Prepping your skin before applying makeup is crucial—you already know that. The secret behind a flawless professional makeup look often lies in the skin preparation done beforehand. We reached out to L’Oréal experts Gabriel Almodovar and Sir John to uncover their tips for perfect skin prep, and here’s what they shared with us.
CLEANSE
The first step to achieving a flawless makeup look is ensuring your skin is thoroughly cleansed. “I love Clarisonic devices for this,” says Sir John. “They not only help remove makeup at the end of the night, but they also help give skin the skin a gentle cleanse and help with product absorption before applying makeup. Pair with the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Cleansersfor a great cleanse.”
EXFOLIATE
“Exfoliating your skin is one of the most important things you should do in general and especially before applying makeup,” notes Almodovar. “Exfoliation should only be done about 2x per week. You need to let you dead skin cells build up before you can exfoliate them.” After cleansing, use a good exfoliator to remove excess buildup and impurities, leaving your skin smooth and refreshed. “The smoother you skin is the prettier all your face makeup will look on your fresh skin,” Almodovar adds. You do want to be careful to not over-exfoliate however — “You want to still keep your skin healthy and smooth, but when you over exfoliate you can actually strip away too many layers and cause oiliness,” Sir John notes.
TREAT & MOISTURIZE
Keeping your skin hydrated is another essential step in prepping it for makeup. “Since it is winter now, opt for a super-moisturizing moisturizer like theL’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius for Extra Dry Skin,” according to Sir John, healthy, hydrated skin helps prevent makeup from flaking or settling into rough patches.
PRIME
The final step to perfecting your makeup prep is applying a high-quality primer. “Primers can be really helpful though to help your makeup glide on more smoothly and make it last longer,” Almodovar adds that your skin will feel plump, hydrated, and ready to hold makeup in place for hours. We couldn’t agree more!
