The Art of Radiant Skin - by Gold Coast Makeup Artist Antoinette: How to Prepare Your Skin Before Makeup
How Should You Prepare Your Skin Before a Makeup Appointment?
Welcome to my TED Talk on a topic I am deeply passionate about: the art of healthy, radiant skin from the inside out.
As a Gold Coast makeup artist with over 17 years of experience in the bridal industry and a background in beauty therapy, I have learned one thing over and over again: beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin prep.
But before you panic, that does not mean your skin needs to be perfect.
You do not need to be breakout-free, poreless, or have “flawless” skin for your makeup to look beautiful. What makes the biggest difference is skin that is well hydrated, calm, and not dry or flaking.
Colour can be corrected and covered far more easily than texture, so the goal is not perfect skin. The goal is skin that feels comfortable, nourished, and as settled as possible.
Here I am sharing my go-to essentials for glowing, healthy skin — with and without makeup — so your makeup has the very best chance of sitting smoothly, blending beautifully, and lasting throughout the day.
Do You Need Perfect Skin for Your Makeup to Look Good?
No, you absolutely do not need perfect skin for your makeup to look beautiful.
This is something I wish every client knew before sitting in my makeup chair. Breakouts, pigmentation, redness, pores, fine lines and texture are all completely normal.
As a makeup artist, I can work with colour. I can correct redness, pigmentation, even out skin tone and bring balance back to the complexion. What is harder to work with is skin that is very dry, flaky, irritated or stripped, because makeup can cling to that texture.
So if you are preparing for bridal makeup, event makeup, a photoshoot, or any special occasion, the focus should not be “perfect skin”. The focus should be hydrated, calm, healthy skin.
What Is the Best Skin Prep Before a Makeup Appointment?
The best skin prep before a makeup appointment is simple: keep your skin clean, moisturised, hydrated and calm.
In the few days before your appointment, this is not the time to overhaul your whole skincare routine. The most beautiful makeup results usually come from skin that has been treated gently and consistently.
Think simple. Think nourishing. Think calm.
How Often Should You Moisturise Before a Makeup Appointment?
You should moisturise morning and night in the days leading up to your makeup appointment.
This is especially important if your skin tends to feel dry, tight, flaky, red or sensitive. Dry, dehydrated skin can cause foundation to cling or look flaky, so hydration is one of the best things you can do before your makeup appointment.
One moisturiser I absolutely swear by is Embryolisse Lait-Crème Sensitive. It has been my go-to moisturiser for well over 10 years. It is incredibly calming and gentle, and it has saved me so many times with clients whose skin I was genuinely worried makeup would not sit happily on, especially when dealing with sunburn, serious redness, sensitivity, or a compromised skin barrier.
It is beautifully comforting and soothing on the skin.
It can be used as your regular moisturiser, or applied a little more generously like a calming hydration mask when your skin needs extra comfort. It is beautiful for helping the skin feel more settled, soothed and makeup-ready.
What Serum Helps Makeup Sit Better on Dehydrated Skin?
A hydrating serum can help makeup sit better if your skin is dehydrated, tight, or showing fine lines from lack of moisture.
For an extra hydration boost, especially if you notice fine lines looking more obvious from dehydration, I love the Embryolisse Hydra-Serum. This is a beautiful option to layer underneath moisturiser when your skin needs more water-based hydration and plumpness before makeup — and it smells divine.
How Do You Prepare Your Lips Before Makeup?
The best way to prepare your lips before makeup is to keep them hydrated in the days leading up to your appointment.
Dry or flaky lips can make lipstick look uneven, especially if you are wearing a soft bridal lip, a nude lip, or a long-wear lip colour.
For soft, non-flaky lips, I love keeping them hydrated and juicy with balm during the day and this sleeping mask at night:
For flaky lips, you can gently brush over them with your toothbrush while brushing your teeth, then follow with a nourishing lip balm. Gentle is the key word here, no aggressive scrubbing the night before your appointment.
Should You Cleanse Before a Makeup Appointment?
Yes, you should cleanse your skin before a makeup appointment, and you should always cleanse your makeup off before going to sleep.
You want to use a cleanser that is gentle and will not strip your skin barrier, but still has the ability to properly remove makeup, SPF and the day from your skin.
One cleanser I love is the QV Face Gentle Cleanser, especially for a simple, gentle cleanse.
And always double cleanse!
Does Drinking Water Help Your Makeup Look Better?
Drinking water will not magically transform your skin overnight, but staying hydrated can help your skin feel more comfortable and less tight.
You do not need to do anything extreme, but hydration is one of those simple habits that supports your skin (and body) from the inside out.
I get through at least one of my large water bottles per day. I love my LoveShackFancy Stanley, call it an emotional support water bottle if you will, but I genuinely love it for keeping my hydration on track.
Should You Try New Skincare Before Your Wedding or Makeup Appointment?
No, you should not try new active skincare in the week before your wedding, event, photoshoot or makeup appointment.
The week of your appointment is not the time to try a new exfoliant, serum, peel, retinol, facial, or active skincare product.
The moisturiser & cleanser mentioned above are not 'active' skincare, but gentle enough to add to your routine as soon as possible.
Even beautiful products can sometimes cause irritation, dryness, breakouts, or sensitivity if your skin is not used to them.
If you want to introduce new active skincare, I recommend doing this at least one month before your event date, ideally six months or more before, especially for stronger products like retinol, acids, peels or treatments. Skin can go through a purge of breakouts when adding new products, so its important to give it time to know if its going to adjust and be a good fit for your skin well ahead of time.
As a bridal makeup artist, this is one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give: do not gamble with your skin close to your wedding day. A pre wedding facial sounds amazing, but if its not part of your regular routine, opt for another pampering option such as a body massage.
Should You Exfoliate Before Getting Your Makeup Done?
You should only exfoliate before your makeup appointment if exfoliation is already part of your routine and your skin tolerates it well.
If exfoliation is already part of your routine, you can gently exfoliate a few days before your appointment.
This might be something like a low-dose retinol that you started months earlier and increased very slowly to avoid dry, flaky skin.
Closer to your appointment, the safest approach is often simply using a soft face washer very gently over the skin while cleansing.
Please do not over-scrub your skin the night before, and do not introduce a new exfoliant just for your appointment.
Can Red Light Therapy Help Skin Before Makeup?
Red light therapy may help support the look of calmer, healthier, glowing skin, especially when used consistently over time.
I am a big believer in red light therapy after a deeply personal recovery story, but I always say the “worst-case scenario” of using it is amazing skin (it has SO many benefits)!
If you can get into a full-body LED bed, that is amazing. I absolutely love the medical-grade LED bed at Cure(8) in Currumbin.
Link here:
https://www.cure8.com.au/
Alternatively, this is the at-home mask that I love and use daily:
Can Supplements Help Support Healthy Skin?
Supplements may help support skin health for some people, but they should always be chosen based on what is suitable for your own body.
One thing I have personally noticed can have an impact on my skin is vitamin C and zinc. If I have a breakout, I often notice that supporting my body from the inside is reflected in my skin health.
I love this one, or you could speak to someone at a health food store or naturopath about what is suitable for you.
Should You Arrive With Clean Skin for Your Makeup Appointment?
Yes, please arrive with clean, makeup-free skin and, where possible, no SPF products applied the day of your appointment.
I will prep your skin before applying makeup, but arriving with a clean base gives us the best starting point.
This is especially helpful for bridal makeup, formal makeup, photoshoot makeup and any appointment where we want the skin to look polished, fresh and long-lasting.
What Skin Concerns Should You Not Worry About Before Makeup?
You do not need to worry if you have breakouts, pigmentation, texture, redness, pores, fine lines, uneven skin tone, or anything else that looks like normal human skin.
That is completely normal.
The goal is not perfect skin (although these tips will get you pretty close to perfection). The goal is skin that is as comfortable, hydrated, and settled as possible, so your makeup has the best chance of looking smooth, fresh and long-lasting.
After more than 17 years in the bridal beauty industry, I can honestly say that real skin is not a problem to be fixed. It is simply something to understand, prep and work with beautifully. The goal is always you, just elevated!
Can Makeup Hide Fine Lines and Wrinkles?
Makeup cannot completely remove texture or movement in the skin. There are techniques I use to avoid makeup settling into creases to avoid enhancing them.
This is an important distinction. Makeup can enhance, blur, brighten and soften, but it cannot make skin stop moving.
If lines and wrinkles genuinely bother you and you are hoping for a smoother result, the treatment that relaxes movement lines is a small amount of anti-wrinkle treatment, such as Botox (not filler, this adds skin volume). This would need to be done by a qualified nurse or doctor, well before your event date.
My advice is always to err on the side of natural, and to remember that you get what you pay for with this kind of treatment.
What Is the Simplest Skin Prep Before a Makeup Appointment?
The simplest skin prep before a makeup appointment is this: keep your skin moisturised and avoid trying anything new.
If time is on your side, start perfecting your routine as soon as possible so you have plenty of time to trial different options without risking irritation close to your event.
That alone can make a huge difference.
And that is The Art of Radiant Skin.
Written by Antoinette Eileen, leading Gold Coast makeup artist with 17+ years of bridal beauty experience.
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