Makeup artist Cats Del Rosario shares how to prep your skin for a smoother, longer-lasting makeup look, from hydration and primer to preventing a cakey texture in the Philippine heat.
Even the most expensive foundation can’t save a base that hasn’t been properly prepped. Many of us know (or have unfortunately experienced) how that looks like: patchy coverage, flaky spots, and makeup that clocks out before you do. The secret to a smoother, longer-lasting base? Giving your skin a little TLC before the brushes and beauty blenders come out. From knowing which skincare steps to keep in your routine to figuring out what your skin actually needs, we asked makeup artist Cats Del Rosario how to keep your skin looking just as good up close as it does in selfies.
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Ask The Expert: About Cats Del Rosario
With 17 years in the hair and makeup industry, Cats Del Rosario has learned that great beauty lies in both knowing what to enhance and when to hold back. Guided by a creative sensibility that favors effortless elegance over excess, the professional hair and makeup artist approaches every project as an opportunity to push creative boundaries while letting beauty speak for itself. She continues to find inspiration in collaborations with fellow creatives and the ever-evolving worlds of fashion and beauty.
How important is skin prep in achieving a smooth, long-lasting makeup look?
Cats: “Beautiful Makeup starts with Beautiful Skin,” quoted from Mr. Shu Uemura. I have been blessed to be part of Shu Uemura as an Associate for years, and I am internationally accredited as a Shu Master.
That Japanese way of training and honing my skills with them has paved my personal aesthetic and makeup style of seeing good skin underneath makeup. Skin prep is essential because it’s prepping your canvas for a seamless makeup application and making sure the correct products are used based on your own skin type.
What does an ideal pre-makeup skincare routine look like, and which steps are non-negotiable?
Cats: Cleanse. Hydrate. Moisturize. Protect (you can skip this step if your event is indoors or at night; in short… no more sun exposure). Primer to make makeup adhere better and last longer. Normally, this is also when I apply mattifying products for oily, acne-prone, and combination skin.
[It’s] important to cleanse the skin and remove excess dirt and oil. You may use a facial sheet mask and eye mask based on your skin type after cleansing the face and neck. Leave face and eye sheet masks on the skin for 10 to 15 minutes.
Hydrate your skin with toner. Use hyaluronics serums or other serums when using a facial glow therapy on cool settings to let skin absorb products. You may spray facial serum to hydrate properly.
Moisturize with moisturizer only on places where it’s most needed, like under the eyes, [the] perimeter of the face, and [the] nose.
Protect with your sunscreen, preferably one that will not leave any white cast under makeup.
Prime with a good primer all over the face and use mattifying primer normally on your T-Zone.
How should skin prep differ depending on your skin type, particularly for oily, dry, combination, and acne-prone skin?
Cats: One misconception that oily skin girlies have in their minds that they steer away from moisturizers, serums, and oils. Here’s the thing: oily skin still needs hydration.
Dry skin needs moisture and barrier support. Combination skin needs balance on specific areas for skincare products.
Acne-prone skin needs gentle, non-comedogenic products. It needs to use specific skincare products and a different type of technique for makeup application called “dab and roll,” which uses a damp or dry beauty blender to keep each concealed area in place. You’ll also need makeup products meant for oily and acne-prone skin. Normally, oily skin and acne prone go hand in hand.
Can you over-prep your skin before makeup? Which products or ingredients should we avoid layering together?
Cats: Honestly, sometimes it’s just the ratio of skincare products plus makeup products that’s layered on top of things. There’s a little bit of a learning curve to master the perfect ratio. It’s trial and error and seeing what eventually works for you. It can seem daunting at first, but the end results will give you a smooth skincare and makeup application that will last you the whole day until you actually remove your makeup.
In terms of which ingredients we should avoid layering together, it’s products that aren’t suited for your skin type. Please do your research, ask your derm, and watch video tutorials. And yes, girls, removing your makeup and cleansing properly is as important as skincare and makeup as well!
How can we prevent makeup from separating, creasing, or looking cakey in the Philippine heat and humidity?
Cats: It’s really about having the right products and the perfect ratio for both skincare and makeup. Separating makeup means the wrong skincare and makeup products are being used for the skin. Creasing and cracking under the eyes and around the laugh lines means you’re using the wrong ratio of skincare and makeup. Maybe you’re lacking moisturizer and eye creams, and have too much makeup; or you’re using the wrong makeup tools for blending and buffing. Cakey makeup usually means you’re using the wrong makeup formulation for your skin type, or you lack moisturizer and primers.
Once the skincare layering ratio is good, makeup application is done. Always set your whole face with translucent powder (you may use a velour puff, blended on the back of your hand, or use a big fluffy face brush to set makeup).
Setting Sprays are meant to melt for skin absorption, while fixing Sprays are meant to seal all the makeup in place.
What should we do the night before a big event to ensure our skin is ready for makeup?
Cats: Less alcohol, as it will make your face inflamed. Sleep at least 8 hours. Eat healthy and hydrate. Beauty from within is also very essential: avoid stress triggers, and having your space in a calm environment helps. Be centered with your heart, body, and mind.
How should we prep our skin if we have active breakouts, flaky patches, or textured skin on the day of our appointment?
Cats: Skin sheet mask and eye mask on hand. Then follow all the other skin step procedures. Stop picking at your acne: having an open sore acne is worse because it’s open and wet. Most likely, makeup might not adhere and properly correct it.
The type of products should be tailored to your skin type, and the makeup techniques are so important. You do want to conceal all the acne marks and fresh acne spots. Tapping, rolling, sweeping, and sliding a makeup brush with products will lift those flaky, patchy areas, and the idea is to be able to conceal properly. Reality is, the bumps and crevices are visible with bad lighting too, but at least darkness, inflammation, and allergy colors can be concealed with makeup.
What’s the biggest skin prep mistake you see clients make?
Cats: Having a facial a day before: there could be inflammation and open acne sores. Also not having the right ratio of skincare and makeup products, and not having the correct skincare and makeup products on hand.
Banner photo by ???, courtesy of ???
Frequently Asked Questions
Start by cleansing your skin to remove excess dirt and oil. Follow with hydration using toner and suitable serums, then apply moisturizer where needed. Use sunscreen when sun exposure is expected, followed by primer to help makeup adhere and last longer. For oily skin, a mattifying primer can be applied to the T-zone.
Oily skin still needs hydration, so skipping moisturizer is not the answer. Choose skincare and makeup products suited to your skin type, and consider mattifying products for oily areas. For acne-prone skin, use gentle, non-comedogenic products and a tapping or rolling technique with a beauty blender to help keep concealer in place.
According to makeup artist Cats del Rosario, these issues can result from using unsuitable skincare or makeup products, applying the wrong amount of product, or blending incorrectly. Insufficient moisturizing, too much makeup around the under-eyes and laugh lines, and an unsuitable makeup formulation can also contribute to an uneven finish.
Start with skincare and makeup products suited to your skin type, and find the right balance between the layers you apply. Set your makeup with translucent powder, using a velour puff or fluffy brush, then finish with setting or fixing spray. Cats explains that setting sprays help melt the makeup into the skin, while fixing sprays help seal it in place.
Cleanse and follow a skincare routine suited to your skin, using a facial sheet mask or eye mask if appropriate. Avoid picking at acne, especially open blemishes, as makeup may not adhere properly to them. Apply and blend products gently with tapping and rolling motions to minimize lifting flaky patches, and use concealer to help cover discoloration and redness.
