While we’ve recently been taking notes from her mani game, Jennifer Lopez is the person to turn to for beauty inspiration of all kinds. The term “J.Lo Glow” has been alive and well for decades because she always seems to have a ring light-like brightness to her complexion. On December 21, the star appeared on Vogue’s Youtube channel to reveal her makeup secrets for a glowing base—and we took notes. We loved her candy cane manicure and her unique blush application, but what really stopped us in our tracks was what she her “lightbulb” contour technique.

Before she gets into the makeup, J.Lo applys glow-enhancing skincare and explains that “where I really, really learned to do great makeup was [when I worked] with Kevyn Aucoin. He was my first professional makeup artist.” Then, she applies concealer under her eyes, around her nose, lips, and in between her brows for a brightening effect.

J.Lo then mixes various contour shades from a Bobbi Brown cream palette, and applies the color above her cheekbone. “I used to [apply contour] right in the cheekbone, but now I realize if I do it a little above, it lifts the face a little more,” explains J.Lo. She follows this by applying the same contour shade around her hairline, extending the color to the outer-third perimeter of her forehead, and then tracing the contour under her jawline. 

This is where the lightbulb comes in. She uses the same contour shade down her neck, focusing her contour on the center of her neck directly under her chin. “I call this the lightbulb,” she explains as she points to the area, which is now contoured to look more chiseled. “We darken that so that it doesn’t light up, like ‘look at this chin!'” J.Lo finishes her contour technique by applying a lighter shade on either side of the bridge of her nose. 

She reveals an Aucoin-worthy secret by applying the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen ($38) on the inner corner of her under eyes, outside the bridge of the nose, and finally down the bridge of her nose. 

Next up, she uses a contour shade again to create dimension around her lips for a pouty effect. “This is not supposed to be lip liner,” explains the star. “This goes around the mouth, and if you blend it, it causes just a tiny bit of a shadow that makes your lips look poutier.”

After finishing up her killer contour routine, J.Lo mixes three shades of the Chanel Vitalumiére Foundation ($60) and uses a stippling brush to blend around the contour. Then, J.Lo defines her lower and upper lash lines with a dark brown shade from the Tom Ford Eye Color Crème Eyeshadow Quad in Tiger Eye ($90) for a soft, smoked-out effect, which she follows by sweeping a lighter brown shade into her crease for added dimension. Next, she touches up the crease’s outer corner with the same brown shade she used on her lashline to deepen the look. Finally, she applies the shimmery bronze shade around her crease for a diffused effect and coats her lashes with the IT Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara ($26).

J.Lo adds a flush to her complexion by applying the Beauty Blender Cream Blush in Playful Peach ($22) onto her cheeks and neck, then goes in with a since-discontinued Marc Jacobs Highlighter and applies it to the bridge of her nose with a thin brush. She whips out a discontinued Serge Lutens bronzer to reinforce the contour around her nose and blends the shade into the rest of her complexion. 

For lips, J.Lo admits that she consults a TikTok trend for a pouty effect. Using the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil ($22), J.Lo first lines directly under the center of her bottom lip, connecting it to her natural lip line as she extends the color to the outer corners. After using the same lining technique on her upper lip, J.Lo swipes the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer ($20) over her entire lip. Finally, J.Lo uses the Anastasia Brow Whiz Pencil ($25) to fill in the sparse areas of her brows.

To tie the whole look together, J.Lo does a quick touch-up on the center of her face with the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Microfinishing Loose Powder ($39)—and that’s how you get that J.Lo Glow with a groundbreaking contour routine on the side.