One of the biggest makeup issues I struggled with was how to make foundation look good on my skin. Ironic isn’t it, because foundation is supposed to make your skin look better, yet for some reason mine would always cake or disappear or streak. It’s like my face was rejecting my foundation! And you know what? IT WAS.
The lesson today? How you prep your skin for makeup application determines how the makeup will react with your skin. So without further ado, I’d like to share 3 steps and products I personally use to prep my skin for a smooth + flawless makeup application.
- Gently exfoliate with Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Scrub. I reviewed this in detail a while back and raved about how soft it made my skin AND how nicely my makeup applied afterwards. After all, how well can your foundation/bb cream adhere to your skin if it’s covered in dead cells? Exfoliating provides a smooth canvas for your makeup, which means less caking and creasing. I especially love this particular scrub by Klairs because it’s super gentle and it has wonderful ingredients.
- Give skin a hydration boost with Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner. If you have oily or combination skin like me, you’ve probably run into cases where a “moisturizing” product was just too rich, so you avoid it altogether. What I found when I did that was my t-zone produced even more oil to compensate for the lack of moisture, meaning my foundation was slipping off my nose before the day was even half over. However this toner provides all the hydration my skin needs without being overbearing, and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my makeup staying power!
- Prime with Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (hydrating). I don’t think I need to go into why we need to prime our face, but I will say the primer you choose can make or break your makeup application. The Laura Mercier Foundation Primer comes in 6 different variations, but if you read their ingredient list, they’d sound more like a skincare product than makeup. As a firm believer in higher quality ingredients = higher quality products = better results, this primer proved me right again. The key is to let the primer sink in for a few minutes before applying your foundation.
If I really wanted to prep my skin, I would include a hydrating sheet mask between step 2 & 3, but who has time for that on a regular morning? But with the above 3 steps (I’d replace my regular face wash with the Klairs scrub) I can achieve a smooth makeup application without having to sacrifice any precious sleep!
Where to buy
Klairs products are available exclusively on Wishtrend, where you can buy them individually or as part of a Solution Kit or Wish Box. Follow me on Twitter to get their latest coupon codes for more discounts!
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer can be found at your local Sephora or department store for $34 a tube. I’d recommend purchasing at Sephora if you can for their generous return policy.
Hope you found this post informative, and if you want in-depth reviews on the toner or the primer, please let me know! Have a wonderful week!
I’ve tried a variety of facial scrubs and I don’t really like any of them. :( Maybe I need to post them on my blog sometime too so I don’t forget which ones I’ve tried and like or don’t like! Looks like Klairs might be next on the list! Anyways, I agree toning and hydrating are definitely important to helping makeup stay on. I also used to wonder why makeup looked so flaky on me then realized it was because my skin was too dry, and towards the evening it slid off because my skin was too oily! I use this CC cream that hydrates as well so it’s less of a problem than foundation!
I’d definitely be interested in reading a list of scrubs you’ve tried! I definitely had the same problem before with my makeup, but now with some prep work beforehand and some oil blotting sheets my makeup lasts much longer :D
I’m interested in trying the facial toner and primer you listed! I have the same issue where a lot of moisturizing products are too rich for me. I don’t wear foundation all the time, but I’ll keep these tips in mind for when I do :)
I think you’ll really enjoy those products! I’ve been using them all summer and I’ve never had an issue with my combination skin. As a matter of fact, I notice my t-zone gets more oily when I don’t user the primer, even though it’s a hydrating primer!
so far, i’ve only tried 2 face primers – the maybelline insta pink transformer and revlon photoready primer – and applying them before using my foundation / cc cream but i still don’t get that perfect, flawless airbrush smooth look on my T-zone, especially on my nose. i’m not sure if it’s because i have big pores or because the redness on my face is too much. geez, having oily combination (sensitive, i suppose) skin is difficult. sometimes i’m not even sure if i should use moisturizer or not, pfft.
it’s difficult for me to find a suitable primer. sadly, i haven’t found one i really like so far.
Moisturizing is a must, even if you have oily skin, though I would definitely avoid heavy creams and sticky to lighter gel moisturizers. Primers can vary depending on skin type so I think you just need to find one that works well for your t-zones, hope you find one you like soon!