Baking Makeup: Steps To Achieving A Flawless Finish

Baking your makeup is a technique that gives your makeup a long-lasting, crease-free, poreless, and airbrushed finish. It involves applying a thick layer of powder to the skin and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before brushing away the excess. This process helps to set the makeup, making it last longer and giving it a flawless finish. The technique is particularly useful for those with oily skin or who want their makeup to be smudge-proof.

Prepping your face and eyes

To bake your makeup, you need to prep your face and eyes first. This will ensure that your makeup goes on smoothly and lasts all day. Here are the steps to prep your face and eyes before baking:

Apply a liquid foundation

If you use a liquid foundation, apply a thin layer all over your face to even out your skin tone and create a smooth base. Do not use a powder foundation, as baking will only set liquid products.

Moisturize under your eyes

Use a hydrating eye cream or serum to moisturize the delicate skin under your eyes. This will help to plump up the skin and minimize the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles. It will also brighten the under-eye area and make your eyes look more awake, especially if you struggle with dark circles or bags. Gently dab the eye cream under your eyes and let it absorb for a couple of minutes.

Apply concealer under your eyes

After the eye cream has absorbed, it's time to start applying makeup. Use a thick, full-coverage concealer and apply it with your finger or a concealer brush. Start a couple of centimeters under your eye and then blend it out with a damp makeup sponge or Beautyblender using quick patting motions. Bring the concealer up to your eye, so you get lighter, more natural-looking coverage closest to your eye.

Apply a second coat of concealer

A second coat of concealer will help to lock in the first coat and ensure full coverage all day. Apply the second coat gently with a concealer brush or your fingertip, and then blend it out with your damp makeup sponge.

Apply concealer to other areas of your face

Although under the eyes is the main focus of "baking," you can also apply concealer to any other areas where you want a bright, flawless finish. Apply concealer to your chin, the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, and underneath the hollows of your cheeks. These are the "highlight" areas, and baking them will add dimension to your face.

Applying concealer

The first step in the baking process is to apply a thick layer of concealer under your eyes. You can also apply it to any other areas where you want a bright, flawless finish, such as your chin, the centre of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, and underneath the hollows of your cheeks.

Using your finger or a concealer brush, start by dotting the concealer underneath your eyes, beginning a couple of centimetres under your eye and extending past the edge of your eye towards your temples.

Then, use a damp makeup sponge or Beautyblender to blend out your concealer with quick patting motions. As you blend, bring the concealer up to your eye. By applying it this way, you will get lighter and more natural-looking coverage closest to your eye.

You can then repeat this process with a second coat of concealer to lock in the first coat and ensure full-coverage all day. This time, apply the concealer more gently and sparingly, and then blend it out once again with your damp makeup sponge.

Choosing the right concealer

It is recommended to use a thick, full-coverage, liquid concealer for the baking process. Some popular options include:

• Nars Radiant Creamy concealer
• MAC Studio Fix 24-Hour Liquid Concealer
• Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Concealer
• Jouer Cosmetics Essential High Coverage Liquid Concealer

Translucent powder

When choosing a translucent powder for baking, it is important to select a finely milled, loose setting powder that is colourless or clear. This type of powder will help to smooth out uneven textures, such as scarring, visible pores, bumpiness, or roughness, without altering the colour of your foundation. It is also important to avoid using a mineral foundation, pressed powder foundation, or an HD powder, as these can be too heavy and may cause flashback in photos.

To bake your makeup using translucent powder, start by applying a thick layer of liquid concealer to the areas you want to bake, such as under your eyes, your chin, the bridge of your nose, and your forehead. Then, blend the concealer with a damp makeup sponge or beauty blender using quick patting motions. Next, apply a light dusting of translucent powder over the concealer using a fluffy powder brush. This will set your makeup and prepare it for the baking process.

Now, it's time to bake! Wet a wedge-shaped makeup sponge or a clean makeup sponge with setting spray, then dip it into the translucent powder. Stamp the powder generously over the areas where you applied the concealer. The powder should look thick and clownish as it "bakes". Leave it on for 5-10 minutes to allow the heat from your face to set the makeup underneath.

Finally, dust away the excess powder using a brush with your favourite powder foundation. This will give you a little extra coverage and help to blend away any harsh edges. And that's it! You've successfully baked your makeup using translucent powder.

Baking your makeup

Step 1: Prep your skin

Hydrated and moisturized skin is essential for flawless makeup application. Start by applying a liquid foundation to even out your skin tone and create a smooth base. Then, use a hydrating eye cream or serum to moisturize the delicate skin under your eyes.

Step 2: Apply concealer

After the eye cream has been absorbed, apply a thick, full-coverage concealer under your eyes and on any other areas where you want a bright, flawless finish, such as your chin, the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, and underneath the hollows of your cheeks. You can use your finger or a concealer brush to dot on the concealer, and then blend it with a damp makeup sponge or Beautyblender. For extra coverage, you can apply a second coat of concealer and blend it in again.

Step 3: Dust on translucent powder

Using a blending brush, lightly dust on a translucent powder everywhere that you applied the concealer. Use minimal powder, just enough to set your makeup in place.

Step 4: Pack on loose powder generously

This is the "baking" step. Spray your brush, sponge, or wedge with a bit of makeup setting spray, and then dip it into the translucent powder. Apply the powder thickly under your eyes and on any other areas where you applied concealer. Allow the powder to sit for 5-10 minutes so that your body heat can set or "bake" the makeup underneath.

Step 5: Dust away the translucent powder

After the baking process is complete, use a brush with powder foundation to dust away the translucent powder in light, gentle strokes. This will give you a little extra coverage.

Step 6: Blend any harsh edges

Finally, double-check that there are no harsh, unnatural edges on your face. If there are, use your blending brush and a bit of powder foundation to gently blend out any uneven spots without removing any product.

And that's it! Your makeup should now be crease-free, long-lasting, and flawless.

Finishing your look

Now that you've applied your setting powder, it's time to finish your look. This involves blending out the powder and applying any final touches to your makeup. Here are the steps to follow:

Use a fluffy brush to dust away the excess setting powder. Be gentle and use light, soft strokes. Start with the areas you want to look less defined, such as the nasolabial fold, chin, and forehead. Then move on to the areas underneath your cheekbones and under your eyes.

Check for any harsh, unnatural edges or lines on your face. If there are any, use your blending brush with a small amount of powder foundation to gently blend them out. Be careful not to remove any product while doing this.

Apply blush after baking. Baking needs a little time to set into your skin, so use this time to apply eyeshadow, do your brows, or set the rest of your face and contour. Applying blush after baking ensures there are no obvious lines, and the blush will blend seamlessly into your cheeks.

If you want to contour and highlight your face, now is the time to do it. Use a contour palette to add definition to your features and a highlighter to enhance your glow.

Finish by setting your makeup with a setting spray. This will help your makeup last even longer and give you a flawless finish. Spray a light layer of setting spray all over your face and allow it to dry.

And that's it! You've successfully baked your makeup. Enjoy your long-lasting, crease-free, flawless finish.

Frequently asked questions