Experts Weigh In: Here’s How to Prep Your Skin Like a Makeup Artist

Prepping your skin before you apply your makeup is vitally important — you know this. In fact, a professional makeup job is often only looks so flawless because of the preparation that goes onto the skin before application. We spoke to L'Oréal masterminds Gabriel Almodovar and Sir John to get to the bottom of how exactly to achieve this, and here’s what we learned.

Cleanse

Making sure your skin is optimally cleansed is the first step in achieving that flawless makeup complexion. “I love Clarisonic devices for this,” says Sir John. “They not only help remove makeup at the end of the night, but they also help give skin the skin a gentle cleanse and help with product absorption before applying makeup. Pair with the L'Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Cleansersfor a great cleanse.”

Exfoliate

“Exfoliating your skin is one of the most important things you should do in general and especially before applying makeup,” notes Almodovar. “Exfoliation should only be done about 2x per week. You need to let you dead skin cells build up before you can exfoliate them.” Follow up your cleanse with a great exfoliator to really rid of excess build-up and gunk, leaving your complexion silky and refreshed. “The smoother you skin is the prettier all your face makeup will look on your fresh skin,” Almodovar adds. You do want to be careful to not over-exfoliate however — “You want to still keep your skin healthy and smooth, but when you over exfoliate you can actually strip away too many layers and cause oiliness,” Sir John notes.

Treat & Moisturize

Making sure your skin is hydrated is another vital step to preparing your skin for makeup. “Since it is winter now, opt for a super-moisturizing moisturizer like theL'Oréal Paris Hydra Genius for Extra Dry Skin,” Sir John suggests. Healthy and hydrated skin will also help to prevent any makeup flaking or rough patches.

Prime

Finally, the last step in achieving the best makeup prep possible is by using a really great primer. “Primers can be really helpful though to help your makeup glide on more smoothly and make it last longer,” says Almodovar. Your skin will be left feeling plump, hydrated and ready to take on makeup for hours to come. Amen to that.