What is the underpainting makeup technique everyone's raving about
Recently, the term underpainting has blown up to say the least. And surprisingly it's nothing to do with a Dulux base coat. The viral base makeup technique is a contour style used to sculpt the faces of the likes of Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, by makeup artist Mary Phillips.
The idea is, that by doing, not just your concealer, but also your contour, prior to a lightweight foundation, you'll get a natural, glowing, skin-like base... but sculpted. Sign us up.
So, how exactly does this approach create that final result? "As this technique reduces the layers of makeup, you do not have multiple products sitting on top of one another — creating a seamless & natural looking complexion," says Taylor Frankel, co-founder of Nudestix (the 'no makeup makeup' brand that Mary created the cult Nudies Sunkissed Bronze stick with back in 2018).
As well as minimising product building up on the skin, the use of sheer foundation over the contour helps the faux-shadow look completely convincing (and subtle), under a consistent finish across the face.
A makeup artist herself, Taylor explained to us exactly how to underpaint.
How to do the underpainting technique
🧴Prime with a moisturiser to ensure the skin is hydrated for a seamless application.
🗿Once your skin is prepped & primed, the first step is applying your contour to define and sculpt the face. I would suggest using a cream as it will blend seamlessly on primed skin (plus, it is super easy to use).
👁Next, apply your concealer in spot areas for natural coverage (I.e under eyes, nose, blemishes etc).
🖌Once your concealer and bronzer/contour are blended, select a natural coverage or sheer foundation and apply all-over the face. The foundation should be sheer enough that you can see the contour peak through.
☺️Finally, swipe your bronzer and blush on the cheeks and high points of the face, for a lit from within, Sunkissed look. Your complexion will look naturally sculpted and glowing.
💋 As you are not layering many products, It's not necessary to set the face.
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