Make sure the base of your moisturiser formula and makeup products are compatible. Or use primer

Sometimes this happens when the base is different in the primer and the foundation. For example the foundation is oil based, but the primer is water based- when you first put it on it might look even from the emulsion of application onto the warm skin, but over time these opposing bases start to push and pull away from each other, creating this splotchy blotchy appearance after some time of wear. It can happen to different degrees and at different times depending on which types of bases you mix and which ones go on first. There's also like silicone and some other types of bases I can't think of, but try to do some research into this, because I can't perfectly explain all the details, but it may help you figure out which products can be used with other products.

Wait 5 mins every time to put a new product of for skin care, if you apply primer wait 5 mins too. Make sure if you using water based that all your crème makeup is water base or if you use silicone it’s the all the same as well

Get a primer and try the nyx setting sprays

probably using oil AND water based products when they should all be one or the other (all oil OR all water based)

I’m not sure what products you use for skincare or primer but I went thru a crisis also where my skin just started changing and no product would work, eventually I figured it out for me at least. I stick with a milky toner and use the Cocokind ceramide barrier serum and for primer I always use elf power grip and of course a hydrating foundation ! Good lucky girl !

Do you wear sunscreen? Do you sun bathe or go tanning by any chance? Do you use harsh actives?

I ask because: -Not wearing sunscreen and exposure to the sun may contribute to drier skin and therefore cause peeling which can contribute to this. -Retinoids can cause peeling and drying actives like BHA.

Your skin just looks like there’s skin sitting on the surface layer that just needs to be exfoliated and moisturized. But also, over exfoliating can cause the skin to peel as well. So it’s always best not to overdue it.

I had a similar problem after I turned 30, that my skin was drier and more textured and making base makeup sit strangely on my face.

I added a smoothing and plumping essence and a more occlusive moisturiser to my routine and that helped a lot!

And sometimes when seasons change the skin behaves differently as well.

i think the products you are combining don’t work well together - have you changed any products?

Do you use fake tan?

If there are big issues like that - pilling, wrong shade - right from the get go, I return the product if possible. I don't want to disrupt my whole skincare and makeup routine to get a new product to work.

If it's past the return window, then I pass the product along to a friend if they want it, or discard. Life is too short to force yourself to use products that are unflattering or don't bring you joy IMO.

For pilling: check your skincare products. I have some skincare products I can only use at night because they don’t sit right with my foundation.

For example I have a Peach and Lily glass skin serum that makes my foundation do some crazy things.

For patchy: it could just be the foundation itself, as in you might have to shake it before using. However it could also be just a bad foundation.

For example: I have the Bobbi Brown skin tint and that is somehow the most patchy god awful skin tint I have ever used no matter what I do.

Makeup is supposed to be fun and make you look better. Just toss these powders and get something that works for you. Same with weird colors.

Pilling in my experience is product combination. See if you can apply it to bare skin without pilling. If you can, you can play around other products that play better together.

so I've recently discovered that the pretty fresh tinted moisturizer from ColourPop that I have is too dark for me (I'm pale and the shade range for these is not good) combine it within that is very light and it kind of gives you an intermediary shade that works. If a product is piling it could be due to a mismatch between what you have as a base and the product itself. try to not combine silicone based makeup (and make sure whatever -methicones are in it match) with water-based makeup. or maybe try using a silicone-based base if you can't apply makeup over bare skin without it pilling or something.

Q-tips/cotton buds are a life saver.

For things around the eyes, I use eye cream vs makeup remover. Eye cream usually is emollient enough to remove makeup but absorbs quick enough to apply makeup over top. Where makeup remover can sit on top of the skin and make it kind of weird to apply makeup on top of.

For bronzer/blush looming muddy, I like to blend out the edges with my face powder or a brightening powder to kinda clean up around the areas that need to be “brighter”. It helps to make things less muddled.

For the most part, a tiny bit of foundation on a damp beauty blender can fix a lot of things (especially before you’ve applied powder). This can lighten the look of blush/bronzer without completely painting over. For the most “diffused” look, apply a bit of foundation to the back of your hand, dab it 5-10 times with the beauty blender to pick up a bit of product, then lightly apply to the face. This way you don’t end up with a stripe or big dot of foundation.

For eyeshadow, I’ll honestly just wipe the eyeshadow off with a makeup wipe, dry it off, then redo my base with a little foundation. If it’s a tiny mistake, a super thin brush + concealer will usually be enough.

When that mascara wand gets loose and mars your face or freshly applied eyeshadow, let it dry. Then take a cotton bud and wipe it off. If you try to do that while it's wet, it will smear everywhere.

I’d say a couple things:

1. Start with very little blush and bronzer. Bronzer could be the main culprit (especially if you’re fair like me).
2. For eyeliner, keep some q-tips handy! That was always my favorite way to clean up!
3. I always recommend setting your eyeshadow base with a powder close to your skin tone and alwaysssss go in with less product than you think until you get the hang of it :)

Hope this helps!

Use a dry spoolie to remove dried mascara marks on your eye makeup. They flake right off without damaging all your hard work.

About half the time I get mascara on my lids while applying it, I just leave it there. It's hard to scrape off without taking eyeshadow with it, and I often forget to take a spoolie to it once it dries.

Edit: a word

I can tightline for days but it always seems to me that there is a small, noticeable line between my mascara and my eyeliner. Some days it’s better than others but I’ve just decided to leave it.

my eyeliner wings not being the exact same. they’re never gonna be perfect and i finally accepted that fact.

Someone told me once that it's okay if your eyeliners a little uneven, I took that shit to heart.

Wow, I can't stand fallout under my eyes!

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I know it sounds weird, but loading up on skin prep with oils, serums, or moisturizer may be the issue. Not all skincare ingredients play well with makeup.

I would suggest doing your skin prep the night before, let everything absorb into your skin overnight, and just use a very light, not oil-based moisterizer before your makeup if you must.

After you apply your SPF, go do something else for 15 minutes or however long it takes for it to dry down and absorb before applying make up.

It I ever get my highlight to match in intensity on both sides of my face the world is probably about to end. For some reason I seem to be completely incapable of seeing how the highlight on one side of my face looks until I leave the house, no matter what lighting or mirrors I use.

As long as you wipe the powder off you knuckles, no one will know the fight was actually with the contour palette and not a badass bitch, so you'll look hardcore enough that no one will dare criticise for your makeup skills. #lifehack

With me, it would be more of a "why is your double chin so dark??"
"So you wouldn't know I have one!!!" :'(

I have a huge problem with accepting that I’m more neutral-warm than warm: I always think that I’m tanner and bronzier than I actually am. This has resulted in a multitude of foundation- and concealer-matching disasters, warm-neutral eye looks that end up looking straight up warm without the neutral part, and various other colour matching shenanigans.

I wear humongous glasses, which means I can apply blush and bronzer for hours and still won’t have them show up in person. On days when I wear contacts, this tendency has generated many, many horrified realisations.

And then there is the fact that I still tend to stab my eyes with my mascara wand at least once a week.

My blush is always at the wrong fucking angle.

Yeah I get it on my cheek somewhere and then use my hand to blend it where it needs to be.

You know how when you hear a recording of your voice and it sounds weird and wrong if you aren’t used to it?

I’m like that with makeup.

What I think I’m saying doesn’t quite match what I’m putting out there.

Enormous untrimmed false lashes. It's not that I see a ton of false lashes in general, but there's a surprising amount of teenagers/young women who wear them as part of their daily look (a lot of times it's just heavy foundation, highlighter, brows, and giant lashes, too, which is...interesting). I'd say a solid 50-75% are too long and end up drooping at the corners. And they're often like full-blown drag lashes, so it's super noticeable.

Also, the thick line of black eyeliner only on the lower lashline. That one's more of a preference and not so much a mistake, but it's really common among slightly older women. I personally find it really unflattering, but I'm sure some people find the bright colored eyeshadow I wear unflattering, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

After I apply I diffuse it with some powder (translucent or your normal face powder or even blush if it's a cheek highlight) which softens it up a lot for me. Even going over it with a clean brush helps too.

This is general but people assuming how beauty bloggers do their makeup will suit them. I understand it’s easily to fall in the trap but caked on makeup does not look the same without bright lights and special cameras.

Unblended eyeshadow, eyeliner that is nowhere near the lash line.

Apply it in circular motions around where you want to glow - applying in a straight line gives you a stripe and applying in circles diffuses it.

That’s the main reason why I won’t get lash extensions, they look nice in dramatic makeup but tooooo much for everyday wear.

Yep. Even with super experienced makeup users, this is what I notice the most often. The rest of the makeup is often flawless, too.

I use setting powder or powder foundation with a fluffy brush to dull excess colour. If it’s too flat I’ll add a little subtle highlighter and usually that fixes things.

I remove it all before i can regret it and then slap on some moisturizer and suncreen and leave the house as quickly as i can before i can change my mind

I just put more foundation on on top to tone it down (effectively underpainting with an extra step) but I use high coverage foundations.

I would take a clean, fluffy brush and try to blend out the face products as much as possible. Or use a big, fluffy brush with a skin tone powder to try and diffuse the pigment a little. Do this before setting it with any kind of spray.

Get a very large, fluffy, rounded brush. The kind that's used to apply powder all over.

Keep the brush clean and use it to basically pound over any spots where you overapplied product. It helps pound away the excess and blur and sheer everything out! Learned this trick from a friend not too long ago and it's been a real lifesaver when I OD on blush or highlight in particular!