A Pre-Makeup Makeup Routine
While it is commonly known to start your beauty routine with foundation, there are a few extra recommended starting steps to consider before embarking on your makeup regimen that can keep your skin healthy and improve your finished look as a whole.
Clean your tools
Beauty blenders and brushes are a great way to evenly apply your makeup, but before you blend it is important to check that your tools are clean. Beauty sponges, for example, can pick up things like dirt, makeup residue and natural oils that if left neglected, can cause unnecessary breakout, irritation and even eye infections like stys if you are using the sponge around eye areas.
While in a perfect world it is recommended to wash your tools after every use, realistically, it is also safe to aim for cleansing them at least once a week to protect your skin from any excess bacteria. The same rules apply to makeup brushes when it comes to how often and how they can be cleaned. It is also a good idea to keep track of how long you are using these tools as it is recommended to replace makeup sponges every three months and around six months with brushes if you are an avid makeup user.
Some beauty brands sell cleansers specifically for cleansing a beauty sponge and makeup brushes such as brands like Beautyblender and Sephora Collection. However, for cost efficiency and convenience, you can also wash your blender by gently rubbing a bar or any liquid form of soap against the sponge and/or brushes and rinsing it with warm water to get similar if not exact results.
Sunscreen
It is most effective to apply your sunscreen in between cleansing your face and using primer. We also highly recommend that after directly applying sunscreen, you should pause your routine for a few minutes so that the product can dry into the skin and set in, which will give the most effective protection.
Sunscreen that is at least over an SPF of 30 is the most effective for battling sun rays. Also, look for sunscreens that are broad spectrum which protect the face. There are many popular brands like Supergoop! and Kiehl’s that have created versions of sunscreens specifically designed to protect your face from long-term effects like premature aging, sunburns and the risk of skin cancer.
Prime up!
Primer has become a recent product that has become an integral part to many peoples daily makeup routine. The purpose of primer is to create a smoother surface between your skin and makeup that helps make your makeup application easier and keeps your makeup more set for the day.
When shopping for a primer, we recommend searching for a product that will best flatter your skin type. For example, consider using a hydrating face primer like Milk Makeups Hydro Grip Primer for dry skin and leaning more towards a mattifying face primer such as The POREfessional Matte Pore Minimizing Primer from Benefit Cosmetics for oily skin.
What’s your pre-makeup routine? Let us know! @theedgemag