Backstage Beauty Secrets: How Makeup Artists Fix Caking and Creasing the Pro Way

You want blended, smooth, poreless skin, so you layer on all the foundations, concealers, and setting powders that promise a flawless look. Next thing you know, though, your makeup is cakey. It looks dry, cracked, creased, thick, separated, blotchy—all words you absolutely never want to describe how your face looks.

I’ve been there many times, even as a beauty editor with all the best products at my fingertips. But sometimes cakey makeup isn’t exactly about what you use, but rather how you use it. That’s the biggest advice I’ve learned from interviewing makeup artists backstage on editorial shoots and for fashion shows.

Below, I’m getting into all the best tips I’ve learned from experts to avoid cakey makeup, from what to do before you apply to what types of products to look for.

Cakey makeup mostly refers to foundation that looks thick, heavy, and noticeable, but it's also kind of a catch-all term for uneven, splotchy makeup that's creasing, sliding around, breaking up, flaking—basically anything other than makeup that looks flawless. And because cakey makeup can appear in so many different ways, the list of causes can be pretty long, too.

Sometimes, the reason for cakey makeup is way too much product or not the right products, and other times, it has more to do with your actual skin, like skin that's too dry or too oily, or skin that hasn't been prepped properly. So with all that in mind, let's go over a few pro tips for how to refresh cakey makeup and how to prevent it next time.

Setting spray might seem like something you should only spritz on if you want to elongate your makeup. And yes, many formulas do that. But it’s best for melting all of your products together. When used as the last step of your routine—i.e. after you’ve layered on contour, bronzer, setting powder, highlighter, blush, etc—the liquid can help take away a powdery residue. This can make your makeup look more natural and provide a skin-like finish.

Naturally, a lighter-weight formula just isn’t going to cake up like a thick, full-coverage one. This isn’t to say it’s not possible to make a full-coverage foundation look skin-like, but if you want to take out some of the elbow grease required in doing so, a thinner consistency is key. I love skin tints best of all, but there are a lot of impeccable light-to-medium-coverage foundations out there that will help even out skin tone but feel less like makeup. (My go-tos are mph.Beauty’s Le Skin Foundation and Armani Beauty Luminous Silk, if you were curious.)

An even foundation application requires more than just rubbing it on and calling it a day. If your foundation looks cakey after you've applied it, then you're not done blending. Use a damp makeup sponge to gently stamp your foundation (or BB cream, or tinted moisturizer—fwiw, both of these formulas have lighter coverage and will naturally help eliminate some of the cakey look, as explained above) into your skin over and over again until it has basically set (about three minutes). The blending and stippling will eliminate any harsh lines and ensure every inch of your skin is covered and even, without the cake.

So you've followed all the under-eye baking steps to a T, and yet your concealer looks crusty, crepe-y, and chalky. Ugh. What you need is to add a bit of hydration back into the skin. This makeup artist's trick: Use a facial mist to hydrate your fine lines and dissolve powdery residue. But don't just mist it all over your makeup—spritz it right onto your clean makeup sponge, dab it a few times on the back of your hand to tap off the excess, then lightly press it over your cakey concealer to fix the dryness without ruining all the work you did.

Your hairstyle might work better on slightly dirty hair, but the same is not true for your face. Ya gotta do all the skincare steps in the right order (except for the ones that dry out your face, like acne spot treatments) to create the best canvas for all that makeup you're about to paint on it.

First step: Wash your face with a gentle face wash or micellar water. If you have dry skin that flakes with foundation, be sure to exfoliate your skin on a regular basis to remove any dead skin (some even swear by shaving their face and peach fuzz for the smoothest finish) that could cause your foundation to look scaly. Then, you have your optional toners and serums.

If you have a dull complexion, you might actually find a hydrating face serum to be helpful in adding a little glow. And for oily skin, a toner might be helpful for removing excess oil without stripping the skin. Then, follow with a lightweight moisturizer (like one that contains hyaluronic acid) and allow it at least five minutes to sink in before moving on with your sunscreen and makeup.

If you have oily skin, follow this product order: moisturizer, setting powder, setting spray, primer, foundation. While this might be a bit too heavy for those with dry skin, this viral TikTok hack has plenty of success stories and fans (including me) who swear this technique keeps their foundation long-lasting and crease-free. I’ve seen makeup artist do this on set, especially since studio lights can be very hot and cause extra sweating.

One annoying symptom of cakey makeup is when it settles into your fine lines, making them look like full-blown wrinkles. The tendency is to cover these areas with even more makeup to hide them, but you actually want to do the opposite. Instead, apply your foundation all over your face, avoiding the areas that crease (around the eyes, forehead, and around the mouth). Then, use whatever product is left on your makeup sponge at the end to very lightly cover your creases.

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Not everyone's a fan of makeup primers, but if you're regularly dealing with makeup that creases and moves around, you'll benefit from using one. However! Not all foundation formulas are compatible with all primers. As explained by the Reddit makeup geniuses, silicone-based primers work best with foundations that contain silicones, while water-based primers are a little more versatile and can work with either water- or silicone-based foundations. Just check the ingredients list: If you see anything ending in -cone near the top of the list, you've likely got yourself a silicone primer or foundation.

If creasing of your under-eye products is your main gripe because you smile a lot (smiling is good! Keep doing that!), apply your concealer only in the inner corners of your eyes and blend it outward into just the hollows. In other words, don't paint a large swipe under your entire eye and avoid applying any product at all by the outside corner. With this technique, you get the coverage where you need it most without all the buildup where your face naturally scrunches. Because as you know, creasing can make your makeup look cakey even when you didn't pack on the product.

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories.

Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer at Cosmopolitan and has 10 years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle across print and digital.

Beth Gillette

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months. 

Brooke Shunatona

Brooke Shunatona is a contributing writer for Cosmopolitan.com.