Applying makeup is a pretty personal experience for everyone. Some people who wear makeup prefer a dewy, glowy look while others lean more towards products that’ll give them an immovable, matte finish. Some people are minimalists at heart while others view wearing makeup as an exercise in exploring all of the ways they can get creative with applying color. No matter what your general style is, if there’s anything we can all agree on when putting on makeup, it’s that we want our products to blend flawlessly without pilling or looking cakey or dry on top of our skin, especially if it’s a look that requires hours of wear—and achieving that often means you’ll have to pay extra special attention to the products you put on your skin before applying makeup.
If you’re a frequent wearer of products like foundation, concealer, and blush (or if you’re just getting started in your makeup journey) and you’ve noticed that your makeup just isn’t blending properly, the issue might not lie in how the makeup itself is being applied as much as how you’re prepping your skin before you even get to that point. Keep reading to see what might be causing difficulties as you blend out your makeup as well as some tips on how to fix and prevent it.
Why Your Makeup Looks Cakey After Blending
You Haven’t Exfoliated
First of all, it’s perfectly normal for your skin to naturally have a bit of texture, but sometimes if your skin looks or feels rough, uneven, or raised in certain areas, there’s a good chance that there’s dirt or dead skin building up that needs to be exfoliated away. In this case, it’s easy to think that an issue like texture can be covered up with products like foundation, but it’s the opposite, as foundation and complexion makeup can actually exaggerate your texture. An easier way to get your products to blend and sit well without appearing cakey is to ensure you’re applying them to your face after exfoliating or deep cleaning.
Your Skin Isn’t Prepped
Using the wrong formulas and applying makeup incorrectly isn’t the only thing that can contribute to your makeup not blending or looking cakey. This can also happen if your skin is dry or not prepped properly with products like moisturizers and serums that are meant to hydrate the skin while being specially made to keep the skin in shape under heavy makeup.
How to Make Sure Your Makeup Blends Properly
Exfoliate
Whether you wear makeup regularly or not, it’s important to make sure you’re always exfoliating so that you can remove dead skin and dirt from your pores, especially if it’s making your skin look congested or textured. That way, you’ll have a much smoother canvas to work with when applying and blending makeup.
There are two main methods for exfoliating: chemical and physical (or mechanical). Physical exfoliation often involves literally scrubbing the skin with brushes or skincare products that have grainy textures (think sugar and coffee scrubs). Chemical exfoliation, on the other hand, involves using active ingredients like exfoliating acids to dissolve dead skin and get deeper into the skin.
How often you exfoliate (and how you do it) typically depends on what your skin type is. Most dermatologists would recommend you exfoliate at least once a week, but there are plenty of over-the-counter exfoliating products out there that are gentle enough to be used daily. Our Centella 3% PHA Gentle Liquid Exfoliating Serum, for example, uses polyhydroxy acids (more on those here) to exfoliate the skin and get rid of dirt, oil, and other impurities without causing irritation or stripping. You can apply this to your skin after washing one to three times weekly, depending on what results you’re after.
Prep Your Skin
Dry or unprepped skin can often appear even drier under makeup, especially if you’re applying a heavy amount of it. A good way to combat that is to prep your skin with hydrating products, a handful of which can be found in our lineup. Our 10 Hyaluronic Cream is a moisturizer that features ten molecular weights of hyaluronic acid—which can hydrate the skin and make it appear plumper and smoother—as its star ingredient, as well as fermented black rice, which has antioxidant properties that can help protect your skin from environmental damage and premature aging.
And speaking of black rice, if there was any product we’d most recommend you add to your pre-makeup skincare routine, it’s our Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. It’s generally great for all skin types, but if your skin is on the oily or acne-prone side, this especially comes in handy because it has a very lightweight, milky texture that moisturizes without sitting on top of the skin, clogging the pores, or contributing to excess oil production. It’s also filled with good-for-your-skin ingredients like ceramides, which hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier so that your skin is less affected by environmental factors like pollution and harsh chemicals. Where ceramides hydrate, other ingredients like panthenol ensure that your skin retains said moisture while fermented black rice also acts as an antioxidant while improving skin texture.
Even if you do typically prep and moisturize your skin before applying makeup, sometimes the wrong skincare products can cause foundation and concealer to ball up and pill on top of the skin—the Probiotics Barrier Essence absorbs into the skin quickly with help from a patented technology, so it can hydrate without moving or being easy to peel or pull off.
And it really does work! A clinical trial that involved 20 testers aged 40 and up applying the product to their faces twice a day for two weeks straight proved that the essence did, in fact, improve skin barrier function by causing less water loss. For best results, apply it in place of your moisturizer if you have oily skin, and if you have dry skin, try applying it in layers. You can also try adding a few drops to your foundation to really ensure you have an easy time blending.
Final Thoughts
Getting your makeup to blend properly without drying or looking cakey isn’t always a skill issue. More often than not, achieving a flawless base for your makeup starts with proper skincare habits before said makeup even touches your face. So pay close attention to the routine before the routine for best results.
The Unexpected Reason Your Makeup Isn’t Blending Properly
Applying makeup is a pretty personal experience for everyone. Some people who wear makeup prefer a dewy, glowy look while others lean more towards products that’ll give them an immovable, matte finish. Some people are minimalists at heart while others view wearing makeup as an exercise in exploring all of the ways they can get creative with applying color. No matter what your general style is, if there’s anything we can all agree on when putting on makeup, it’s that we want our products to blend flawlessly without pilling or looking cakey or dry on top of our skin, especially if it’s a look that requires hours of wear—and achieving that often means you’ll have to pay extra special attention to the products you put on your skin before applying makeup.
If you’re a frequent wearer of products like foundation, concealer, and blush (or if you’re just getting started in your makeup journey) and you’ve noticed that your makeup just isn’t blending properly, the issue might not lie in how the makeup itself is being applied as much as how you’re prepping your skin before you even get to that point. Keep reading to see what might be causing difficulties as you blend out your makeup as well as some tips on how to fix and prevent it.
Why Your Makeup Looks Cakey After Blending
You Haven’t Exfoliated
First of all, it’s perfectly normal for your skin to naturally have a bit of texture, but sometimes if your skin looks or feels rough, uneven, or raised in certain areas, there’s a good chance that there’s dirt or dead skin building up that needs to be exfoliated away. In this case, it’s easy to think that an issue like texture can be covered up with products like foundation, but it’s the opposite, as foundation and complexion makeup can actually exaggerate your texture. An easier way to get your products to blend and sit well without appearing cakey is to ensure you’re applying them to your face after exfoliating or deep cleaning.
Your Skin Isn’t Prepped
Using the wrong formulas and applying makeup incorrectly isn’t the only thing that can contribute to your makeup not blending or looking cakey. This can also happen if your skin is dry or not prepped properly with products like moisturizers and serums that are meant to hydrate the skin while being specially made to keep the skin in shape under heavy makeup.
How to Make Sure Your Makeup Blends Properly
Exfoliate
Whether you wear makeup regularly or not, it’s important to make sure you’re always exfoliating so that you can remove dead skin and dirt from your pores, especially if it’s making your skin look congested or textured. That way, you’ll have a much smoother canvas to work with when applying and blending makeup.
There are two main methods for exfoliating: chemical and physical (or mechanical). Physical exfoliation often involves literally scrubbing the skin with brushes or skincare products that have grainy textures (think sugar and coffee scrubs). Chemical exfoliation, on the other hand, involves using active ingredients like exfoliating acids to dissolve dead skin and get deeper into the skin.
How often you exfoliate (and how you do it) typically depends on what your skin type is. Most dermatologists would recommend you exfoliate at least once a week, but there are plenty of over-the-counter exfoliating products out there that are gentle enough to be used daily. Our Centella 3% PHA Gentle Liquid Exfoliating Serum, for example, uses polyhydroxy acids (more on those here) to exfoliate the skin and get rid of dirt, oil, and other impurities without causing irritation or stripping. You can apply this to your skin after washing one to three times weekly, depending on what results you’re after.
Prep Your Skin
Dry or unprepped skin can often appear even drier under makeup, especially if you’re applying a heavy amount of it. A good way to combat that is to prep your skin with hydrating products, a handful of which can be found in our lineup. Our 10 Hyaluronic Cream is a moisturizer that features ten molecular weights of hyaluronic acid—which can hydrate the skin and make it appear plumper and smoother—as its star ingredient, as well as fermented black rice, which has antioxidant properties that can help protect your skin from environmental damage and premature aging.
And speaking of black rice, if there was any product we’d most recommend you add to your pre-makeup skincare routine, it’s our Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. It’s generally great for all skin types, but if your skin is on the oily or acne-prone side, this especially comes in handy because it has a very lightweight, milky texture that moisturizes without sitting on top of the skin, clogging the pores, or contributing to excess oil production. It’s also filled with good-for-your-skin ingredients like ceramides, which hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier so that your skin is less affected by environmental factors like pollution and harsh chemicals. Where ceramides hydrate, other ingredients like panthenol ensure that your skin retains said moisture while fermented black rice also acts as an antioxidant while improving skin texture.
Even if you do typically prep and moisturize your skin before applying makeup, sometimes the wrong skincare products can cause foundation and concealer to ball up and pill on top of the skin—the Probiotics Barrier Essence absorbs into the skin quickly with help from a patented technology, so it can hydrate without moving or being easy to peel or pull off.
And it really does work! A clinical trial that involved 20 testers aged 40 and up applying the product to their faces twice a day for two weeks straight proved that the essence did, in fact, improve skin barrier function by causing less water loss. For best results, apply it in place of your moisturizer if you have oily skin, and if you have dry skin, try applying it in layers. You can also try adding a few drops to your foundation to really ensure you have an easy time blending.
Final Thoughts
Getting your makeup to blend properly without drying or looking cakey isn’t always a skill issue. More often than not, achieving a flawless base for your makeup starts with proper skincare habits before said makeup even touches your face. So pay close attention to the routine before the routine for best results.