What is baking powder and how to use it properly?

Covering up your face completely is out of date. Looking like you wear almost no make-up but still have make-up on is now the way to go. It is the trend and I was waiting for it all along. I wear many layers - when I apply it I don't really realise it - but when I During a Beauty MOT session tell me I have more than just concealer on my face, people often react with surprise. The trick is to make it look as natural as possible by watching the substances. Foundation a little lighter, concealer more opaque and then let baking powder do its job. The latter only came into my routine briefly though, for a long time I didn't understand anything about baking and I thought it was a waste of my time. You have to let it do its work for at least five minutes and in that time I can almost finish my whole face too, but I have tasted the benefits of it. So when make-up goes on the face, this is a step I really take some time for now. How, what, where? I'm going to take you through the baking process.

Step 1
Make sure your face is well moisturised. Think of it as greasing your baking tin with butter when you bake. A day cream and SPF keeping your skin supple and elastic and give dry spots no chance. And of course a primer is a good base.

Step 2
Lube up. Anything liquid should be applied to your face first. So, for example, foundation, concealer and a bit of bronzer will do. You definitely need one (or more) of these products, otherwise the baking powder will have no effect and fall right off your face. Would be a bit of a waste, of course.

Step 3
Open the pack and tap some powder into the lid. No half-teaspoon work, we need a hefty layer. Many packs have small holes or a sieve on top of the powder: this ensures that you never have the entire contents of your jar in the lid at once. So tap the bottom well a few times to fill your lid.

Step 4
Pack a fix+ spray or another spray to moisten your beautyblender a little and dab it on your hand a few times to get the initial wetness off. Go with your beautyblender into the powder lying in the lid and apply a generous layer under your eyes where you also applied concealer. Really don't be too sparing, there's a lot of baking to be done here.

Step 5
If it does its job nicely under your eyes, you can go for another contour baking by again using your blender to apply a generous layer under your cheekbones. And for the real bakers, you can even apply a very thin line on the top of your nose and on your chin. Then it's a matter of waiting; just set the timer for at least five to 10 minutes.

Step 6
What actually happens? Foundation and concealers are, of course, liquid products and they should not move around. Because your body produces moisture throughout the day and oil or sweat is more and more prominent, this can literally cause your product to ‘evaporate’. I sometimes hear that a foundation has disappeared by the end of the day. Well, that could very well be because of this. But also pay attention to how often you unconsciously touch your face with your hands. The warmth of your skin, the liquid products and the baking powder make it more of a whole and your make-up stays on better. By the way, it doesn't prevent your skin from breathing now, it just doesn't get the chance to shine as easily. We copied this make-up trend from the drag queens. Have you ever noticed that their make-up is still as beautiful at the end of the evening as at the beginning? By the way, it also works really well if you suffer from oily skin.

Step 7
The timer goes off and the five to 10 minutes are over, so you can now carefully remove the powder with a loose brush. If it has sunk in properly, you will see a marked difference from before. Your make-up is more set and if you have started contouring, you can see that your face has been subtly shaded. You should actually make a before and an after, then you will really see a clear difference.

Here are some more fine baking powders you can shop for. Oh yes, if you have one, make sure it doesn't contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Those will make it look blotchy if you take a picture with flash and, of course, we don't want that when we can go out for another night out later.

Loose setting powder, €43 Laura Mercier,
Easy Bake, €34.95 Huda Beauty
Bake & Set fixing powder, €14.28 Morphe
Matte finishing powder, €7 E.L.F
Prep + prime translucent powder, €25.50 M.A.C Cosmetics
Light reflecting setting powder, €29 NARS