How to Get Makeup-Ready Skin

No makeup application is complete without a well-prepped canvas—and by canvas, we of course mean skin! Getting your skin makeup-ready is actually much easier than it seems and can be achieved in just a few simple steps. We share the key to makeup-ready skin, plus how to prep your skin for summer makeup application using a lightweight facial moisturizer from L’Oréal Paris, ahead.

If you’ve ever applied makeup to dry-looking skin, then you know how hard it can be to blend out your foundation and achieve a flawless-looking—not to mention: radiant—makeup application. That being said, a little hydration boost can help get your skin in tip-top shape for foundation, BB cream, and so on. One of our favorite ways to create the perfect base for makeup is by hydrating the skin with L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care. Formulated with soothing aloe water and hydrating hyaluronic acid, this drugstore moisturizer—available in three variations formulated for specific skin types—quenches skin with moisture and locks it in. The result? Skin that’s comfortable, hydrated, fresh and healthy-looking. We share more about this stellar moisturizer—plus, how to prep your skin for makeup—ahead.

STEP ONE: CLEANSE YOUR COMPLEXION

The first step in prepping your skin for makeup application is to cleanse. Cleansing daily is important because it can remove pore-clogging impurities from the skin’s surface. One of our favorite ways to cleanse our complexion before applying makeup is with micellar water. Why? Because the gentle elixir can cleanse away makeup, dirt, and impurities without the need to rinse! All you have to do is soak a cotton pad in the solution and gently sweep it over your facial contours. Easy, peasy.

For more on micellar water, check out our review of some of our favorite drugstore micellar waters from L’Oréal Paris, here.

STEP TWO: EXFOLIATE

Dealing with rough-feeling skin? A little exfoliation can go a long way in helping to promote softer and smoother skin. Once or twice a week, incorporate an at-home facial peel—we share some of our favorites, here—or, reach for a gentle facial scrub to get the job done.

STEP THREE: HYDRATE WITH L’ORÉAL PARIS HYDRA GENIUS DAILY LIQUID CARE

After you’ve cleansed and exfoliated, it’s time for hydration. Hydrating your skin with a lightweight facial moisturizer—like one from the Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care range—can not only reveal comfortable, soothed, and nourished skin, it can help create a more ideal canvas for makeup application, too. What’s more? The Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care — Normal and Dry Skin moisturizer leaves the skin with a trace of radiance, perfect for summer makeup! 

L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care, $17.99 MSRP

STEP FOUR: DAB ON FOUNDATION

Now that your skin is prepped and ready for makeup application, it’s time to choose a foundation that can give you your ideal summer glow. One of our favorites? L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation. This lightweight, creamy foundation goes on smooth to cover imperfections and deliver a hydrating glow. Plus, it’s formulated with SPF for added protection!

Editor’s note: Prefer a matte finish foundation instead? No problem! Swap in the L’Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation instead.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation, $12.99 MSRP

Once you’ve prepped your skin and applied foundation, complete the look with concealer, bronzer, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and the works!