I am going to do my best to map out my process for prepping skin. My hope is that by the end of this post you will better understand my techniques and methods, and as a result have some clarity when it comes to approaching skin prep as a makeup artist.
By no means do you have to do what I do, and I would in fact encourage you to experiment to develop your own methods based on the jobs you do, your style of application, and the skin prep products you are currently using in your kit. Set some time aside to work through this post, a lot of information is about to come your way!
I think my makeup applications look best when the makeup is closest to the skin.
I keep my skin prep relatively simple (in application technique and in products used), so that there isn't much to interfere with the performance of the makeup. There are of course exceptions to every rule. I am constantly learning new things, and challenging my own way of doing things.
Here's what to keep in mind when it comes to understanding skin prep:
- Skin prep and skin care are two different things. We are mostly in the skin prep game and not the skin care game. Our focus is on the short term and prepping our client's skin based on how it presents on the day we are working. For those working on longer projects you have to play the short game (skin prep) AND the long game (skin care) to ensure your client's/talent's skin is in ideal condition for the duration of the job.
- Pay attention to detail. Skin prep is the framework and supporting structure for your makeup application. Rushing through this step and not paying attention to detail (overlooking a patch of dry skin for example), may cause problems for your makeup application down the line.
- Be patient with the learning process. As you gain more experience and knowledge about skin prep and makeup application, you will develop a better sense and intuition regarding what will work and what won't. This doesn't happen overnight so if skin prep is challenging for you right now, I can promise you that it won't always be.
SKIN PREP GUIDE
Here are the steps I take to prep the skin when a client sits in my chair:
1. Gather information about the client's skin through Q&A, sight, and touch.
Remember that your clients are going to do what they think is best prior to the application (even if you've laid out instructions). Some may do nothing, some may apply skin care products of their own, some may tell you one thing when they have done another. This is why it is up to you to gather the info you need about their skin so you can make the right decision for skin prep.
- As soon as a client sits in my chair I ask them if they have any allergies I should be aware of. This will help inform me of any products I need to steer clear of.
- I inquire about products they have applied prior to sitting in my chair. This helps me identify things like if there are any active ingredients on the skin that may alter the makeup, or if there are skin care products sitting on the skin that are not ideal for my application (think oils and serums that sit on the surface). It also informs me of preferences they have for products/textures. By their choice of product I may also get a sense of their skin type (or the skin type they 'think' they have 😉).
- Scan the skin for any skin type and/or skin condition identifiers (I will get to that in a moment). For example: Large pores, oil sitting on the surface of the skin, fine lines due to dryness etc. These general identifiers of skin type will help guide me in my skin prep process.
- Touch the skin to feel for excess product (again.. serums and oils), rough patches, dehydrated areas etc. The touch test really tells me a lot about someone's skin and can reveal things I may not be able to see at first glance. For example, a client may look like they have combination skin, but after touching the skin I may discover they need a lot of moisture in the cheek area to hydrate rough patches that are not visible.
2. Start with a clean slate (when you can).
- Whether with a cleanser or just a toner, I like to start with a clean slate to minimize interference of the client/talent's own skin care products with mine. I also want to be able to trouble shoot if something goes wrong and I can't do that if the client has used products I am not familiar with.
*There are situations that occur where I know my client/talent, and may skip over this step because I know how they care for (and prep) their skin. There are also times where I have 5 or 10 minutes to do a makeup application and if the skin looks okay and my clients have applied some sort of moisturizer, I will just go straight to makeup.
3. Address and treat skin conditions.
- Skin type and skin conditions are two different things. Skin conditions are temporary and can include dry chapped lips, patches of dryness or flakiness, breakout, etc. Skin conditions are not always in line with skin type which is why they need to be addressed separately. These are the details that need to be taken care of so they don't come back to haunt you later. Taking care of skin conditions first also works with the time constraints we work under (products need time to work, and you want to best utilize your time). For example: dry skin on the lips is a common issue that needs to be treated prior to skin prep. Putting on a lip mask or treatment at the beginning of the application gives that product time to work (the same can be said for dry flakey patches on the skin). Another example would be a client that has oily skin but may also have dry patches that need to be exfoliated/hydrated before the skin prep is applied. If you apply something to their skin that is hydrating and also controls oil, you will have taken care of their oiliness (skin type) but maybe not the dry patches (skin condition) that will need additional care to prevent them from becoming an issue later on.
4. Apply skin prep keeping in mind skin type, skin conditions, and job requirements.
Once you treat your client's skin conditions you can move on to prepping the skin for makeup. I am not able to give you direction for every potential skin prep situation so here are just some general things to consider.
- Before starting - is there a skin prep product you have that would be ideal for your client's skin type that would also help with the desired end look and make your life easier? For example - using a moisturizer like MAC's Strobe Cream to help achieve a glow-from-within look with the makeup, and help with hydration.
- Consider prepping the skin in zones if necessary. This is a very effective approach to skin prep for makeup application. A client may be oily/dehydrated in the t-zone (use an oil control product that is also hydrating), but may have cheeks that are extremely tight and dry so something more nourishing is appropriate in that area. Your intuition may be to just apply a moisturizer all over that controls oil - but this is not going to be ideal on the cheek area, and this area may end up looking really dry with makeup on, or even start to flake when you least expect it.
- Think about what you can do with the skin prep to help your future self based on the job requirements. For example: is it hot, is your talent/client sweaty - will they be? Should you apply a sweat block as part of your skin prep or will setting the makeup with a setting spray be enough? Does your client with the receding hairline need an oil control product on their hairline for shine so you aren't stuck in an endless cycle of powdering throughout the duration of the job? It helps to think through the application and the day on set so you can make the best decisions for your skin prep and makeup application.
5. Apply makeup!
This approach has really helped me engineer great makeup applications that can be easily maintained throughout the course of a shoot with minimal disruptions. Remember to consider what the ideal makeup products will be to compliment your client's skin type. For example:
- Using cream blush instead of powder on a drier skin type.
- Using a mattifying foundation on an oily skin type instead of a rich creamy emollient foundation.
- Setting a combination skin with an oil absorbing powder in the T-Zone but not on the rest of the face where it isn't needed.
- Using more setting sprays and less powder to set makeup on a drier skin.
If you'd like to see exactly what I'm carrying in my kit right now for skin prep: CLICK HERE
If you have any questions about this process, leave them in the comments!
