The 9-Step Makeup Order Pros Always Follow

Beauty is personal—but when it comes to makeup order, there are some rules worth following. From complementary textures to light layering to well-placed colors and dimensions, the best makeup moments are built with more than a vibe in mind.

“Makeup is very much about layering and how products blend and melt together,” says makeup artist Benjamin Puckey. He notes that keeping to a specified makeup order is less about guidelines and more about getting the most out of your products. “Each formula has its own rhythm: some products are meant to melt into the skin, others to sit on top. That is why knowing your textures and how they play together is just as important as color theory.”

Haphazardly mixing powders and creams, for example, can lead to patchiness or unevenness—one of the reasons Fara Homidi, New Moms Look “Well Rested” Thanks to This Depuffing $9 Caffeine Eye Serum Fara Homidi Beauty, favors cream products. “You can layer over as many creams as you’d like and continue building,” she says. “Powders, however, need to be the finishing step. Going back in with cream after powders will create a cakey mess.”

Though these realities of complexion application make switching things up non-negotiable, both experts agree that sometimes statement looks call for a certain reordering. Essentially, if you feel called to a few modifications, make them—just be thoughtful about it.

“The structure matters, but there is room for creativity within it,” says Puckey. “Know the rules, then bend them when it serves.” Read on for an expert-approved framework for your new (and improved) makeup order.

Skin Prep

Makeup is nothing without healthy, hydrated skin. While skin care should be a day-and-night endeavor, applying preferred products ahead of makeup is always advised.

"Start with clean skin, then skin care," says Puckey. "Prepping your skin properly gives you a smoother application, makes makeup look more natural, and helps it wear longer."

Rather than using one heavy cream, he recommends layering light textures to allow for complete absorption. Applying serum, moisturizer, eye cream, SPF, The 13 Best Anti-Aging Serums We Tested That Firm, Smooth and Brighten.

Foundation and Concealer

Once your skin is tended to, it's time to match, camouflage, and enhance. Puckey suggests starting with any necessary color correction before brushing in foundation before moving to concealer, allowing you to add extra coverage (whether over blemishes or in darker areas like the under-eye) as needed.

Brows

Your brows frame your face, so defining them properly early in your process helps give your beauty look initial structure. Start by building out with a brow pencil, pen, or powder is part of the brow gel for additional shape and hold.

Eyes

A pressing of eyeshadow and flick (or pull along the waterline) of eyeliner comes next, followed by a finishing coat (or several) of mascara.

In the instances that Homidi opts to build a look around a bolder eye, she applies that makeup prior to addressing skin. "It helps me gauge the amount of color I want to apply to the rest of my face," she explains. Puckey adds that this reordering allows for more freedom to clean up fallout and adjust the shape without messing up your base.

Bronzer and Contour

Swirls of bronzer and swipes of contour help carve out, shape, and sharpen features. I Tell Everyone to Buy This $20 Korean Tint That Makes My Skin Dewy and Glass-Like.

Blush

Blush is an adornment that softens and warms. "Apply to the apples of the cheeks or wherever it suits your face shape and the look you are creating," says Puckey.

Highlighter

A little luminosity provides punctuation to beauty looks, and is best applied as a last step in the complexion process. Puckey recommends adding your go-to highlighter to the high points of your face (think cheek and brow bones and your Cupid's bow) for dimension and glow.

Lips

Lip looks are the final boss of makeup steps, not because of their difficulty level, but for their accenting effect. "Lips are generally last because I want them to look as fresh as possible for as long as possible," says Homidi.

While this is the general consensus, both Homidi and Puckey note that, in some cases, the lip actually happens first. "Sometimes I apply lip color early on to guide the direction of the rest of the look," says Puckey. "That is especially helpful if the lip is the anchor."

Regardless, there's also a lip-level order to honor. If you're using multiple products, start with liner, followed by stain and lipstick (or lip gloss, depending on your preference).

Touch-Ups

Once your look is seemingly complete, it's time for touch-ups. For Puckey, this is a time to adjust intensity and blur and blend edges with a clean makeup brush I Almost Can’t Believe How Poreless This $15 Treatment Makes My Skin Look.

"I like to take pictures at this stage," he says. "It helps spot anything that needs to be added or removed before heading out."