These Face Makeup Tips Will Help You Avoid Cakey Face

You know we've all at one time or another applied too much foundation or concealer and ended up with what I like to call "Cakey Face". This is a common dilemma when it comes to face makeup, so here's my easy steps in how to get more natural looking skin!

1. Apply a face primer

This step helps prime your skin just as paint primer preps your walls before applying paint: it smooths out the surface filling in pores and making the surface smoother for the foundation. Primers have just recently become standard in makeup products- one of the first ones was the Smashbox Photofinish. This works well if you have dry skin, but I find it too oily looking on combination to oily skin.

2. Don't apply too much foundation

Now I realize that if you want full coverage or have many blemishes you’d like to cover, the first thing you think is to apply a fair amount of foundation. This will cover the blemishes BUT will also risk the chance of piling up and looking very mask like. The better option is to apply a thin layer just to even out your overall skin, then go over with concealer on just the blemished areas. On my clients I really like using the Beauty Blender because it applies a thin layer and makes it easier to melt the foundation into the skin. It is best used damp as the wet sponge thins the foundation slightly.

3. Apply powder only to oily areas

This is the key step! ONLY apply powder to the areas on your face that tend to get oily- usually the "T zone". If you have dry skin, you may even be able to skip powder altogether. The trick is to also apply powder in a thin layer- I find the best way to do this is to use a thin, flat sponge.

4. Mist setting spray

This step is optional- I just do this step if my skin looks a bit dry after applying powder. My absolutely favorite product of all time is MAC's Fix Plus spray- simply mist it all over your face after your makeup is done. It will give a subtle glow to the skin and help "melt" the powder into your foundation.

Always remember to apply makeup in thin layers at a time- you can always add more, but it's very difficult to take away. I really hope this helps you all in your quest of getting flawless looking skin!