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Skin Prep Before Makeup: Best Products & Steps for Smooth, Glowy Makeup
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items The secret to flawless makeup isn’t just foundation, it’s skin prep. Here are the best skincare steps and prep products to help makeup apply smoother, last longer, and look more natural. Perfect for dry, oily, combo, and textured skin.
Sections
8
Cleanser
Exfoliants
Hydrating Toner/Essence
Serum
Moisturizer
Eye Cream
Cleanser
Remove oil, sweat, and leftover skincare so your base goes on smooth and doesn’t pill.
Hydrating cleanser that is gentle to use every morning. It leave your skin feeling refreshed and hydrated
Youth To The People - Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser
This cleanser has 10% glycerine to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture. Lathers up to break down impurities in the skin. Comes in a fragrance free formula as well!
Dieux - Baptism Hydrating + Pore Clarifying Gentle Foaming Gel Cleanser
Gentle for every day morning use. Especially around the eyes and if you're a contact lens wearer!
Fresh - Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
Exfoliants
Chemical exfoliants help lift dead skin that can make foundation look patchy or textured.
Comes in different strengths depending on your skin. Safe enough to use daily and makes your makeup lay on your face like butter!
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare - Mini Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel
Helps exfoliate dry and dead skin cells so the skincare you apply on top will absorb better!
Inn Beauty - Skin Prep Brightening & Exfoliating Pads with Glycolic Acid
Helps your skin glow and evens out texture. Good bang for your buck especially if you use them daily!
First Aid Beauty - Facial Radiance Pads
Hydrating Toner/Essence
Adds a first layer of hydration and helps your skin stay plump under makeup.
Preps your skin and helps hydrate, soothe, and glow!
Rhode - Glazing Milk Ceramide Facial Essence
Helps strengthen skin barrier and adds moisture to calm irritated skin. Helps plump skin for makeup
Honey Milk Hydrating Essence with Chamomile + Ceramides - Farmacy | Sephora
Helps reduce redness and smooths skin texture. Moisturizes skin to prep for makeup
ILIA The Base Face Milk Essence & Lightweight Moisturizer ...
Serum
Pulls moisture into the skin so foundation doesn’t cling to dryness.
Helps plump your skin and makes it dewy and juicy for your makeup!
Fenty Beauty - Dew N Plump Hydrating Nectar Glow Serum
Niacinamide in these dew drops make your skin look super juicy and dewy before makeup!
Glow Recipe - Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
An alternative to Vitamin C, it helps brighten your skin and works on dark spots and discoloration
Caudalie - Vinoperfect Radiance Dark Spot Serum
Moisturizer
Gel creams for oily/combo skin, richer creams for dry skin. This step prevents cakiness.
Doubles as a primer as well as a moisturizer. Its thick and hydrating but will never pill under makeup!
Bobbi Brown - Vitamin Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer
Very lightweight moisturizer that helps your skin stay dewy and glowy
Tatcha - Dewy Milk Moisturizer
Has Vitamin E and anti-aging properties to help your skin stay plump and moisturized. Thick but wont pill under your makeup!
Charlotte Tilbury - Magic Cream with Vitamin E
Eye Cream
Concealer sits better and creases less when the under-eye area is moisturized.
Has a cooling tip with a roller to help brighten and depuff your eyes in the morning
Biossance - 5% Niacinamide Brightening Eye Serum with Vitamin C + Squalane
Very hydrating under the eyes and helps smooth out fine lines.
Kiehl's Since 1851 - Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
Has a cooling ceramic tip and caffeine to help awaken the under eyes
Caudalie - Vinoperfect Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream
Lip Prep
Use a lip scrub or balm early in your routine. Smooth lips = smoother lipstick and lip gloss application
A sugar scrub that you can you morning or night to help exfoliate your lips and get rid of stubborn dry skin
Fresh - Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Advanced Therapy
Helps soften lips with a thick hydrating mask. Love the spatula applicator it comes with
Tatcha - The Kissu Lip Mask
Comes in clear as well as tinted. Helps sooth and hydrate dry lips. Glossy so you can wear it to prep the lips or even as your gloss with a lip combo
Topicals - Slick Salve Glossy Lip Balm for Soothing + Hydration
SPF
Protects your skin and also acts as a smooth base layer under makeup.
A very thin serum like formula. Doesn't pill at all under the makeup and leave zero white cast
Kiehl's - UV Serum SPF 50+ Facial Sunscreen with Collagen Peptide
An invisible gel/silicone like texture. Blends into the skin because it is clear and leaves ZERO white cast. Makes your skin look more matte than dewy!
SuperGoop - Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA +++
Korean skincare that is so affordable! A normal cream like formula and blends into the skin and doesn't leave a white cast. Helps your skin look supple and dewy
innisfree - Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36