Every skin type battles a different concern when it comes to prioritizing a proper beauty routine. But when it comes to dry skin, prepping your skin before applying your makeup is essential, especially during winter months when extra hydration is key.
Shop TODAY asked New York-based makeup artist Cara Lovello and dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo to fill us with their tips on how to find and apply makeup on dry skin. We also found some first-rate products to make your face look flawless instead of flaky.
How to apply makeup on dry skin
This may come as no surprise, but the first step for an immaculate complexion is to moisturize. According to Lovello, hydrated skin is essential if you want your makeup to shine. “Basically, if the skin feels dry, don’t even attempt to put foundation on yet.” If your skin is feeling extra dry, Lovello recommends adding a facial oil to your skin care routine to lock in some extra moisture.
To give yourself a smoother canvas to work on, Lovello also suggests exfoliating beforehand. “I keep the Laura Mercier facial exfoliator in my shower and exfoliate on mornings I’m wearing a full face of makeup. This is crucial for me during cold winter months to prepare my skin for makeup.”
Makeup ingredients that’ll help with dry skin
You can also look for specific makeup ingredients that will boost your complexion, such as glycerin. “Combining a hydrating spray, then a humectant like hyaluronic acid or glycerin, [followed by] a moisturizer which is more occlusive to trap it all in, is the trifecta for really dry skin,” said Lupo. Other ingredients like ceramides also moisturize your skin by helping to “repair and reinforce the lipid intercellular barrier and trap water longer,” she added.
In a crunch and don’t have time to look at your makeup’s ingredient list? Lovello suggested to avoid products that say “mattifying.” Smoother products like cream blush and serum foundation are also formulated with more hydrating ingredients like vitamin E and squalane.
Best makeup products for dry skin, according to experts and shoppers
Lawless Glam Guard Long-Wear Setting Spray
This setting spray will give you a long-lasting makeup finish, even during the coldest of days. The weightless formula offers a hydrating and superfine mist that locks in makeup and moisture thanks to soothing ingredients like lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils. One verified Sephora shopper said this spray “doesn’t dry my skin out and keeps my makeup looking fresh all day, even with frequent mask-wearing.”
Tower 28 Beauty BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush
Lovello recommends this multipurpose product because it blends seamlessly and will give you that sun-kissed glow even when it’s gloomy outside. The creamy formula is made with plant-based ingredients such as green tea and aloe vera extract that won’t clog your pores.
Dermablend Cover Care Full Coverage Concealer
Get full coverage and hydration for 24 hours with this bestselling concealer by Dermablend. This lightweight formula is effective in covering those stubborn dark spots and dark circles, plus it nourishes thirsty skin thanks to ingredients like vegetable glycerin. “Even when blended, the concealer did a FANTASTIC job of covering everything and evening out my skin color. I don’t generally use setting powder and I didn’t feel like I needed any,” added an enthusiastic Ulta shopper.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
If you’re looking for a natural-looking effect, this Nars concealer is ideal. This creamy formula will last for up to 16 hours and it works just as well as a corrector if you’re dealing with redness or dark circles, according to Lovello.
Laura Mercier Refining Crème Polish
Lovello recommends this Laura Mercier exfoliator to remove dead skin and improve skin texture. It’s formulated with a blend of rose water, French spring water and starflower oil to prep your skin for a flawless makeup application.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Bronzer
This creamy bronzer from Anastasia Beverly Hills offers a matte finish and texture to properly contour your skin without leaving a gritty lingering feeling. According to the brand, the product creates a natural look that doesn’t streak, patch, oxidize or smudge.
Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss
Suffering from cracked lips? This Dior gloss will help give your pecker a plumping effect while moisturizing and hydrating it. Customers rave about how shiny this lip gloss is without being sticky. It also contains hyaluronic acid for extra hydration.
YSL Nu Glow in Balm Face Priming Moisturizer
With a near-perfect five-star rating at Sephora, this priming moisturizer is your go-to for glowy skin. Its formula contains shea butter and vegetal glycerin to soothe and illuminate your skin. One reviewer shared, “I have dry skin and use this after my skin care routine, but before my tinted mineral sunscreen. It keeps my skin feeling protected and hydrated all day long and gives me a dewy, healthy glow.”
Nars Radiance Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 35 Sunscreen
Lovello advised to use this sunscreen before your makeup application. Aside from prolonging your makeup wear, this primer will instantly revive fatigued skin. Plus, according to one shopper, this primer offers protection and a “healthy glow [sans the glitter]!”
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
Illuminate your complexion with this setting powder from Charlotte Tilbury. It combines rose wax and almond oil to hydrate your skin throughout the day. Plus, it blends easily on the skin while providing a pearlescent finish to your makeup. “It’s not messy and it helps me set my foundation without having to worry about overdoing it and getting cakey,” added one Sephora shopper.
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick
Get a “baby cheek” effect with this creamy blush stick. The product comes in six different shades and can be used anywhere from your lips to your lids. All you need to do is swipe and tap with your finger for a glowy finish.
Dr. Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty Platinum Lip Plump
Plump your lips with a lightweight gel that smoothes and hydrates. After application, your lips will have a voluminous effect. The best part is that the formula is loaded with all kinds of goodies for your skin, from smoothing ceramides to SPF that’ll protect your lips from the sun.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Primer
Your dry skin will get that blurred smoothing effect without the actual Instagram filter, thanks to this Hourglass primer. This “skin-perfecting” product is touted to hide your pores while controlling shininess, resulting in a translucent airbrushed finish.
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation
Create a flawless complexion with this silky, oil-free foundation from Armani Beauty. Lovello approves of its lightweight texture, while beauty lovers love how it gives their skin a silky appearance almost instantly. (Its Micro-fil Technology formulation could be thanked for that.)
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