The first and foremost step which everyone must diligently follow before the application of makeup is to prep and prime the skin. Your skin is your canvas and the better the canvas, better the makeup and face would look! It is as important as the whole makeup is and would never let it get patchy.
The skin needs to be cleansed, toned and hydrated/moisturized – this must be done irrespective of the skin type, products would vary but steps would be the same, and these steps collectively are called prepping of the skin.
The next step is called priming the skin. Primers are the base of foundation which smooth out the texture of the skin, allows even application of the foundation, increases the durability of the make up and prevents the make up from sliding and oxidizing. There are a lot of primers available in the market and the skin type is the deciding factor for which primer to use. If the skin is oily, opt for a silicone/gel/water based primer (like Colorbar, Becca, Optical Illusion by Urban Decay, Viel by Hourglass)
If the skin is dry, one should go for a radiant and illuminating one (like Make up Forever, Laura Mercier). If the skin has a lot of pores we must opt for a primer, which especially takes care of pores, For eg. The Pore fessional by Benefit, Make up Forever smoothing.
Primers can also be used for the purpose of colour correction. Brands like Make up Forever, Flormar, and Nyx have a wide range of coloured primers to neutralize the skin.
Finally, once the skin has been prepped and primed, we can use a prep and prime spray. There are a wide range of these sprays available in the market and once can choose based on the brand preference.
Once these steps are followed, take a break – let the skin breathe and absorb all that has been applied. It is like skin food. Once we feel the skin has absorbed all the nutrients we can start with the makeup!
Take care of the canvas you are working on by following the steps mentioned above, but in the process, remember quantity also plays an important role. Too much of prepping would lead to an oily canvas and too much of primer would ball up and that too is a disaster.
So go ahead everyone, get your face prepped for best looks of the season!
