists. It’s a tried-and-true way of learning how to do your makeup yourself without having to pay a professional.

Dimma Umeh is a Nigerian beauty, fashion, and lifestyle influencer who has built a loyal following over the years. With over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube, she’s easily one of the most followed beauty creators in Nigeria. Many women trust her product recommendations and swear by her tutorials because they’re practical, realistic, and actually work in real life.

In one of her YouTube videos, Dimma breaks down five easy ways to elevate your makeup, not with complicated techniques, but with smart tweaks that make a visible difference. Here’s a breakdown of what she shared, explained in a way you can actually apply the next time you sit in front of your mirror.

If there’s one thing Dimma is firm about, it’s that moisturising is non-negotiable. No matter your skin type, like dry, combination, oily, or acne-prone, hydrated skin makes all the difference. According to her, moisturising creates a smooth, healthy base for everything that comes next.

When your skin is properly hydrated, foundation sits better, concealer blends more easily, and your makeup looks noticeably more polished. Skipping this step often leads to patchiness, especially when you start blending with a sponge.

She follows moisturising with primer, which is especially important if you live in a hot or humid climate. A good primer helps prevent makeup from slipping and sliding throughout the day. The key here isn’t chasing hype, but finding a primer that actually suits your skin type. You get bonus points if it works for both the face and eyes with less clutter and more efficiency.

Heavy under-eye concealer is very 2016, and Dimma is proof that less really can be more. Instead of applying concealer all over the under-eye area, she focuses on precise placement. She recommends starting with a concealer that’s about two shades lighter than your skin tone and applying it only where you need coverage. This targeted approach gives you a good, lifted effect without making the under-eye area look heavy or cakey.

Blending is just as important as placement. Dimma prefers a damp beauty sponge, taking her time and gently pressing the product into the skin. The right concealer should give you enough time to blend without drying too quickly, especially helpful if you’re still learning.This step also acts as a quiet test for your skin prep. If your skin wasn’t properly moisturised, this is where dryness and patches will start to show.

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One of the biggest makeup mistakes people make is applying contour and blush too low or too harshly. Dimma’s approach is all about control and placement. For contour, she uses a cream product and applies it directly with a brush rather than drawing lines first.

The most important step is to place the contour slightly higher on the cheekbones, not in the hollows. Starting higher allows the product to blend naturally into the face and creates a lifted effect. Applying contour too low often drags the face down and makes blending harder.

Blush follows the same controlled method. Instead of swiping product across the cheeks, she gently places it exactly where she wants it using a flat-topped brush. This provides you with far more precision and prevents things from becoming messy or overwhelming.

Once blush and contour are in place, she goes in with a brighter concealer, which is around four to five shades lighter, just under the eyes. Applied in a small triangle and blended carefully, this step lifts the face and softens any shadows or hollowness under the eyes. It’s subtle, but the difference is noticeable.

Setting your makeup properly is what separates a good face from a great one. Dimma doesn’t believe in over-baking, but she is very intentional about how and where she sets. For the under-eyes, she prefers using a powder puff, especially if you have creases. Pressing powder in with a puff helps lock concealer in place more effectively than a brush. For other highlighted areas, a small fluffy brush does the job.

She then sets her cream contour with bronzer, a darker shade for the temples and cheekbones, and a lighter bronzer for the sides of the nose. This step adds dimension and ensures cream products don’t slip throughout the day.

A finishing powder comes next, lightly applied to the top and bottom of the face to blur any harsh lines. She avoids placing it directly over blush so the cheeks stay fresh and vibrant. Finally, she sets her cream blush with a powder blush in a complementary shade to add definition and longevity.

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The final step is what brings everything together: setting spray. Dimma loves a spray that melts makeup into the skin rather than leaving it feeling tight or overly matte.

A good setting spray removes that powdery finish and helps makeup look more skin-like and lived-in. Once it dries, your makeup should look seamless, blended, and elevated, not like layers of products sitting on your face.

And that’s really it. No overcomplicated steps, no unrealistic techniques, just smart application, good placement, and taking your time.If there’s one takeaway from Dimma Umeh’s approach, it’s that elevated makeup isn’t about using more products. It’s about using the right ones, in the right places, and letting your skin do some of the work.