How to prep your skin before makeup application: A step-by-step guide

Prepping your skin before makeup application can help your makeup last longer, look smoother, and feel more seamless.

This simple step-by-step guide shares how you can prep your skin, in order, before you apply makeup for the best results. These steps make all the difference for healthy-looking skin that ensures your makeup looks amazing.

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1. Cleanse

Begin by cleansing your skin to remove any lingering dirt or excess sebum. If you’ve got dry skin, opt for something hydrating to leave your skin soft, nourished, and smooth. For oily skin, go for something more refreshing or balancing to help regulate sebum production throughout the day. Whatever your skin type, go for a cleanser that’s non-stripping and gentle.

Recommendation: Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel (CONFIDENCE10 for up to 5% off)

2. Exfoliate

Use a chemical exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells, unclog pores, and ensure even and smooth skin. For dry skin, this helps reduce dry patches, which can lead to makeup clinging to uneven texture on your skin. For oily skin, this helps remove any excess oil that can otherwise lead to your makeup breaking down throughout the day.

Recommendation: Maysama ABP11+ Green Rooibos Gentle Resurfacing Toner (SARAH10 for 10% off)

3. Apply eye patches

Put on some hydrating eye patches to keep the skin under your eyes supple, hydrated, and smooth. This can help prevent your concealer from creasing and ensure even application. Although this isn’t an essential step, it can make a big difference.

Recommendation: Dēpology Replenish & Repair Under Eye Patches

4. Use a hydrating or glowy serum

Depending on your skin type and skin goals, you should apply either a hydrating or a glowy serum. Giving your skin extra moisture will ensure smooth and even makeup application, while adding radiance to your skincare routine will help your makeup look dewy and lit from within.

Recommendation: OSKIA Super-C Beauty Capsules

5. Moisturise

Keeping your skin moisturised stops makeup from clinging to any dry patches or uneven skin texture. Without a hydrated base, your base makeup products can end up looking rough, bumpy, or patchy. Even oily skin should moisturise, as your skin can actually produce excess sebum to compensate for a lack of hydration, having the opposite effect than desired.

Recommendation: AXIS-Y Cera-Heart My Type Duo Cream (CONFIDENCE10 for up to 5% off)

6. Wear SPF (during the day)

If you’re applying your makeup during the daytime when UV rays are present, you should apply SPF. Go for a lightweight SPF (preferably SPF50) that doesn’t pill or leave a whitecast, so that makeup will smooth over the top without any issues.

Recommendation: Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-fresh (CONFIDENCE10 for up to 5% off)

7. Use a lip balm/treatment

To help any lip products you apply look smooth, plump, and hydrated, using a nourishing lip balm/treatment while you’re doing your makeup is a great tip. You can gently wipe away the lip treatment just before you apply your desired lippie to prevent any formula or pigmentation interference. But nourished lips are the key to ensuring your lip products don’t sink into any fine lines or cling to dry texture on your lips.

Recommendation: Weleda Skin Food Lip Butter

8. Apply a primer

Apply a primer as the first step in your makeup routine. Depending on what your makeup goals are, you could go for a mattifying, gripping, hydrating, or smoothing primer. Try to make sure that if your primer is silicone-based that your foundation is silicone-based too. Likewise, if your primer is water-based, go for a water-based foundation as well. Learn how to tell whether your primer and foundation are water- or silicone-based here.

Recommendation: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 6 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.