I love cake — but not on the face. How to fix + prevent cakey makeup

Jan 14

Most things in life sound wonderful when compared to cake. But when it comes to the face? Not ideal. While I certainly can't resist a glam, full-coverage makeup look, it is way too easy to travel into cakey territory if you use too much product or the wrong formula for your skin type. We dry-skinned girlies know this all too well, as heavy products tend to cling to those dry spots. According to board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshik, who spoke with Byrdie, "Those with dry skin may benefit from foundations with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or liquid formulations." Conversely, If you have texture issues on your skin resulting from acne or redness, a matte foundation may be your best bet.

And while heavy foundations and concealers can certainly be contributing factors, the biggest culprit for many is the powder.

We've all been there — the liquid products are applied, and you look radiant and flawless. Then ugh. You apply the powder, and like a text from an ex on a girl’s night out, total buzzkill.

But don't panic! Just like the block button comes in handy, so do I. There are a few tips and tricks that work for me that you should try the next time you put on a litttttle too much makeup and need to tone it down.

Setting spray is your BFF

Setting sprays, especially dewy, hydrating ones, will help melt the products into your skin and eliminate that powdery look. My tried-and-true setting spray technique is to spray a generous amount all over my face after all the base makeup is applied (before the eyes), and with a wet beauty sponge, gently tap all around to melt everything in. Once the entire face is complete, go ahead and lock it all in with a long-wearing setting spray, and don't worry about using a sponge unless you really need it.

Don't have setting spray? Grab some face oil *with caution*

If you don't have setting spray, or it simply didn't do the trick, grab face oil and drop a small amount on the back of your hand. Then, with your damp beauty sponge, dab it into the oil, ensuring it is evenly applied and soaked in the sponge. Then, gently — and I mean gently — tap it on your face. You don't want globs of oil ruining your base makeup, so again, make sure you are cautious with this and don't use too much. The oil will do sort of the same thing as the setting spray, melting the products into the skin and adding an illuminating glow.

Are you priming your face?

One of the most important tips for preventing a cakey finish happens before even applying your makeup. AKA prime your face. Btw, you should 100000% be wearing a moisturizer under your foundation, even if your skin is oily. Actually, not wearing a moisturizer can make oily skin even worse. You may think that skipping the moisturizer will help combat those oily issues, but nope! According to L'Oréal Paris, your oil glands can go into "overdrive” when makeup products are applied on top of bare skin, essentially making the oily issue worse. After your moisturizer, you can go in with a mattifying primer to help reduce that excess shine. For those with dry skin, reach for a hydrating primer so your makeup has a hydrated base to melt into.

You may be using too much product

It's easy to get a little carried away when doing your makeup, and the worst part is once it's on, it's on. I mean, you could redo your makeup and start over, but who wants to do that? When you sit down to doll yourself up, it may be a good idea to be mindful of the amount you put on. Remember, you can always add more if needed! Start small and build the coverage if the product permits.

Here are some of my favorite setting sprays and face oils:

Urban Decay All Nighter Ultra Glow