Problems With Foundation Looking Cakey.

Jul 18, 2017

Brianna H.

Recently I've been having some issues with applying foundation, cc cream, bb cream and literally anything foundation/concealer/etc.wise. So first off, I wash my face every day and night; in the mornings I use cetaphil facewash in the shower and at night I use the origins checks and balances facewash with a clarisonic brush and buff the facewash in with warm water with the clarisonic then rinse my face with cold water. I moisturize my face with aveeno daily moisturizer and spray rose water on my face after I wash it day and night. my skin type is oily/combination. I've found that the driest parts are around my nose and the top tip of my nose and sort of dry around the center/left side of my forehead because thats literally the only place I get acne. so whenever I go to apply foundation, I always use a primer, I use the maybelline blur and smooth primer which I really love but my foundation still looks cakey and dry. I switch my foundations sometimes, but I mostly use whatever I'm feeling. but regardless if its a low or high end foundation, a cc or bb cream, a matte or dewy finish foundation, they all look like crap after I'm done with my makeup. so, whatever face product I use I almost always use a beauty blender to buff it in. I conceal my under eyes and bake for about 30 seconds to a minute with the laura mercier translucent setting powder in the places I put concealer (under eyes, in between my eyebrows, chin, smile lines and nose) and I don't swirl powder everywhere because it gets in my hair line and looks disgusting. then after I put on powder, bronzer and do my eyebrows I spray a little rose water to help re hydrate. then after I finish all my makeup I spray MAC fix plus and fan it until its dry.

I do the same routine everyday and I've watched endless videos on makeup tutorials and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. no matter what I do my foundation always looks gross and dry and cakey and flakey and I am not sure how to fix it at all. please give me some tips or advice to help! it would be very appreciated :)

Jul 18, 2017

Aleena P.

99.9% of the time caking happens because there is either too much product or the product is too drying for the area it's on.
baking always equals caking. even if it's not right away. it's meant for keeping heavy, heavy makeup on under hot, bright stage lights during performances and sucks the moisture out otherwise. even to that effect there are products in the market that are more effective at sweat control and whatnot than baking these days. no one is oily enough to need it in every day life and if they are a skin care routine is much more appropriate to solve the issue. a light dusting of powder and a barrier spray should be more than sufficient to keep your make up in place. Mac fix+ is really good for adding some moisture during application and throughout the day, but won't act as a setting spray so I would suggest shopping around if that's what you have been expecting out of it.
I love rose water for skin but it is a cleansing water and can mess with your makeup after the fact. try skipping it or stick to using it beforehand and letting it soak in before your moisturizer for the benefits.
you want to make sure you are using a more creamy formula on areas that move or have fine lines like under the eye so that you don't emphasize the texture there and a drier formula on things like acne so it can adhere better.
aside from that and because it occurs with multiple types of foundations I want to guess that you are using too much product. a full pump of most foundations is often too much, let alone the two full squirts most youtubers use because their ring lighting will blur it on camera anyways. try using the smallest amount possible, about a pea size or so, and applying a very thin layer of the foundation. give that a short second, spray it with setting spray if you choose to use it, and if you want more coverage do the same thing over or spot conceal. you don't want more than two very thin layers so if you aren't getting the coverage you want at that point try a more pigmented (higher coverage) formula.
try applying moisturizer about a half hour before you do your foundation and it's always good to drink plenty of water. even if your skin is oily it can be dehydrated. try skipping the primer to see if it may be causing issues, and if it is you can either skip it all together or try one with different ingredients that might be more or less emollient, depending on what you end up needing.
And as you apply work from the center of the face outward in downward strokes or pats. This will help you avoid lifting the hairs or skin on your face as you go along.

Jul 18, 2017

Anushi S.

If you don't have oily skin... you can go with adding a tint of oil in your foundation... the famous tip!

Jul 18, 2017

Anushi S.

And moisturise your skin before any primer even... just a plane moisturiser.

Jul 18, 2017

Nikk A.

I have very oily skin, but also had the same issue. I have figured out how to make your makeup look pretty much like your own skin. Ok first to apply foundation I use a flat buffing brush, and just buff it into my skin. It looks a little cakey when I do that, but here is another fix. After you are done with foundation, concealer, contour, powder (every makeup step), take the Mac Fix+ and spray your face. Instead of letting it dry into your skin like you do, take a beauty blender and blend out the skin. This step makes my makeup look like skin. Then once it is blended and dry, spray with a setting spray. Keep in mind the Mac Fix+ isn't a setting spray. I hope this helped you, as cake face is my #1 pet peeve and I have tried so much things!

Jul 19, 2017

Tanya B.

I have oily skin. I have figured out how to make your makeup look pretty much like your own skin.

Jul 20, 2017

Jenny A.

Make sure you are getting the beauty blender thoroughly wet (so the blender grows about 20% bigger), by repeatedly filling it with water and squeezing it out. It will suck up less product and will keep you from adding too much product to your face. I agree with spraying fix plus or another setting spray to restore the life to your skin. They should call these sprays something else. I made one recently by just using distilled water, a few drops of vegetable glycerin and green tea. I keep it in the car for when I'm stuck on the freeway without air conditioning. Keeps my makeup from caking up and my face cool. It's a fantastic tip that Nikki A said, to go back with you beauty blender after you've used a spray. That's how I touch up my makeup mid day after it has settled a bit, especially under my eyes. Nikki is right about youtubers. They use all kinds of crazy bright lights and filters. Don't trust what you see there. Foundation is hard. One of the hardest things to get right in makeup.

Your skincare routine sounds really great. But the order should always be cleanse, tone, exfoliate, serums, moisturizer/sunscreen, primer I think. Keep the liquids at the beginning, with the exception being the setting spray. Also give your steps a chance to dry before moving on. This can be frustrating, but I usually get dressed, between steps, brush my teeth etc. Just the other day I was in a hurry and I put my foundation on over wet primer. NOT a good look.

Jul 21, 2017

Aurora S.

I see quite a few factors that can be an issue.
For one, you're using the aveeno daily moisturizer as your only moisturizer yet you mentioned you're oily/combination. That moisturizer is for dry skin so it should only be used in normal to dry areas while you use a lighter moisturizer in oily areas. That layer of emollients from the moisturizer will have more emollients/oils once your skin produces them and that extra oil can result in cakiness especially since foundations also have emollients.
Try using a glycerin water mixture or a light glycerin moisturizer for oily areas.

Primer. I'm not familiar with that primer but "blurring" primer are normally thicker IDK if that one is but again, it's just extra emollients can can cause cakiness in oily areas.

I don't really like beauty blender cause they essentially cake on the product. I prefer a buffing brush because you can really work the foundation into the skin and when you buff it in a clockwise and anticlockwise motion it can make your pores look smaller and overall give a smoothing effect.

Baking can emphasize dry areas. Try just lightly applying powder with a brush when it comes to dry areas. Most products set by themselves so baking isn't 100% necessary unless you're using a thick oil based cream concealer.

Jul 23, 2017

Alex S.

Girl I 100% feel this, especially being bombarded with all the images of filtered instagram skin. When my foundation looks cakey the whole look is ruined for me. Luckily with good skin care and some experimentation, I've figured out some key tips to avoid it. First of all, no baking. I used to bake everyday, and even though it makes the undereye bright/photogenic, you don't need anywhere near that much powder for real life. Try out lighter products as well, opt for higher coverage tinted moisturizers/CC creams rather than foundations (for everyday). Despite owning the beloved sigma F80 and a beauty blender, I've fallen in love with the look working in product with clean fingers gives. Spray fix+ before AND after your makeup. And finally - this might sound crazy but it comes from personal experience - I NEVER apply primer. Moisturizer and fix+ only. I know many women swear by primer and wouldn't go a day without it, but whenever I reach for it I find my face just looks caked. Essentially I believe the less product on your skin the better - with plenty of moisture to boot. I used to wear a full face of full coverage foundation every day, but learning to love your natural skin & using a light hand is key.