We’ve all experienced the dread that comes with realising your makeup looks cakey, right? Whether things just aren’t working together that day, or your skin is suffering a little, cakey makeup is an unwelcome yet begrudgingly accepted part of putting cosmetics on your face everyday.
Here’s Why Your Makeup Gets Cakey (and How to Fix It)
Well, what if we said you’d never have to experience cakey makeup again? It’s actually entirely preventable, and there are a few tricks you can keep up your sleeve to keep it from happening, or to nip it in the bud when it does.
Keep on reading to discover our how-to guide on cakey makeup (or, how-not-to guide, to be exact), including the essential products you should have in your beauty bag.
Why Makeup Gets Cakey
There are a few factors that can contribute to that cakey, over-layered foundation look we’ve all encountered at least a few times. The first is dead skin cells clinging to the surface of your face, essentially creating a roughly-textured layer that makeup can’t smooth over well enough, resulting in cakiness.
Other possible culprits include excessive dryness or dehydration, not using the right skincare or makeup, and simply overdoing it with the foundation and concealer. Finally, one extremely common factor is layering your makeup incorrectly, using powder before or in between foundation, or not waiting long enough between steps.
Skincare
Completely eradicating cakiness starts with a quality skincare routine that includes both a good exfoliator and a nourishing moisturiser, serum or facial oil. By focusing on your complexion first, you’re ensuring you have the perfect canvas for makeup, meaning it doesn’t have to work as hard to smooth things over and create that airbrushed look.
When it comes to exfoliators, we love chemical exfoliators as they don’t demand any harsh scrubbing or irritating microbeads. Instead, they use various ingredients such as AHAs and BHAs (more on these here!) to buff away dead skin cells while you go about your day-to-day. Simply swipe a little of one of these miracle products over the face with a cotton bud, and wait for glowing results — literally!