A One-Step Hack That Will Make Your Makeup Look Amazing

As a self-confirmed facial oil addict, I consider myself an expert on the slippery stuff. I currently have 15 different ones, including the Whamisa Organic Flowers Facial Oil, sitting in my medicine cabinet. I got hooked on them after realizing just how hydrating they can be for your skin. I now use them pretty much everywhere — my face, chest, arms, and legs — because I love how soft and plumped they make my skin look and feel.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about face oils until someone told me that you can take your foundation next level by adding a few drops of oil to it.

So what exactly does this one-step makeup hack accomplish? “Facial oil helps the foundation go on smoother and eliminates the ‘cakey appearance,’” explains dermatologist Dr. Lily Talakoub of McLean Dermatology and Skincare Center.

In addition to being beyond easy to do, it’s also completely customizable, notes Sigma Beauty makeup artist Diana Oh. She notes that there are three main ways to execute this hack: mixing, layering, and priming.

If you like a satin or matte finish, the mixing method is your best bet. All you do is take one or two drops (depending on how dry your skin is) of your favorite oil and add it to your foundation, then apply with your fingertips or a sponge. That’s it. According to Oh, popping in a few drops of the stuff can help even the heaviest, most mattifying foundation go on more evenly. “If you’re using a very matte foundation, and you want it to still have that matte finish but not be too thick, it’s nice to use oil as a mixing lotion to cut down ,” she explains.

Or, if you like to keep it a bit dewier, layering is the hack for you. “Pat the oil in but only where you want extra hydration,” says Oh. She notes that it can help certain dryness-prone areas stay nice and hydrated. It’s also handy to dab on in areas where your foundation is more likely to crease, like your smile lines. Or, press some into your cheekbones for a natural strobe effect.

Then, of course, you can use an oil the old fashioned way — all over your face, after your moisturizer and before your foundation. The oil actually works as a primer, which will smooth out the application process and keep your makeup in place for the long haul.

So the next time you think your foundation is making your skin look blah, try one of these easy hacks to get a naturally flawless complexion. See now why I’m such an oil devotée?