8 Tips for Flawless Makeup Application
What’s up guys? Happy February!
So, I know makeup application can be a bit tricky. With so many different products and Youtube tutorials, it can be hard to determine how to go about applying makeup so that it looks flawless. Although there are a wide variety of techniques and personal preferences, I definitely think that there are a few tips that could benefit anyone when it comes to creating the perfect base.
Check out some of the techniques I use for flawless makeup application
- Riss <3
1. CREATE THE PERFECT BASE WITH GOOD A SKIN CARE ROUTINE
The first and one of the most important steps to flawless foundation is making sure your skin is in good condition. I would recommend exfoliating 2x a week and using a hydrating moisturizer every morning and night. Although it may not be super noticeable to you, when you’re not exfoliating and moisturizing, dry skin will build up and begin to flake off. This will create texture to your skin that will enhance once you apply foundation. This can create cakey-looking foundation, which we don’t want. Make sure you’re exfoliating and moisturizing to ensure that you’re creating a smooth base for your makeup.
My favorite exfoliators are Sunday Riley’s Good Genes, The Ordinary’s 10-Minute Facial, Michael Todd’s Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub, and Pixi’s Glow Tonic. My favorite moisturizers are Clinique’s Moisture Surge Intense and Neutrogena’s Hydroboost Water Gel.
There are a ton of different exfoliators and moisturizers. Shop around until you find a few products that work for you :)
2. APPLY PRIMER BEFORE YOUR FOUNDATION
I used to be the queen of not applying primers. I just didn’t see the benefit of using them, until I did my research and tested some out. What a primer does is create a barrier between your skin and your makeup. A (good) primer aids in blurring out imperfections in the skin so texture, fine lines and large pores aren’t as prominent. It also helps makeup last longer.
There are many different types of primer formulas: oils, creams, silicones, etc. Test some out to see which ones work the best for you! I love NYX’s Angel Veil and Tatcha’s Silk Canvas Primer.
3. USE A WARM, DAMP MAKEUP SPONGE FOR MAKEUP APPLICATION
For most foundations, utilizing a warm damp sponge will create the most flawless application. I think everyone knows how important it is to wet your makeup sponge before applying makeup. The real trick is to ensure that you’re using warm water to dampen your sponge. This will warm-up the product and cause it to melt into your skin. This technique will give you that flawless base that you’re looking for.
I get my makeup sponges from ShopMissA.com. They’re great quality, and feel just like a Beauty Blender. Plus, they’re only $1!
4. STAY AWAY FROM SUPER MATTE FOUNDATIONS
Okay, so I’m not 100% against matte foundations. I think there are great matte foundation options for those with super oily skin, however, please be advised of the cons that come with wearing a matte foundation. Matte foundations are drying, and will accentuate any texture-based imperfections on your skin. I like to stay away from them, because I started to notice that they were making my skin look worse than it was. Fine lines and creases that weren’t apparent when I didn’t have on any makeup somehow made sure to shine through when I put on a super mattifying foundation. To avoid this, reach for foundations that have, velvet, natural, or radiant finishes. These are the foundations that will look flawless on your skin.
My favorite foundations are Too Faced’s Born This Way, NARS’ Natural Radiant Longwear, and The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation.
5. USE LESS PRODUCT. SPOT CONCEAL IF NECESSARY
The more layers of foundation that you apply to your skin, the higher the chance that your makeup will begin to look cakey. It’s much better to use one layer of a full coverage foundation than it is to try to build up a light coverage foundation by packing on layers of it. Apply 1-2 layers of foundation, and if you have a breakout/skin imperfection you want to cover, just use a concealer that’s the same shade as your foundation and spot conceal those areas. Don’t apply too much foundation when you don’t truly need it.
I like to use cream-based concealers for spot concealing because they typically have more coverage than a liquid-based concealer, and they stay put. My favorites are NARS’ Soft Matte Concealer, and MAC’s Studio Finish Concealer.
6. DON’T USE CONCEALERS THAT ARE TOO LIGHT
Ladies, I know that highlighting is a huge thing, but try not to go super light when it comes to highlighting/concealing under your eyes. This will create an unnatural look, or actually do the reverse effect of what it’s supposed to do and cause your under eyes to look grey/ashy. I can also guarantee if you were to take a photo with flash while wearing super light concealer, you’d want that photo deleted immediately lol.
I would recommend going only a shade or two lighter than your foundation shade for highlighting purposes. This will create a more natural look and will blend more seamlessly with your foundation. This technique also won’t play you when you take a photo lol.
7. DON’T OVERBAKE UNDER YOUR EYES
On a regular day, I actually don’t bake at all under my eyes. I just take a medium-sized powder brush, dip it into my setting powder, tap off the excess, and sweep a little bit of the powder under my eyes in order to set my concealer. If you do like to bake, try to avoid using a lot of product or baking for too long. Translucent powder tends to cling to fine lines if you apply too much, so we want to stick to not using too much to prevent that from happening.
8. USE A FACIAL SPRAY AFTER MAKEUP APPLICATION
This is my favorite step because it makes me feel like I just got a legit facial lol. A facial spray will remove the powdery-effect that makeup can cause, and will leave your skin looking a lot smoother. It also intensifies your highlight, so your skin will look like it’s glowing from within.
When I say misting spray, I don’t mean a mattifying setting spray that’s going to cause your makeup to dry up. Look for hydrating facial sprays. Mario Badescu’s facial sprays are my favorite! Pixi’s Glow Mist is great too!