You've Been Applying Your Foundation Wrong, According to Beyoncé's Makeup Artist

By Tori Crowther

Updated on 6/26/2018 at 7:25 AM

Getty | Kevin Mazur
Getty | Kevin Mazur
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If Beyoncé's makeup artist, Sir John, tells us we may have been applying foundation wrong all this time, we listen up. If his advice involves changing one small step in our routine, we listen up even more. He let us in on a foundation trick, and after trying it, we'll never look back. It may be simple, but trust us when we say it will give you flawless, fresher foundation, and who doesn't want that?!

We first quizzed him on his favorite foundations (so we can all go out and buy new base). He rates L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow foundation ($13) and Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation ($48). He said he prefers these formulas because in 2018 women are moving away from heavier foundations day to day and opting for products that make skin look more like, well, skin! He describes it as looking like you "just woke up and rolled out of bed and look kinda cute." Tbh, that is a goal in life.

Sir John says to "take a wet Beautyblender and while your skin is damp from your moisturizer apply your foundation." If you wait for your moisturizer to dry, your foundation will dry on top of that, which Sir John describes as a "disconnect between how the foundation cements onto your complexion." He also said that you don't normally need foundation on your entire face, he says just apply it to the areas that need attention and where you need coverage. Applying the foundation in this way also means it will blend out seamlessly and won't need full coverage on the entire face, giving a more natural base.

Ever since I started abiding by this rule, my foundation has looked much more natural, and I don't seem to be having any dryness throughout the day. I first apply Medik8 CE-Tetra Vitamin C serum ($88) and allow this to sink in before applying Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream SPF 15 ($48), followed by a small drop of NIOD survival 30 ($30) and then quickly going in with Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue ($32) or The Ordinary Serum Foundation ($8) with a beauty sponge. I also find doing it this way means that my concealer goes on seamlessly, and I can use my fingers to blend it all in. This technique also works better if I don't want to wear foundation during the day and just want to blend my concealer into my moisturizer.