The Correct Makeup Application Order, According to Makeup Artists

Skin Prep

Makeup can only do so much; proper skin prep is key to getting the most out of your makeup. And, like most things in beauty, proper skin prep depends on a handful of factors—your skin type, how much makeup you're wearing, how long you need your look to last, your goals, and so on. And it's important your skin prep is performed in the correct order, too.

When in doubt, we opt for a three-step skin prep routine. Start with a lightweight, hydrating serum, like The Outset's Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum, to plump and prep the skin without leaving a heavy finish. Follow with a moisturizer that best suits your needs—we like the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Daily Moisturizer for oily and acne-prone skin types, the Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre for balanced skin types, and Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream for drier skin. Finally, and most importantly, finish with the SPF of your choice.

Primer

Think of primer as a long-wearing booster to your makeup routine. It's an opportunity to target your main complexion concerns before applying any makeup to your face. With that in mind, opt for a primer that addresses your particular needs.

If you're dealing with excess redness, try a color-correcting primer like Make Up Forever's Step 1 Primer Redness Corrector. If visible, enlarged pores are of concern, look for a formula with pore-filling and blurring properties—we like the Caliray So Blown Blurring and Hydrating Primer. For oilier skin types, mattifying primers are a great way to combat visible shine and prolong makeup wear; the One/Size Secure the Sweat Primer is widely loved for its sweat-proof, oil-resistant formula. In short, there's a primer for every concern you can think of.

And, if nothing in particular comes to mind, opt for a lightweight hydrating or gripping primer. Our tried-and-true favorite primers include picks from Too Faced, NYX, Tatcha, and more.

Foundation and Concealer

As we've said, makeup application order is subjective—and that's especially true when it comes to complexion products. Many of our experts mention the great concealer-foundation debate (which comes first?), and the answer isn't a simple one. "Play around and discover what works for you," Murdick says. "I am a 'concealer over foundation' person, but some people love to put it under foundation. It's okay to try a few different techniques and see what you prefer."

For Shakeshaft, the answer depends on her assessment of the skin's particular needs. "If I see uneven skin tone—redness, blemishes, and the like—my first step will be to even out the skin with foundation," she explains. "If the under-eye darkness is what stands out, I will begin by neutralizing the darkness and brightening the under-eye area using [color] corrector and concealer. When the skin is evened out, you create a beautiful, clean canvas, and the color products will pop, using less product."

In terms of general makeup application order, Greenberg says it's heavily dependent on the type of makeup you wear. While she generally begins with brows and eyes first, "I find that with more 'natural' makeup, applying your base first is a great option since the eyes and brows are minimal."

Contour and/or Bronzer

While all of our makeup artists tend to apply blush later on, Shakeshaft makes a point to apply bronzer and/or contour at this point, following foundation and concealer. (And yes, there is a difference between bronzer and contour.) In fact, she goes so far as to consider this step a part of the complexion process: "Bronzer adds warmth and dimension to the skin and helps connect the surface tone of the face to the body," she explains.

Brows

Once you've set your complexion, it's time to fill in the brows. For Henney, doing the brows before the eyes is imperative, as it frames the face and helps create a more finished look. Whether you opt for powders, pencils, pens, pomades, gels, or some combination of the above formulas, brush out the hairs and fill in only where needed to create a soft, bushy-but-tamed brow.

Eyeshadow and Liner

It's important to caveat here that many people believe in starting their makeup routine with eyeshadow, particularly if they're going for a smokier, dark eye. This is based on the premise that you can clean up any fallout before applying your base. While it's definitely a sound and well-used technique, most of our pros prefer to begin with complexion and then do their eye looks. "When you are applying color next to a dark under eye, the tendency is [to get] a bit heavy-handed with the eye makeup because it's competing with the darkness," Shakeshaft explains. "So I tend to apply concealer and color corrector first."

As for what, exactly, this step entails, that's again entirely up to the user. For cream shadows, you can generally go right in with the formula, but if you plan on using powder shadows, consider adding a primer underneath to help boost longevity and discourage creasing. Greenberg suggests looking for eye products that set nicely and are easy to apply, like the Lime Crime Electric Slide Eyeshadow and Brush Sticks.

Follow with liner if you so choose; we've included both in the step together since eyeshadow is often used as eyeliner and may be blended out or worked into the look with eyeshadow brushes.

Mascara

Once you've completed your eye look, it's time to go in with mascara. If you plan on curling your lashes, do so before applying mascara to keep the tacky formula from sticking to the curler and potentially pulling out lashes. And feel free to touch up your shadow and liner as needed after the fact; just make sure your mascara is fully dry.

Blush and Highlighter

Waiting to apply blush allows you to really tailor your blush color to compliment the entire face of makeup. Shakeshaft suggests considering the lip color you plan on using and pairing your blush within the same color family—they don't have to be the same color, but try to opt for the same undertones for a more cohesive finished look.

"There is often the question of whether to apply blush or highlighter first,"
Shakeshaft says. "Again, there is no right or wrong answer, but keep in mind the product you apply first will usually be more prominent. If you like more glow and wash of color, apply the highlighter first and diffuse the blush into the glow. If you like a pop of color and a subtle glow, apply the blush and then the highlighter, diffusing the glow into the color."

Lips

Lips generally tend to come toward the end of the makeup routine with one caveat: If you're going for a bold lip, feel free to swap its spot in the lineup with eyeshadow. "I love finishing with the lip, as it can be changed easily and... alter the look dramatically," says Henney.

Powder

While oiler skin types and those prone to creasing should set their concealer with powder directly after application, it can pay off to wait until the end. This allows you to use cream and liquid formulas as you'd like without considering the powder at all. Plus, you can spot-set more strategically since some areas of the face will be set naturally by other powders (such as powder blush).

Setting Spray

"At the end of the day, the order in which you apply your makeup doesn't really matter," Greenberg dishes. "But I always make sure that I'm finishing off whatever order I do with setting spray and a lippie." While most setting sprays are simply meant to prolong the wear of makeup, consider your preferred finish and be sure it aligns with your goals.