It might be hard to explain what cakey makeup look is.
However if you see cakey concealer you will definitely know.
A cakey concealer might be brought about by a number of reasons.
I have prepared a guide that explains some of the reasons why your concealer might look cakey and how to fix the cakey concealer.
Let’s get started.
How to fix cakey concealer?
While it might be your intention to make your makeup look cakey, you might make a mistake that might lead to your concealer looking caking.
A cakey concealer will cost you the whole time you used to do your makeup since you might not recover from it by applying powder or setting spray.
This however is not to declare that you can’t move from a cakey concealer to flawless concealer look
If you read my guide on Most common concealer problems & fixes, you can see that even the best if the makeup artist make concealer mistakes and they always find a way to deal with it.
I will therefore give to you top 9 ways you can fix a cakey concealer within minutes.
Step 1: Prep your face
Applying makeup on a rusty face might be the worse decision you can ever make in the makeup world.
For starters, there are high chances that you will be harming your face.
If you have a dry skin, you can damage your skin by not moisturizing your face before applying concealer.
Another possible thing that might happen if you apply concealer on a bare face is it looking cakey.
It is very common for your face to shed it’s dead skin. Applying concealer on a buildup of dead skin will definitely not be good for you.
- First, clean your face with warm water and organic soap free from lye.
- You should then go ahead and scrub your face using a gentle scrubber. Do not use a lot of pressure when scrubbing your face as there are chances that your face might be damaged. Instead, scrub your face in circular motion.
- Then, use a gentle face cleanser. A cleanser will remove all the scrubber and the dead skin that has been removed from your face. You can use an oil-based cleanser if you have dry skin.
- If you notice your face still has some products you can double cleanse.
Rinse your face with warm water after the cleanser. You might think that a cleanser is all safe until you realize that all products have chemicals added to them for the sake of preservation. Water will make sure all the chemicals are neutralized or removed from your face.
- Use a toner for the sake of balancing the pigments on your face before applying makeup.
- After using a toner, apply a moisturizer on your wet face. A moisturizer will keep your skin hydrated.
You can use other products in your face if you are so deep into skin care.
However, the procedure above will be enough to keep your face smooth for concealer application.
Step 2: Use a primer
Another thing that might be causing your concealer to be cakey is not applying a primer or applying a primer the wrong way.
- After prepping your face, you should apply a primer on your face.
- If you are using your hands, ensure they are clean to avoid transfer of bacteria to your face.
- The best way to apply a primer is using a concealer brush.
- Dap the tip of the concealer brush in your primer and then tap your face with the brush.
- Ensure you have tapped all parts of your face with the primer.
A primer creates a smooth surface for concealer application.
Step 3: Buy a concealer with the right texture
A concealer that has a rough texture with very low quality ingredients has a high chances of making your makeup look cakey
First ensure that you check on the ingredients that are used on the concealer and the percentage uses.
There are some ingredients that if used in excess will make your concealer look cakey.
For starters, a concealer that is too heavy has a high chance of being cakey compared to liquid concealer.
So, if you have a skin with a lot acne, you can use a liquid concealer in combination with a foundation.
If you notice that your concealer is too thick, you can add a moisturizer to your concealer to reduce the weight of the concealer
Do not mix the moisturizer to the concealer bottle as it might increase the rate of expiry.
This ensures that all your imperfections are concealed while and at the same time looking perfect. Which lead me to the best step.
Step 4: Use a setting powder before applying a foundation
If you have a lot of acne or skin breakouts, there are high chances that your makeup will appear cakey at the end.
There was a TikTok challenge that went viral where girls were using a setting powder on their face before applying a foundation or a concealer.
The setting powder will create a smooth surface by filling in the spaces left by the acne.
After the setting powder is well blended with your skin, you can then go ahead and apply your concealer.
Step 5: Do not use a lot of product
There is a saying in the makeup world which says a little product goes a little further
When applying concealer on your face, you should apply the rule into your routine.
You might be inclined to think that using too much concealer will hide all your acne. This however is further from the truth.
Too much product will only make your acne more visible. So, to prevent this from happening, use just a tiny bit of concealer.
The only thing you should do is choose the right concealer shades using the concealer shade finders online.
You should also use the right tools to blend in your concealer.
For your under the eyes, apply concealer from the inner corners and start blending going outwards using the right brush or a dampened beauty blender.
As for the rest of the face, you can use a dotting process to ensure the amount of concealer you are using on your face is regulated.
Step 6: Continue blending
Most of the time your makeup will end up looking cakey if you don’t want to take time on your concealer.
If you are using a cream concealer, you will need to blend in the concealer until you can’t see any trace of the concealer.
You should therefore take your time blending the concealer in every part of your face.
Do not drag the brush. Instead tap your face lightly with a concealer brush until all your makeup is blended perfectly with your face.
You can also use a dampened beauty blender to blend in your concealer.
Here is our complete guide about how to apply concealer for have more easy tips and make your concealer makeup more eye-catching.
Step 7: Use a finish powder
If you keep blending your concealer and it still look cakey, you can fix the issue by applying a loose finish powder on top of the concealer.
A finish powder will bake your concealer making it look perfectly blended on your face.
Since the powder will leave a dusty look, you can go ahead and apply a bronzer to give your makeup some color.
Step 8: Finish with oil
You might take your time blending your makeup and then bake it and it still end up looking muddy and cakey.
Apply some oil on clean hands and then tap them on your face
The oil will melt the makeup. You can then blend in your makeup removing the puffiness.
Step 9: Use a setting spray
If you haven’t been using a setting spray on your makeup you need to start doing this immediately.
A setting spray not only locks in your concealer, it also creates a new layer of makeup.
Since you will spraying from a distance and in circular motion, the product will fall equally in every part you face making you makeup look even.
If you want your makeup to last a little bit longer, you should use a waterproof setting spray.
Conclusion
No one has ever had intention of making their concealer look cakey.
However, this happens to most of us until we learn hacks to eliminate the cakey look.
If you are new in the makeup world, you might be discouraged by how often your concealer looks cakey.
Luckily, you are not the only one that goes through this.
The guide above has all the reason why your concealer might be looking cakey and all the tips you should be using to fix the cakey concealer look.
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References
- Evans, M. Top 8 Best Non Comedogenic Foundations for Acne Prone Skin.
- Karjo, C. H., & Wijaya, S. (2020). The Language Features of Male and Female Beauty Influencers in Youtube Videos. English Review: Journal of English Education, 8(2), 203-210.
- Sciortino, C. (2020). Beauty Makeup. In Makeup Artistry for Film and Television (pp. 198-215). Routledge.
