Choose the products for your skin type
First things first, you need to determine your skin type and select the right products for it, especially if we are talking about primers, foundations, concealers, and powder. You see, brands do different products for different skin types for a reason. For instance, oily skin needs more coverage and dry thick formula, which will not work for dry skin. At the same time, products for dry and normal skin used on oily skin will make it look too oily and shiny. So make sure to figure out your skin type before buying any product for your face.
Pay attention to the ingredients
One of the main reasons why makeup ends up looking cakey is the usage of products that are based on different substances. As a matter of fact, most makeup primers, foundations, and concealers can be divided into two three groups - water-based, silicone-based, and oil-based. We cannot say that one type is better than the others since they all have their pros and cons. But we can say for sure that if you use a silicone-based foundation, your primer and concealer have to be silicone-based too. The same rule applies to water- and oil-based products. Otherwise, your makeup will immediately look cakey.
Also, if you use a lot of moisturizer and sunscreen (most of which are water-based), it’s better to choose a water-based foundation. However, good skincare products sink into your skin and should not “react” with your foundation, meaning this rule mainly applies to primers and concealers. Therefore, make sure to read the ingredients before buying any product and check whether all your face makeup is based on the same substance.
Try makeup on your face rather than your wrist
A lot of people try various makeup on their wrists, see that it looks good, and buy it. Obviously, you should not do that. First of all, if this is a foundation or concealer you are trying on your wrist, we give you an almost 100% guarantee that the shade will not match your skin tone. You see, most people have different skin tones in different parts of their body, and in most cases, the shade of the skin on your face is different from the one on your wrist. Speaking about lipsticks and eyeshadow, trying those directly on your lips and eyelids is the only way to find out whether the color suits you.
Secondly, the texture. The way some products kind of “behave” on the skin of your wrist and on the skin of your face, especially under the eyes, is often very different. In fact, that does not only apply to foundations and concealers. Lipsticks, eyeliners, eyeshadow, and various eyebrow products will most likely have at least a slightly different texture while applied to the places they are designed for rather than on your wrist.
So make sure to try the products you are interested in on your face before purchasing them. However, note that using the testers available in a store is unsanitary, so make sure to ask a consultant to help you - they will give you a sample or sterilize testers.
Take a sample and use it for a few days before buying a full-size product
Sometimes when you try makeup in a store, it looks good on you, and you purchase it, but when you start using it, you realize that it’s not as great as it seemed at first sight. Perhaps the most common problem here is when makeup doesn’t last as long as you need it. Foundation and concealer roll off, mascara crumbles, and lipstick smeared. You might think that if you buy expensive makeup, something like that will not happen, but this is a huge mistake. In fact, not all the expensive makeup is flawless all day and sometimes it lasts even less than drugstore makeup.
Fortunately, you can easily avoid having such a problem by asking for a sample and using it for a few days. If everything is fine and you are completely satisfied with a product, you can buy a full-size one without worrying about spending money on a product that will not work for you.
Make sure to consult a shop assistant
Finally, if you struggle to find the very product that will work for you and are tired of spending money on expensive makeup that you end up throwing away, take the courage to ask a shop assistant for help. In fact, they are there to help you choose the very products that will perfectly work for you. We know that some people feel uncomfortable in situations when they have to talk to shop assistants, but it’s better to feel a little uncomfortable for a few minutes than to spend a whole bunch of money on another product that does not work for you. So go ahead and ask a shop assistant for a piece of advice. Trust us, it’s worth it.
Final thoughts
Choosing makeup is actually not a big deal, yet you have to know some tips to choose the right products on the first try. So we hope that you will remember the tips and tricks we talked about above and use those to find the products that will help you create stunning makeup looks for all occasions.
