You want to achieve that effortless, soft matte look without looking cakey, dry or have any of your lines emphasized? Look no further, my friends. I’ve done my fair share of trial and error with this medium and I’ve found a couple of ways where you can achieve this look and I’ll show you how to prolong the wear.

Technique #1: Baking (with loose powder)

Yes, as much as I adore that dewy, fresh glowy look. This technique is best to achieve long-lasting results. If you’re going to an event or you need your makeup to stay in place, definitely give this a try. Apply your liquid or cream foundation accordingly then go in with a separate makeup sponge and dab it in your loose powder then apply a generous amount of the powder throughout the face. Your face should look like you accidentally got some cooking flour on it. Fear not, leave the excess powder on your face for about 5-10 minutes for the product to warm up and seal your foundation into place. After 5-10 minutes, take a large fluffy powder brush and swipe off the excess powder, you should notice your skin looking so smooth, matte and almost doll-like. If you’re going to an evening event, definitely avoid any spf-based, white loose powder as they can cause flashback in photos. Opt for a tinted tone loose powder with a finely milled texture as it gives better and smoother skin results.

The one I recommend and that is super budget-friendly is the Maybelline fit me loose powder, this one is such a great product and I actually prefer it over the popular Laura Mercier one that the vast majority of the beauty community apparently loves.

Technique #2: Blotting (throughout the day with a pressed powder)

This technique will require you to bring the powder on the go with you so be sure to pack your pressed powder of choice with you. A lot of pressed powders come with sponge applicators and those can get dirty really easily so be sure to replace or wash your sponges often. I prefer to bring my separate beauty sponge or even a ruby-cell puff (you can find these in cushion foundations) because they give me the more precise application and you can use them by themselves or damp them if you like. I prefer to use them dry.

Technique #3: Powder application with a sponge

In my opinion, I find makeup sponge powder application the most effective and provides long-lasting results. As for large fluffy powder, brush application doesn’t seem to last as long. It’ll look fine for the first couple of hours then progressively get oilier and maybe your foundation might even break, separate throughout the day because the application technique wasn’t good enough to withhold your foundation. I have combination skin so my t-zone is always the one that separates my foundation so I need a really good application method to ensure that it’ll stay in place the entire day.

I hope these tips helped with your powder application troubles because I think I’ve had my fair share of moments where my foundation just broke in midday and that was not a good look.