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So, you’ve finished your flawless makeup look—at least, that’s what you think. But, you realize “my makeup looks bad” like cakey makeup looks after doing your makeup with full confidence. Oops! Unfortunately, cakiness is a real problem that can arise when doing face makeup. Fortunately, all hope is not gone. You can do a few things if your foundation is cakey or your face powder needs a little more blending. To see how to fix the cakey makeup look, keep scrolling first. Let’s address a topic you’ve been asking yourself: ‘Why is my foundation cakey?’’
Why Does My Foundation Look Cakey And Dry?
The reasons are simple behind why your foundation looks cakey. One of the main causes is applying too much product on the face. We understand that you want to ensure that your face is well-covered. However, that doesn’t mean you have to go excessive with the foundation.
Why does my makeup always look cakey? How can I fix it? To avoid seeming cakey skin, blend a small bit of foundation at a time, whether you are using a beauty brush, a makeup blender, or your fingers to finish your complexion. Are you confused? How can you apply foundation properly to avoid a cakey makeup look? Watch the video below.
Other factors of the cakey look of foundation on the face are dry skin texture, improper makeup layering, and the wrong skincare products. Moreover, the dead skins on your face are another reason for a cakey makeup face. Always exfoliate and moisturize your skin before applying any makeup product, especially the foundation on your face, to ensure a flawless look.
Why Does My Makeup Look Cakey? How Can I Fix It?
After getting all your work done! You realize you have just done your cakey makeup face! But don’t give up just yet. There is hope, and you can (and will) achieve the flawless face makeup you desire after reading this article! Here are some of my suggestions for avoiding a cakey makeup look in the first place. It’s important to remember that getting the outcomes you seek often requires only minor adjustments. I promise you won’t have to start from zero. Let’s begin!
Use Setting Spray To Blend All The Products Properly
When you don’t want a cakey makeup look, using a setting spray is one of the best options. When you’re finished applying your makeup, you’ll need to blend it all, which you can do with a setting spray, which will hold everything together and blend it into one natural look. Hold a setting spray 6 – 8 inches away from the face. Then splash your face with it. Make careful you don’t go over! A few spritzes should be enough.
Use Setting Powder For Your Under Eyes
The solution is straightforward when you realize that a cakey makeup look is a concern. Apply concealer to your under-eye area and mix it in with a sponge. After that, take a few moments to let your concealer settle into the creases. You can use a setting powder to avoid cakiness under the eyes, as you can notice in the video below. Don’t use a setting powder on top of the concealer application right away (let it dry first).
Pick Right Products
The importance of selecting the right formulas is important. I understand that not everyone likes primers, but if you have to deal with cakey makeup look regularly, you probably need one! However, you should be aware that not all primers are compatible with your foundation. Matching the formulas is the finest thing you can do.
If you’re going to use a silicone-based foundation, you’ll want to apply a silicone-based primer.
Do you use a water-based primer all of the time? After that, apply a water-based foundation, although a water-based primer can also work with a silicone-based foundation. Just make sure you mix and match everything as much as possible. This can greatly assist you in blending your makeup and avoiding makeup that doesn’t look cakey.
Use Eyeshadow Primer
Yes, it may look odd at first, but consider it. To keep your eyeshadow from creasing and sliding, you should use an eyeshadow primer. It’s only natural to apply it to other parts of your face after that. It can improve smile lines around the eyes and avoid “makeup on nose looks cakey.” When you apply your eyeshadow primer on clean, moisturized skin, you’ll notice that your cakey makeup look is no longer an issue!
Less is more
Why Does my foundation always look cakey? We frequently hear the phrase “less is more.” The following is what I mean by this. Let’s suppose, when we apply makeup and notice a cakey foundation in our fine wrinkles, we often feel compelled to apply more. However, this is not the solution, where the concept of “less is more” comes into play. Applying extra makeup is the polar opposite of what you want.
Except for the spotted areas, apply the foundation all across your face. After you’ve completed your entire face, use the product left on your brush to go over these affected areas. You’ll use a lot less product through this technique, and the possibilities of cakey makeup look are virtually none.
Use Powder Before Foundation Over Your Oily Skin Texture
You’ve already known it. Smooth-looking makeup necessitates the use of the correct formulae in the correct order. So, if your skin is oily, you should take care of it before applying foundation.
So, What Should You Do?
You should, in a sense, sandwich your makeup. Using your blending sponge, apply a small amount of setting powder to the areas of your face where you have oily skin (like your T-zone).
Afterward, set it aside for a few minutes before brushing off the extra powder. After that, you may resume your normal makeup procedure, and after everything is in place, you can go over again with a sprinkle of setting powder. It should help you greatly!
How To Make Makeup Not Look Cakey On Dry Skin?
We just discussed what to do if you have oily skin, but many people have dry skin. So, what are your possible alternatives?
The issue with dry skin is that it will always appear cakey no matter how much preparation you do. Fortunately, using facial oil at the end of your workout may readily prevent a cakey makeup look. Simply apply your facial oil to the back of your hand, then dab it in with your sponge. Then lightly stipple it over the areas of your face that are dry. This will help you blend all of your makeup products, and cakey makeup will be a thing of the past!
You Applied Too Much Makeup!
STOP! Don’t go straight to the sink to wash it all away. You may easily neutralize this by dampening a makeup sponge and rolling it over the regions of your face where you’ve over-applied makeup.
Under Eyes Again
Yes, many people have issues with creasing and cakey makeup under their eyes, so I think another method to prevent cakey makeup looking under their eyes would be beneficial!
If your under-eye area is crusty and chalky, you should rehydrate your skin. Simply use a squalene-containing face spray to achieve hydrated skin.
How Does It Work?
Take a clean makeup sponge and spray the spray on it. To avoid using too much face spray, dab it a couple of times with the back of your hand. Then, to remedy the dryness, lightly dab it across the places where your cakey foundation is.
Blend! Blend Foundation Properly
Putting foundation on your face entails more than just putting it on. Your cakey makeup could be due to a lack of blending. When you’ve used foundation, it seems cakey on your face. So, it means you haven’t finished blending correctly. Simply go over it again and again until it is firmly embedded in your skin. This will eliminate the sharp lines you’ve noticed and ensure that every inch of your skin is smooth and free of cakiness!
How To Make Makeup Look Less Cakey By Maintaining A Skincare Routine?
I hope the initial ideas and tricks for avoiding a cakey makeup look will assist you in smoothing out your foundation. If not, here are some more ways to help you smooth out your foundation!
Maintain A Skincare Routine

Besides applying the appropriate makeup and complementing the perfect formulations, skincare is also something not to be forgotten.
Smooth skin is the base for a smooth foundation look. Gentle exfoliation can help you apply foundation smoothly, and it’s not difficult to do. The Pixi Glow Peel Pads are my particular favorite. These pads contribute to removing dead skin cells.
You can use a little bit of Homeoplasmine on a cotton swab to treat dryness around your nose or pick-at blemishes. Massage gently into the scab, flaky, or dry skin, and you’ll find that this is frequently enough to smooth it all out.
Skincare For Sensitive Sensitive Skin

How to make makeup not look chalky? As we all know, a healthy skincare routine is the most critical step in getting non-cakey skin for makeup. It’s critical to utilize items that will last longer and won’t dehydrate your dry, sensitive skin.
Use a tiny amount of hyaluronic acid, such as “Vichy Aqualia Thermal Face Serum.” This serum helps absorb the cream (moisturizer) by the skin. After applying the serum, you can apply a moisturizer, such as Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream, for the best results.
This cream has the advantage of not piling up beneath your foundation. Aside from that, it has components that nourish the skin while also reducing inflammation.
How To Make Your Makeup Look Smooth And Not Cakey?
A few things can cause a cakey foundation look that we’ve all seen at least once. The first is dead skin cells sticking to your face’s surface, forming a rough-textured layer that makeup can’t adequately smooth over, resulting in a cakey makeup look.
Excessive dryness or dehydration, not applying suitable skincare or cosmetics, and just overdoing it with the foundation and concealer are all probable causes. Finally, wrongly layering your makeup, applying powder before or in-between foundation, or not waiting too long enough between processes are also prevalent in cakey makeup face.
Pre-Makeup Skin Prep
Skincare

Completely eradicating cakiness starts with a quality skincare routine that includes nourishing moisturizer, serum, face oil, and a good exfoliant. By focusing on your skin first, you’ll ensure that your makeup has the proper canvas to work with, which means it won’t have to work as hard to smooth things out and produce that airbrushed effect.
We enjoy chemical exfoliators because they don’t require any severe scrubbing or irritating microbeads when it comes to exfoliators. Instead, they use compounds like AHAs and BHAs to buff away dead skin cells while you go about your daily routine. Simply use a cotton bud to apply a small amount of these magic items to your face and wait for radiant results.
Why does my makeup always look cakey? Hydration is another vital aspect in your skincare phase that will help you get rid of the cakey makeup look. We all know how important it is to keep our skin hydrated, regardless of our skin types, but did you realize that your skin’s moisture levels are crucial to how your makeup looks? After all, well-hydrated skin has fewer fine lines and wrinkles, less drying, and a smoother texture.
Moisturizers, hydrating serums, and nourishing face oils are just a few options for improving your complexion’s hydration. All three are simple to implement into a daily routine, and at least one in the morning and one at night should be required!
If you go with a serum, look for one that has Hyaluronic Acid (HA), which binds water molecules to the skin. If oils are more your style, try hydrating products or ingredients like rosehip, flaxseed, and argan oil.
Apply Primer

You’ve immediately assured a great ground for your foundation, concealer, and other base products by incorporating these new basics into your skincare routine. But that’s not all you can do to keep your makeup from looking cakey! Primer is an essential step in any makeup routine since it helps to polish your ‘canvas,’ removing defects such as rough texture, pores, blemishes, and breakouts.
First, apply your skincare (namely, serums, gels, and moisturizers) at least 10 mins before applying your primer – if possible, wait for a full half-hour. Then, using a sponge or brush instead of your fingers, apply your primer smoothly. These methods will ensure no ‘balling’ or product build-up produced by excessive friction.
When choosing a primer, look for one that smoothes out your skin – these usually contain silicon, making them simple to spot. Make sure you’re applying it evenly and going into hard-to-reach areas like the around the nose to get a flawless look.
Foundation Application
It’s now time to put your foundation on. A few helpful ideas will help you distinguish between cakey makeup and a smooth, even-looking application. To begin, choose a foundation that provides great coverage from the start (if that’s what you’re going for, of course) so that you don’t have to apply too many layers. After all, the more layers there are, the cakier look can get, right?
Apply your foundation onto your skin with a beauty sponge, allowing it to blend in completely. Using a sponge and bouncing motions prevents a cakey look and roughness, leading to a cakey makeup look. Apply one coat first, then check the situation before adding a second if required.
Next is your concealer, which will be your new best friend if you want to avoid a cakey makeup look. Instead of double down on your heavy foundation, use a light yet full coverage concealer to spot any problem areas (yes, they do exist). By focusing the formula specifically on these areas of concern, the product will not build up overly.
How to get a makeup look that does not look cakey? Finally, remember the fundamental rule of flawless makeup: never, ever, ever layer foundation and powder! It’s a surefire method to induce cakiness, even though it’s a good trick for excessively oily skin that causes makeup to drip.
When you’ve finished with your liquid products, lightly dust the skin with a light, translucent powder that won’t change the tone of your foundation. That’s it – no more liquids or creams till you’ve finished your look. Prime the skin before makeup is important for a smooth make look, If you don’t have the genuine makeup primer you can also use Vaseline as a makeup prime.