Makeup tips for dry skin
The secret to makeup on dry skin is hydration before colour: prep with a rich moisturiser, choose luminous or satin formulas instead of matte, and set only where you need it. Do those three things and dry skin looks smooth and dewy all day, rather than cakey or flaky. Here’s exactly how I approach it.
Prep is 80% of the result
Most “dry skin makeup problems” are really prep problems. Foundation can’t sit smoothly over a flaky surface, so I start well before any base goes on.
- Exfoliate gently a day or two before — not on the day — to lift dry flakes without leaving skin raw.
- Moisturise generously and let it sink in for a few minutes. A hydrating serum underneath gives a fuller, plumper finish.
- Add a hydrating primer for genuine staying power, choosing a dewy or smoothing one rather than a mattifying or pore-blurring formula.
This hydrate-first thinking is the foundation of my mature-skin makeup approach, because mature and dry skin respond to the same care.
Choose dewy formulas, skip the matte
Full-matte foundations are the quickest way to make dry skin look dry. They cling to flaky patches and settle into fine lines as the day goes on. For dry skin I reach for hydrating, skin-like formulas with a luminous or satin finish, applied with a damp sponge so the base melts in rather than sitting on top.
| Step | Choose | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Primer | Hydrating, dewy | Mattifying, pore-blurring |
| Foundation | Luminous or satin, buildable | Full-matte, full-coverage |
| Concealer | Hydrating, lightweight | Thick, drying, high-coverage |
| Blush & contour | Cream | Powder |
| Setting | Hydrating mist | Heavy all-over powder |
Set lightly, glow strategically
The instinct to lock makeup in with powder is exactly what makes dry skin look textured. I set only the centre of the face — around the nose and under the eyes where products move — and leave the cheeks and outer face dewy. Cream blush and cream contour keep that fresh, lit-from-within look, and a hydrating setting mist to finish brings everything together and stops the base from drying down over the day.
Through the day and the seasons
Dry skin shifts with the weather. Perth’s air-conditioning and winter winds pull moisture out, so I keep a hydrating mist on hand for a midday refresh — a light spritz revives a base far better than piling on more product. If you’re getting ready somewhere breezy like Cottesloe, a richer morning moisturiser earns its place.
With 10+ years behind me and training through Lancome, YSL, Giorgio Armani and Mecca, matching products to skin is the part I love most. As a mobile artist I come to you anywhere across Perth, so we can work in your own light and your own space. Tell me your skin tends dry when you enquire and I’ll tailor everything — prep, formulas and finish — around it.
