Makeup For Dry Skin: Hydrating Techniques

Don’t let dry skin hold you back from achieving makeup that looks dewy and radiant. In this guide, learn about our expert techniques on how to apply makeup on dry skin for a fresh, luminous, and super hydrated look that lasts all day.     

1. Exfoliate

The number one rule for avoiding patchy, uneven makeup application: exfoliate your face. Doing so will remove buildup on the skin to create a smooth and even base that allows for even makeup application. 

There are a few different ways to exfoliate, so find what works best for your skin. A gentle scrub can help physically buff away dead skin cells stuck to the surface of the skin. Alternatively, a chemical exfoliant made with alpha hydroxy acids (like glycolic or lactic acids) will dissolve that debris. Depending on the formula you choose (as well as how your skin responds to the exfoliant), you can exfoliate anywhere from once a week to every day. 

2. Use Hydrating Serums

Seamless and smooth makeup application starts with a good skincare routine. All skin types need to ensure their skin is healthily hydrated, but it’s especially important for those with dry skin. 

Counteract dehydration and rough texture by treating your complexion with hydrating serums prior to applying makeup. These gentle formulas are designed to draw water into the skin and seal it in. The result? Plump, dewy skin that both looks and feels its best. 

Seek out serums made with hydrating powerhouses like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides. Daily application is key for maintaining your skin’s hydration levels. 

3. Apply Hydrating Moisturizers

After applying a hydrating serum, you’ll want to seal everything in with a moisturizer. This is a non-negotiable for dry skin. A moisturizer will soften and hydrate the skin, allowing you to easily blend in makeup for a natural, skin-like finish.  

The best hydrating moisturizers for dry skin are chock-full of super nourishing and moisture-boosting ingredients. Keep an eye out for formulas made with ingredients like shea butter, plant oils, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and squalane.

4. Incorporate a Face Primer for Dry Skin

A face primer will create a smooth, even canvas for your makeup and give it something to grip onto for a long-lasting look. Those with dry skin should specifically look for a hydrating primer. In addition to locking makeup in place, it will give the skin an extra dose of hydration for a dewy look. Apply a thin, even layer all over the skin, including on the eyelids to ensure your eye makeup stays put. 

5. Choose Hydrating Foundation Formulas

When it comes to applying face makeup for dry skin, choosing the right foundation is a must. Powder foundations often look chalky on dry skin, while matte foundations can emphasize drier areas of the skin, creating an unnatural look. A liquid or cream foundation designed to impart a dewy finish is dry skin’s best friend. 

The Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Skin Perfecting Foundation goes beyond the typical liquid foundation with its cutting-edge formula. Infused with skin-loving ingredients like a triple hyaluronic complex, plant-derived squalane, shea butter, and fermented kombucha, this foundation not only hydrates and nourishes but also visibly enhances your complexion from the moment you apply it.

The Major Skin Crème Foundation & Finishing Powder Duo. The buildable, creamy foundation melts into the skin to enhance your natural complexion. The palette also features a lightweight setting powder that creates a weightless, even veil on the skin to set the foundation. 

6. Use the Right Tools for a Seamless Application

Pairing your makeup products with the right tools is the key to achieving flawless application – every single time. A complexion brush, for example, is essential for buffing foundation into the face for a your-skin-but-better look. For snatched and seamless contour, a precise sculpting brush is a must for blending away lines and achieving naturally snatched definition. 

7. Set Your Makeup

This is one of our favorite hydrating makeup tips: set your makeup with a hydrating setting mist for a glass skin glow that lasts all day long. The Major Glow Dewy Milk Mist is perfect for dry skin – the soothing, weightless spray sets makeup in place and delivers all-day hydration for gorgeous luminosity. Simply mist the skin with a T- and X-formation to create an even layer all over the face. 

8. Use a Cream and Powder Blush + Bronzer

Combining cream and powder makeup formulas is a pro technique for getting a dewy, hydrated radiance with amazing color payoff that lasts all day long. The Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo and Major Sculpt Crème Contour & Powder Bronzer Duo let you put this application approach to work. 

With the blush duo, use Patrick’s viral cream-over-powder technique. Add the pigmented powder to the apples of your cheeks, and then blend the luminous cream on top for a long-wearing, radiant glow. 

With the bronzer and contour duo, take the opposite approach: sculpt with the cream-based contour, and then finish your look with the powder bronzer. The weightless powder warms the skin and sets the contour in place while allowing the dewiness of the creamy contour to shine through. 

9. Finish with a Hydrating Lip

The final step in any dry skin-friendly makeup look is applying a hydrating lip product. A formula like the Silky Lip Crème will give your pout a gorgeous wash of color while infusing your lips with much-needed hydration for a look that is as comfortable as it is beautiful. For more drama, try a pout-plumper like the Major Volume Plumping Gloss. Made with ingredients like avocado and jojoba oils, it’s designed to moisturize while adding fullness to the lips. 

More Hot Tips for a Hydrated Makeup Look

Here are some final tips for ensuring your makeup look is perfectly hydrated, every single time:

• Use a weekly face mask to give your complexion an extra dose of suppleness-boosting hydration. 
• Add an eye cream to your daily skincare routine to quench the delicate eye area. 
• Mist your hydrating setting spray throughout the day to keep your makeup looking fresh and dewy. 

Even those with super dry skin can achieve a stunning, dewy makeup look. It all starts with giving your skin the extra attention that it needs, ensuring you’re dousing it with plenty of hydration and treating debris buildup on the skin. From there, fill your beauty arsenal with moisture-boosting makeup formulas for long-lasting, consistently luminous looks.