My foundation always looks cakey. What am I doing wrong?
November 8, 2015 4:31 PM Subscribe
I'm not sure if I'm putting my foundation on incorrectly or maybe using the wrong products. But my foundation always looks cakey and I have no idea how to fix it.
Currently, whenever I put foundation on, it always appears cakey, especially on my forehead. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've watched many youtube videos and I still can't seem to do a good job.
I have oily/combination skin. It's pretty oily in the summer and in the winter, my t-zone is dry. Right now, I am using Boscia detoxifying black cleanser twice a day. I use my Clarisonic in the morning with a sensitive brush and in the evening, I just use my fingers. I use the Boscia luminizing black mask once a week. I really love these products and would prefer not to change them. I don't have an issue with acne but I do have enlarged pores which I'm trying to hide.
As for moisturizer, I haven't really found one that works for me. I am currently using Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel. When I first put it on, my skin feels so soft and amazing. But a few hours later, my forehead will start to feel greasy. Do I need a different moisturizer if this is happening?
I am currently using Kat Von B lock-it tattoo foundation. I usually use a brush to put it on. I've tried using a primer but I don't think it's really made a difference. I don't usually put on powder.
I really want more of an airbrushed look! Any tips or ideas? I am open to trying new products (although I really love the face wash I'm currently using).
Currently, whenever I put foundation on, it always appears cakey, especially on my forehead. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've watched many youtube videos and I still can't seem to do a good job.
I have oily/combination skin. It's pretty oily in the summer and in the winter, my t-zone is dry. Right now, I am using Boscia detoxifying black cleanser twice a day. I use my Clarisonic in the morning with a sensitive brush and in the evening, I just use my fingers. I use the Boscia luminizing black mask once a week. I really love these products and would prefer not to change them. I don't have an issue with acne but I do have enlarged pores which I'm trying to hide.
As for moisturizer, I haven't really found one that works for me. I am currently using Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel. When I first put it on, my skin feels so soft and amazing. But a few hours later, my forehead will start to feel greasy. Do I need a different moisturizer if this is happening?
I am currently using Kat Von B lock-it tattoo foundation. I usually use a brush to put it on. I've tried using a primer but I don't think it's really made a difference. I don't usually put on powder.
I really want more of an airbrushed look! Any tips or ideas? I am open to trying new products (although I really love the face wash I'm currently using).
Try a medium-coverage foundation, or a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. Apply with a dampened Beauty Blender.
If you do choose to use a primer, make sure both your primer and foundation are water-based, or both silicone-based. Mixing types can lead to foundation separation or pilling.
posted by rachaelfaith at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you do choose to use a primer, make sure both your primer and foundation are water-based, or both silicone-based. Mixing types can lead to foundation separation or pilling.
posted by rachaelfaith at 4:46 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Try these tips from Wayne Goss. He puts on a LOT of moisturizer first.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by oneirodynia at 5:03 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
... and if you can't watch the video I just posted, it's basically: use whatever foundation you want, but put on heaps of moisturizer first and take time to work that into the skin. He only powders the center of his face, but you can do as much setting afterward if you like. If you like to use primer you do it after the moisturizer step.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by oneirodynia at 5:08 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not familiar with the Clinique moisturizer you're using, so feel free to ignore, but: I've never used a gel product that didn't wind up pilling eventually. Have you tried regular lotion moisturizer? I use the most basic Eucerin SPF 15 lotion, put it when I get out of the shower, it sinks in while I do other stuff, and skin is ready for makeup when I'm dressed. I sometimes use Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, sometimes a silicone Maybelline product, sometimes Benefit powder, and non of them ever pill or look cakey even though I just apply with fingers.
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:29 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
When my face started looking like this, I dropped the foundation. I think it's your foundation. Sometimes, in some weather, a product looks great... then a few months later it looks crappy. Time for a product switch, I think...
Depending on my skin's mood + the weather...
- sometimes just moisturizer w/spf + spot concealor on trouble spots + face powder
- sometimes just BB Cream
- sometimes BB Cream + light dust of face powder
- sometimes just concealor + face powder
...and so on, and so on, and so on.
TL;DR: I have never found one product to work 100% of the time. Primer makes me even cakeir, FWIW. I have large pores and some wrinkle, I find less is best + some good spot concealor in a nearly undetectable shade. I use a magnifying mirror. Less is more. Less is more.
posted by jbenben at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Depending on my skin's mood + the weather...
- sometimes just moisturizer w/spf + spot concealor on trouble spots + face powder
- sometimes just BB Cream
- sometimes BB Cream + light dust of face powder
- sometimes just concealor + face powder
...and so on, and so on, and so on.
TL;DR: I have never found one product to work 100% of the time. Primer makes me even cakeir, FWIW. I have large pores and some wrinkle, I find less is best + some good spot concealor in a nearly undetectable shade. I use a magnifying mirror. Less is more. Less is more.
posted by jbenben at 5:38 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I have sensitive/combination skin (and seasonal allergies, so it gets extra annoying around this time of year)...and I had cakey/flaky foundation issues up until very recently. I attribute this to two things: 1) application - switching from brushes/my fingers to a sponge (specifically this one from Real Techniques - which is one of many cheaper beautyblender dupes out there), and 2) preparation - using the Wayne Goss foundation method - essentially putting moisturizer (and/or primer) -and- powder on *before* foundation. My foundation goes on more consistently and lasts longer with this method - I highly recommend trying it.
posted by freeform at 5:44 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by freeform at 5:44 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm wondering if your t-zone might be drier than you think it is. (Mine was!) I find that moisturizing more actually helps my oiliness throughout the day, since my skin doesn't try to play catch-up if it starts with enough moisture. (Admittedly, this was not true immediately. I looked shiny for a while until my skin adjusted.) It also helps with the caky foundation look, since my skin is smoother and the foundation spreads more easily.
Are you using the Clinique gel both day and night? If so, try a heavier moisturizer at night, followed by the gel in the morning before you put on makeup. Give it 10 minutes to absorb before you use primer and foundation.
Also, as other have said, consider using a lighter product like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream.
posted by Owlcat at 6:17 PM on November 8, 2015
Are you using the Clinique gel both day and night? If so, try a heavier moisturizer at night, followed by the gel in the morning before you put on makeup. Give it 10 minutes to absorb before you use primer and foundation.
Also, as other have said, consider using a lighter product like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream.
posted by Owlcat at 6:17 PM on November 8, 2015
I would also say you need a lighter-weight foundation. I've always been a fan of Shiseido's Powdery Foundation for a powder and foundation in one, but I hate the way liquid foundation feels on my skin. Also, blotting papers are miraculous little things to take care of that mid-afternoon shine.
posted by cecic at 6:36 PM on November 8, 2015
posted by cecic at 6:36 PM on November 8, 2015
At least one website says your foundation is difficult to apply.
I'd go to a store with a good make-up counter and tell them the problem. I use BB cream or tinted moisturizer. Anything else seems to look too heavy/cake for everyday.
posted by bluedaisy at 6:41 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'd go to a store with a good make-up counter and tell them the problem. I use BB cream or tinted moisturizer. Anything else seems to look too heavy/cake for everyday.
posted by bluedaisy at 6:41 PM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
One foundation that I use, MAC Pro Longwear, sounds like it might be similar to the one you have. It tends to go on cakey and uneven, and the very matte finish seems to emphasize the problem. When I bought it the salesperson had some suggestions: dampen the brush; mix foundation with moisturizer; mix foundation with a liquid "illuminator," like MAC Strobe Cream, which also has tiny reflective particles to add a welcome bit of glow. (It's not a cream at all, just a thickish liquid in a tube.) My ratio for either of these last two is 2:1, makeup to additive. I also dampen the brush. Adding water to the foundation gives a very bad result. My preferred brush is one like the MAC 187 "skunk brush" because you can apply very littlel and then buff with the same brush to spread and blend. I can get a sheer application this way, and the foundation lasts just as long with the moisturizer/strobe as it does without. These long-wearing, highly pigmented makeups make great concealers for whatever spots I might want to cover, so I don't need a lot of foundation all over my whole face.
posted by wryly at 7:47 PM on November 8, 2015
posted by wryly at 7:47 PM on November 8, 2015
I used Lock-It for years but switched for this same reason. I now use Clinique's CC Cream.
Something else I've been dabbling with is - just using less. I use primer and let it set up a bit, then just do a really light coat with my brush. This sounds crazy to people who know what they are doing, I'm sure, but you can always add more foundation if it's not enough, but taking off some is almost impossible. So I do less than I think and supplement where needed and/or powder on top.
And one more thing - if my brush isn't clean, there's almost no way around cakey.
posted by getawaysticks at 10:24 PM on November 8, 2015
Something else I've been dabbling with is - just using less. I use primer and let it set up a bit, then just do a really light coat with my brush. This sounds crazy to people who know what they are doing, I'm sure, but you can always add more foundation if it's not enough, but taking off some is almost impossible. So I do less than I think and supplement where needed and/or powder on top.
And one more thing - if my brush isn't clean, there's almost no way around cakey.
posted by getawaysticks at 10:24 PM on November 8, 2015
Pick a more suitable foundation - yours may be too far on the oily skin side of the spectrum. Also, technique. The long lasting foundations give you little time to blend well before they set and once set, they are set that being the point of long lasting. So use very little, blend very well, perhaps use a second, clean brush for blending all over. Use concealer to cover any actual blemishes. The point of foundation is not to cover every mark but to even out the skin tone of your face. That way you have a very thin, hopefully a lot less cakey layer all over, you can build up a bit more if you have pigmentation or some area type discolouration, but use concealer to cover any blemishes, scars etc. If that doesn't work you need a different foundation, more suited to combination/normal skin, than combination/oily skin. Because if it takes til lunch time for your forehead to be shiny without powder you're not very oiky. Use blotting papers for that, not an even more drying foundation.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:18 PM on November 8, 2015
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:18 PM on November 8, 2015
I have a different skin type from you, so this may not be that helpful, but I used the Clinique moisturiser for a while and I found that it made my face feel super greasy. I recently switched to Sukin's Sensitive Facial Moisturiser on advice of a friend and it's wonderful. It's not at all greasy and makes my skin so soft. I combine it with a LUSH colour supplement for everyday wear (light coverage) but I think it would be great under whatever foundation you prefer.
posted by bibliotropic at 11:32 PM on November 8, 2015
posted by bibliotropic at 11:32 PM on November 8, 2015
I agree with the gel moisturizer being part of the problem but the foundation sounds heavy duty and prone to caking.
I have an oily t-zone but my skin is combination and if I overdo the drying stuff I end up flaky so I'm always balancing that with the weather etc. I use a basic moisturizer with spf (right now cetaphil with spf 30, give it a few minutes to sink in, then apply revlon colourstay with my fingers (it really is good for a drugstore brand!), put on concealer where needed, then set with some loose powder. I use sephora blotting papers and a powder compact for touch-ups through the day. I don't think I look airbrushed though so can't help there, I feel like foundation and makeup technology has passed me by.
posted by lafemma at 4:46 AM on November 9, 2015
I have an oily t-zone but my skin is combination and if I overdo the drying stuff I end up flaky so I'm always balancing that with the weather etc. I use a basic moisturizer with spf (right now cetaphil with spf 30, give it a few minutes to sink in, then apply revlon colourstay with my fingers (it really is good for a drugstore brand!), put on concealer where needed, then set with some loose powder. I use sephora blotting papers and a powder compact for touch-ups through the day. I don't think I look airbrushed though so can't help there, I feel like foundation and makeup technology has passed me by.
posted by lafemma at 4:46 AM on November 9, 2015
Lighter coverage foundation, use a concealer if you have things you need covered and only immediately on the area to cover after your foundation.
Use a beauty blender to blend your foundation after applying. Make sure to wet sponge completely to a jelly like consistency, then squeeze it out until damp. Then pay it all over the foundation to blend and apply. Cheap eBay knock offs work as well as the fancy ones. A brush can work too but as some one with older skin I find it shows up my fine wrinkles.. If you go the brush route buff well, don't just apply it and let it sit, really blend it in.
Blotting papers for your forehead will help absorb oil. ELF cosmetics make some great ones at a good price. Use a pressing action to absorb oil and keep makeup in place.
posted by wwax at 6:29 AM on November 9, 2015
Use a beauty blender to blend your foundation after applying. Make sure to wet sponge completely to a jelly like consistency, then squeeze it out until damp. Then pay it all over the foundation to blend and apply. Cheap eBay knock offs work as well as the fancy ones. A brush can work too but as some one with older skin I find it shows up my fine wrinkles.. If you go the brush route buff well, don't just apply it and let it sit, really blend it in.
Blotting papers for your forehead will help absorb oil. ELF cosmetics make some great ones at a good price. Use a pressing action to absorb oil and keep makeup in place.
posted by wwax at 6:29 AM on November 9, 2015
Yeah, I think most of your problems will be solved if you switch foundations to something that's more medium coverage. The Kat Von D is like, SUPER full coverage. I think scaling all the way back to a BB/CC cream might be going too far in the other direction, especially if you're as oily as you say you are. I've tried a lot of foundations over the years and find that medium coverage that I can build up in selected areas is the sweet spot. You might want to try something like MAC Face + Body (fairly sheer but meant to be buildable) or Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk ($$$, but as a fellow oily-skinned woman who doesn't want cake-face, this is the best foundation I've ever used.)
posted by superfluousm at 7:12 AM on November 9, 2015
posted by superfluousm at 7:12 AM on November 9, 2015
If you insist on a full coverage foundation (I think the lighter and sheer-er the better and more skin-looking, personally), go with Chanel's Vitalumiere.
Vitalumiere Aqua has a lighter feel.
Another standard that has a lighter sister is Estee Lauder's Doublewear. The Doublewear Light is somewhere between a full foundation and BB. It might not be a bad choice if you are not comfortable going all the way to BB.
Definitely get a new moisturizer. I have said before on Ask that the ritzy dermatologist I saw in Buffalo, where all the wives of the Bills and the Sabres and the newsanchors went, recommended Purpose. If that was not moisturizing enough, he went to Cetaphil. My aestetician friend worked there for a bit and she uses Ponds. I know the last one has mineral oil in some formulations, so be careful if you are sensitive.
posted by oflinkey at 8:02 AM on November 9, 2015
Vitalumiere Aqua has a lighter feel.
Another standard that has a lighter sister is Estee Lauder's Doublewear. The Doublewear Light is somewhere between a full foundation and BB. It might not be a bad choice if you are not comfortable going all the way to BB.
Definitely get a new moisturizer. I have said before on Ask that the ritzy dermatologist I saw in Buffalo, where all the wives of the Bills and the Sabres and the newsanchors went, recommended Purpose. If that was not moisturizing enough, he went to Cetaphil. My aestetician friend worked there for a bit and she uses Ponds. I know the last one has mineral oil in some formulations, so be careful if you are sensitive.
posted by oflinkey at 8:02 AM on November 9, 2015
If you do not want to switch foundations, use a beauty blender. You can also try cutting the foundation with moisturizer or better yet, an illuminating liquid such as MAC Strobe Cream.
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 8:15 AM on November 9, 2015
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 8:15 AM on November 9, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you for all of the suggestions. I will definitely look into finding a new moisturizer and foundation. The only reason I have used the Kat Von D foundation was because that was recommended to me at Sephora. I previously used foundation from Clinique which was okay. I also tried Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation because of my oily skin and that dried my face out way too much. I will look into the Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk. I have never used a beauty blender and will definitely give that a shot!
posted by Nicole21 at 11:37 AM on November 9, 2015
posted by Nicole21 at 11:37 AM on November 9, 2015
If you are hesitant to throw down money for a new foundation, try mixing yours with some moisturizer ( probably not the gel type ). Might make it smooth enough to be rid of the cakey problem.
posted by pintapicasso at 12:08 PM on November 9, 2015
posted by pintapicasso at 12:08 PM on November 9, 2015
OP, how long ago did you buy your current foundation? Sephora has a great return policy that may work in your favor here.
posted by Owlcat at 8:27 PM on November 9, 2015
posted by Owlcat at 8:27 PM on November 9, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by asockpuppet at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2015 [4 favorites]