Makeup & skin care tips for dry skin.

Before your makeup routine, make sure you cleanse with a gentle face wash formulated for dry skin. Face washes for normal to oily skin may be too aggressive and can cause dryness, making the problem worse. Then, you should exfoliate to remove dry flakes of skin on problem areas, such as the nose and cheeks. Next, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! This is a key step to getting the makeup to do what you want it to do.  Let the moisturizer sit 3-5 minutes before applying foundation.

Creamy foundations and blemish concealers work best for dry skin. With proper tools, foundations from a jar, stick, or compact will glide onto the skin smoothly. Be sure to use a clean brush rather than your fingers to apply concealer and foundation. A brush is gentle and won’t cause the skin to flake.

Read: DIY: Cleaning your makeup brushes.

For the eyes and cheeks, use creamy blush and eye shadow. Powdery makeup will cake up on dry skin and draw attention to lines, creases, and wrinkles. As with applying foundation, resist using your finger tips. Use a clean blush brush and eye shadow brushes to smooth on creams without roughing up your skin.

When using eyeliner, experts recommend using liquid eyeliner because pencils or powders can easily flake and make lines and wrinkles stand out. With mascara, make sure to replace it every 3 months because it can start clumping and possibly become contaminated. Stay away from waterproof mascaras because some of these formulas can dry out your lashes.

Read: How to tell when products go bad.

Hopefully these tips will help you apply your makeup to create a smooth, flawless finish.