One of the timeless issues that we eventually encounter with foundation is the dreaded “cake” factor; that heavy, textured foundation look that lets everyone know “hey, I’m wearing foundation today!” that no one ever wants.
Some foundations start off cakey from the get go, while others build on their cake factor as the day wears on, making our dream of a flawless, skin-like finish fade pretty fast.
Then there are those foundations that look great on some parts of our face but heavier on others, making us go in search of even more foundations in the hopes that they will work out better.
As frustrating as all this sounds, there are ways to help avoid cakey foundation and get a well-blended, skin-like finish and I’m here to tell you how!
Warning: this is a lengthy post, so brew a nice cup of coffee, put on a good sheet mask and relax.
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1. Maintain A Good Skin Care Routine
A flawless complexion starts with a good skin care routine that is followed consistently. Foundation tends to get cakey on drier areas or places where we have a bit more texture, so keeping our skin as healthy and balanced as we can goes a long way to avoid cakey, heavy looking foundation. You can check out my skin care routine here, but in short:
-always gently cleanse skin (cleansers that leave your skin feeling tight should be tossed!)
-exfoliate gently as tolerated (see tip#2 below)
-use treatments and serums to target specific skin concerns
-apply moisturizing products (even if you’re oily!) and
-finish off with a good SPF50 sunscreen.
Your skin and your foundation will thank you.
2. Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliation is an important skin care step because it helps remove the build-up of dead skin that can make our complexion look dull and flakey.
Built-up skin bits also reduce a foundation’s ability to blend into the skin seamlessly. Regularly exfoliating with a gentle scrub, chemical exfoliant and/or silicone cleansing brush can help remove dead skin cells, smooth out unwanted texture and flaky bits and allow foundation to glide on like butter.
However, it’s important not to over exfoliate: over exfoliation can lead to red, flaky, tight and otherwise irritated skin. Only exfoliate as often as your skin can tolerate to give your foundation a smooth, debris-free canvas to lay on.
3. Hydrate + Moisturize
Well hydrated skin is plump, glowing and refreshed and makes the best canvas for applying foundation.
Important for all skin types, moisturizing is a skin care step that should NEVER be skipped and is a great way to reduce the potential for foundation caking up, not blending or clinging to dry patches.
If you have dry skin, you will want to look for more emollient moisturizers that will hydrate and seal in moisture, while helping smooth out any flaky bits.
Super-dry skin types may even want to add a facial oil for extra nourishment. Sheet masks are also a great way to hydrate and prep skin for foundation in a hurry – just apply one for 20 minutes and your skin will be crazy plump!
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If you’re oily, a more lightweight gel moisturizer is your best bet. If you suffer from combination skin, like most people, consider using a different moisturizer for different parts of your face.
For example: my forehead and t-zone tend to run oily, but my top lip, the spot between my eyebrows and the sides of my nose tend to be drier and more textured; as a result, my foundations always look heavier and cakier in those dry places.
That’s why I use a dual moisturizer approach: I apply a lighter moisturizer to my oilier areas and then apply a more hydrating moisturizer only to my drier bits.
This targeted moisturizer technique helps my foundation blend easier and look less cakey overall.
4. Try Using A Primer
A makeup primer works to smooth and prep the skin’s surface for foundation and can be a great way to avoid a cakey, heavy foundation look.
Primers also help foundation grip onto the skin better for a more long lasting finish. If you have dry skin, applying a hydrating primer (like the POREfessional Hydrate Primer) will add an additional layer of hydration to parched skin and help foundation blend smoothly without clinging to your drier bits.
A primer oil is also a great way to give dry to normal skin types a lovely dewy complexion and makes blending out thicker foundation formulas much easier. Primer oils can be applied directly onto the skin or mixed into foundation.
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If you have oily skin that tends to break down foundation throughout the day, try using a mattifying primer to create a barrier between your skin and the foundation; this will help reduce shine and keep your natural oils from disturbing the foundation and cracking your flawless finish.
5. Find The Right Foundation Formula (Or Create One!)
This tip is easier said than done, am I right? While finding the perfect foundation can be like looking for a pig that flies, some basic tips to help you start are:
-If you have predominantly oily skin, look for matte, oil-free foundations and avoid any that are described as “dewy”, “radiant” or “glowy” in the description.
-If you have predominantly dry skin, you want a more hydrating foundation formula, so dewy, radiant finishes are what you’re after.
That being said, even finding a good foundation formula for your skin type doesn’t always mean that your foundation won’t cake up, because most of us have combination skin types (e.g. dry in some areas, oilier in others). That’s why I often use more than one foundation to get the finish I want.
I explained this tip in my post “My Multi-Foundation Routine For The Perfect Base”, but the quick version is: I apply one foundation to my oilier bits and then apply a more hydrating foundation formula to my drier, cake-prone areas (the foundation shades have to be a close match for this to not look crazy). You can also mix foundation formulas together to get the finish and blend you’re after.
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6. Use The Right Tools
In general, foundation can be applied with a damp makeup sponge, a foundation brush or your fingers.
But some foundations apply better with a brush, while others go on smoother with a sponge.
Other foundations, like MAC Face & Body, are actually designed to be applied with fingers, so it’s not a “one tool fits all” type of situation and using the wrong tool can actually reduce how well your foundation blends and increase the potential for cake-face.
Based on the foundation you are using, I recommend trying out different application tools and techniques to find what works best for your skin type and the foundation itself.
If you use a foundation brush, be sure to lightly stipple the foundation onto your face and let the tips of the bristles work their magic.
Applying too much pressure can interfere with how the brush was intended to work and can actually kick up your flaky bits (and peach fuzz, if you have any!) in the process. If you use a damp makeup sponge, lightly bounce the sponge onto your skin – never drag it.
Use your fingers to blend foundation into your more stubborn areas where the sponge fails. Using your fingers is also a great way to apply thinner foundation formulas and BB/CC creams, which I talk about here in more detail!
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7. Apply Foundation In Light, Even Layers
Have you ever watched a YouTube makeup tutorial where the vlogger applies huge blotches of foundation all over his/her face and then proceeds to blend it out seamlessly? Honestly, I have no idea how they do it, because I would be covered in a cakey foundation mess if I ever tried this and I do NOT recommend applying your foundation this way.
To avoid foundation that looks heavy or cakey, always apply it in thin, light, even layers and add more as you need it; this method is way easier than over applying and having to blend like a maniac or remove the excess, which can be tricky and is a one-way ticket to cake town.
So how can you ensure a light, even application?
1 – Whether you use a brush or a sponge, first dispense the foundation onto the back of your hand or a flat makeup palette.
2 – Lightly dab the brush or sponge into the foundation, making sure to coat the entire sponge/bristle tips to ensure the foundation is spread onto them evenly. We don’t want too much foundation building up in one spot on your brush/sponge.
3 – Next, apply the foundation by dabbing it gently onto your face from the centre, outwards; this prevents you from applying a big blob of foundation in one spot that you have to furiously blend out and spread.
For areas that are prone to caking or clinging, apply foundation to them last so you have less product on the brush/sponge to blend out.
4 – For spots where excess foundation has built up, be sure to remove the excess with a clean sponge.
8. Work With Fresh Foundation (don’t let it dry!)
What does this mean? No, I don’t mean keep your foundation in the fridge, but I do mean to work with wet foundation, as foundation that has started to dry on the skin will be harder to blend and will definitely look cakey.
Instead of blotting dots of foundation all over the face, work in small sections and add foundation as needed to complete your entire face. Working in small sections will ensure that the foundation doesn’t begin to dry and set into the skin, which will lead to a better, more easy to blend foundation that won’t look to dry or patchy.
Tip: Different foundations dry at different rates. If you have a fast drying foundation, you will need to work and blend it in faster to avoid it drying in one spot. Most foundations dry in about a minute but some dry even faster.
9. Set Your Foundation With Powder Or Blot As Needed
I speak in more detail about this topic here, but setting your foundation with a setting powder is a great way to get a flawless, air-brushed finish and reduce the potential for caking throughout the day, especially if you are oily.
That’s because setting powder (like this one from Laura Mercier) helps absorb excess oils that can break down foundation and cause it to look cakey as the day progresses.
You can opt to set only the oily areas/t-zone with powder or set your entire face, depending on the finish you are looking for. If you have drier skin, you can skip this step altogether or simply blot the areas that tend to cake up during the day with blotting tissues.
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10. Use A Makeup Setting Spray
Makeup setting sprays are a great way to preserve the finish of your makeup during the day and reduce the potential for foundation looking heavy or cakey over time.
Oily skin types should stick to matte setting sprays, which work to reduce shine and oil. Drier skin types should look for hydrating and dewy/glowy setting sprays to add moisture and glow.
If you choose to set your foundation with powder as per tip #9 above, applying a setting spray is a great way to help the powder melt into the skin for a more natural skin-like finish.
Tip: some setting sprays can re-wet your foundation and make it begin to cake up! If this happens, apply your makeup setting spray onto a damp makeup sponge or powder puff and gently press the spray onto your skin instead.
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And those are all the tips and tricks I use to avoid cakey foundation – what are yours?
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