How To Make Makeup Not Cakey

Pulling rabbits out of hats is adorable and all, but we adopt an everyday kind of magic. You know, the way certain beauty products can plough the states from slumber-deprived zombies into polished superwomen. One such item? A bang-up foundation. And while it doesn't maybe trigger the same excitement as say, the perfect nude lipstick, it tin transform your complexion—that is, when information technology doesn't go all cakey (pregnant information technology appears thick, patchy, and mask-like). If you're someone who feels similar your makeup looks cakey no matter what products you use, nosotros go information technology. But not to worry! The good news is that fugitive—and even fixing—cakey foundation isn't as difficult equally it seems.

All yous demand are the right application techniques and makeup hacks to get that coveted Instagram filter-like finish. Now, because we know that's much easier said than done, we asked makeup artists for their expert tips and tricks, as well as the products they swear by. Here, notice everything y'all need for a flawless, cake-free makeup expect.

This content is imported from poll. Yous may be able to detect the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Commencement, make sure yous moisturize before applying foundation.

"Every fourth dimension you cleanse your face up, yous're removing some of the natural oils and hydrators that proceed your peel looking polish," says Dr. Rachel Nazarian of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC.

"Employ a rich moisturizer after cleansing—and before yous apply makeup—to ensure that the skin barrier is intact and healthy, which will allow your makeup to sit down more evenly on your pare," she says. While the drier months are an easier reminder to moisturize more oft, information technology's a habit that should be a office of your twelvemonth-round routine to maintain residuum in your skin's pH levels. That in plough helps your skin stay supple, youthful, and prevent bug (similar acne) before they start.

"Give your moisturizer a few minutes to sink in before applying makeup and then your foundation doesn't pill," adds Mai Quynh, a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Scarlett Johansson and Tessa Thompson.

To keep your foundation from looking patchy, prep skin with primer.

Charlotte Tilbury Brightening Youth Glow Primer

Credit: Nordstrom

Applying a layer of product underneath your foundation may sound counterintuitive to creating a cake-free stop, but a lightweight primer can help shine skin. (Plus, information technology only takes a niggling bit of primer to go a long way.)

"Recall of it like this: When you give your walls a fresh coat of paint, you lot start use a paint primer to even out the surface and make your colour last as long equally possible," says glory makeup artist Min Min Ma. "The same goes for primer on your skin."

While moisturizer softens your peel, primer gives your makeup something to cling to so it lasts throughout the day instead of sliding around your face up. The about innovative primers have bonus furnishings, too: "Charlotte Tilbury BrighteningYouth Glow Primer is one of my favorites to color-right and give a luminous glow," says Ma.

Choose the right foundation formula for your skin type.

You want your foundation to work with your skin—non confronting it—so it's essential to offset make up one's mind which conception will piece of work best for your skin type. If you have an oily complexion, a not-comedogenic (read: it won't clog pores) and oil-costless foundation will do the trick. If you have dry out pare, a flossy compact foundation will ensure that your pare stays moisturized. If your complexion is somewhere in the middle (a.thou.a combination skin), wait for ane that offers buildable coverage.

When in doubt, "any peel type can't go wrong with a sheer, liquid formula, which mimics the texture of bodily skin," says makeup artist Mary Irwin. "A lightweight, liquid foundation will exist less likely to cake over a heavy coverage stick or powder, especially if y'all're a dazzler novice." But employ it carefully, adding thin layers until you achieve your desired level of coverage.

Make sure you lot've picked the perfect foundation shade, too.

1 of the biggest reasons foundation looks cakey? The color is besides low-cal or also nighttime—so information technology's even more obvious that you're wearing it. To pick the perfect shade of foundation, await for one that literally disappears into your skin.

"Test out the color on your jawline and make certain you're looking at it in natural light to see all the nuances of the shade and how it'll await in person," says Quynh. "Sometimes, especially if you lot have a more oily complexion, a foundation tin can also oxidize in color when information technology reacts to your skin, making information technology look streaky and unnatural. Let your makeup set up for a minute before moving onto other products to ensure information technology doesn't get darker."

Apply foundation with a makeup brush—or your fingers.

TRISH MCEVOY #55 Palatial Blender Brush

Credit: Nordstrom

To determine the best brush for your foundation application, consider your skin's texture. "For example, someone with skin that has some hyperpigmentation or acne might adopt a flatter brush, like the Trish McEvoy Castor 55 Deluxe Blender, to even out the texture," says Irwin. "It features densely packed castor hairs that provide fuller coverage." On the other hand, if your texture is more even, you might want a fluffier brush, like the Information technology Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Castor #7, which grabs less pigment.

But the best tool of all might be at your fingertips—literally. "For a truly flawless foundation await, ane of my favorite hacks is to printing the foundation into the skin with my easily after brushing it on," she says. "The natural, subtle heat from the hands assistance melt the makeup into the peel."

As important? Don't forget to clean your brushes at least once a calendar week with lukewarm water and soap to avoid buildup and bacteria, or else y'all'll become an uneven eolith of foundation on your skin.

To avoid cakey makeup, remember that less is more.

When it comes to natural-looking foundation, follow this rule: "Only utilise makeup where you need it," says Irwin.

To avoid a heavy-handed foundation awarding, start with a pocket-sized amount and build equally desired. "Focus on the center of your face, which is unremarkably where redness and discoloration lives for almost people," Irwin says. "To troubleshoot sure areas, dab a small amount of concealer (it'southward more concentrated in pigment) instead of piling on foundation and so you prevent caking."

If you're foundation looks cakey after you've practical it, blend, and blend and blend.

The one thing every single makeup artist agrees on? That blending is the most important step to avoiding cakey makeup.

"Start from the middle of your face and blend outwards to eolith less product to the edges of your face, which keeps the whole upshot softer," says Irwin. You should also make sure to blend into your neck and jawline—areas that tend to be lighter than your face.

Set your foundation with a translucent powder or facial spray.

"If you have combination or oily pare, utilise a sheer dusting of translucent powder to fix your look," says Ma. "Brand sure to focus on the T-zone and under eye areas, which tend to await the most worn-down and cakey throughout the day."

For dryer skin (or if yous just want to revive your await), a facial spray will help create the illusion that you're not wearing makeup at all, says Quynh.

And when people outset complimenting your skin, not your makeup, know you've reached cake-free, foundation nirvana.

For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!

This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to discover the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their spider web site.