So your makeup keeps sliding off and you have no idea why? Girl, I feel you. You’re out here buying all the “long-wear” foundations, watching every tutorial, doing everything the beauty gurus tell you to do, and your makeup still looks rough by noon.
Plot twist: it’s probably not even your makeup’s fault. It’s what you’re doing to your skin before you even touch your foundation.
Your Morning Skincare is Sabotaging Your Base
You wake up, and you’re feeling good about your skincare game. You’ve got your vitamin C serum, your hyaluronic acid, that fancy peptide cream you saw on TikTok, maybe a face oil because glowing skin is everything, and then your moisturizer with SPF. Layer, layer, layer – because more is better, right?
No, babe.
So many times I’ve had clients sit in my chair, telling me all about their elaborate morning routines. And I know that they really want to do all the things to help their skin look amazing.
But, as a professional makeup artist, I also know that their morning skincare routine is secretly sabotaging their makeup- and they don’t even know it.
Not because they have bad skin or because they’re doing skincare wrong – all of their choices might be great ones- but because they’re essentially creating a slip-and-slide on their face.
Why Foundation Won’t Stick to Your Skin
Here’s what’s really going on: all those skincare products you’re layering on in the morning? They’re literally working against your makeup. Those oils and heavy creams are creating this slippery barrier that makes your foundation slide around instead of staying put.
I get it – we’re always told that moisturized skin = better makeup. And yes, hydrated skin is extremely important, but there’s a difference between properly prepped skin and skin that’s been over-prepped with too many products.
Think about it – you wouldn’t put a sticker on something covered in lotion, right? Your makeup needs something to actually grip onto.
How to Prep Your Skin for Long-Lasting Makeup
Ready for the fix? It’s way simpler than you think.
Your morning routine before makeup should literally just be this: a lightweight moisturizer followed by and SPF. That’s it.
Try this today- minimize your routine and see if that helps your makeup last longer.
If it doesn’t- there are other steps to check into like choosing skincare products that are longwear makeup friendly.
Best Skincare Routine for Makeup That Actually Lasts
You’re probably thinking “but what about all my other stuff?”
Use it! But save it for nightime ONLY. Your PM routine is where all those serums and treatments belong.
All those active ingredients and heavy, emollient products you love? They’re perfect for your nighttime routine when your skin can actually use them because your skin does most of its repair work while you sleep anyway.
Next Steps
Sometimes less really is more, especially when it comes to makeup prep. Keep your AM routine minimal, save the fancy stuff for PM, and finally get that long-lasting makeup you’ve been trying to achieve.
If want to take your makeup game to the next level, I teach all my best long-wear makeup secrets (including the application techniques that make the biggest difference) in my Long-Lasting Makeup Masterclass.
This is where I share everything – from the exact products that actually stay put to the pro techniques I use on clients who need their makeup to last 12+ hours. If you’re tired of makeup that fades, creases, or disappears by afternoon, this class will change everything for you!
