By Andi Douglas, nwaMotherlode beauty editor and mama of 3
After the past few weeks of sugar-induced debauchery, I have baking on the mind.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I have rid the house of most baked goods in an attempt to eat healthier and be able to still fit into my pants by New Years. So, since I can’t bake in the kitchen right now, I will turn to the next best thing: baking my makeup. Just kidding, the next best thing is ice cream but I’m trying to be positive here.
If you’ve never heard of baking you’re not alone. Basically, it is the generous application of a setting powder after you have applied your foundation and concealer in order to set your makeup so it can last longer. For the more experienced hand, baking can be used to highlight under your eyes, your jawline or your t-zone.
There are two different approaches to baking: an everyday application, the box of brownies of baking, and a special-occasion glam approach, the creme brulee of baking.
If you want your makeup to last from morning drop-off until that ridiculously late baseball game, here’s what to do: Apply a coat of translucent powder over your entire face after you’ve done your makeup. Because my skin is dry, I do a light dusting for the majority and then use a fluffy eye shadow brush to add a thicker layer under the eyes. This is especially beneficial if you have oily skin and battle with your eye makeup running during the day. Now, you bake. This is easy, just leave it alone and let the heat from your skin absorb the powder for 5-10 minutes. During this time I usually curl my hair or get dressed.
When you’re finished baking, use a fluffy powder brush to remove any excess and then complete the setting process with a finishing spray, like Hard Candy Fast and Fabulous Makeup Setting Spray. That’s it and your makeup will stay flawless and intact for the entire day.
There are a lot of affordable options out there for setting powders, so experiment until you find the right one for you. A cult favorite is the Coty 
Airspun Loose Powder, which looks and smells delightfully like your nana’s makeup bag. You can find it, inexplicably, with the nail supplies at Walmart or other drug stores.
I was doing my research and found this tutorial on baking to highlight and define your facial features and thought, “Wow, I have not been doing this right.”
The Kardashian level makeup is certainly not for everyone, especially my lazy rear. Although, if you are already loving the extra definition you get from contouring and highlighting, the 6 step process is definitely worth it. It is a great way to add brightness to your face for photos or special occasions without the shimmer that you get with many highlighters.
One thing I have noticed is that baking is not the same for everyone. It takes some trial and error, so here are a few tips I’ve picked up:
→ Apply your powder before doing your eye makeup, that way when you dust away the excess you will also remove any loose eye shadow that fell onto your skin.
→ If baking seems to be increasing the appearance of wrinkles, try adding a little bit of a silicone based primer, like NYX Studio Perfect Primer in Clear, when you’re all done. Also, try applying less concealer and powder. The skin around your eyes is so thin extra weight will only increase wrinkles.
→ If you are noticing “flashback” (areas where you baked look startlingly white) in your pictures, make sure you are using a translucent powder without any shimmer. A lot of people love the Elf High Definition Under Eye Setting Powder, but the pearlescent glow that works wonders in real life can turn the flash of a camera against you.
To be honest, this can be a hard process to explain and is new to a lot of people, even though it has been around for ages in theatre and film. YouTube has enough tutorials to render you completely useless for the rest of the day if you need to see baking in action.
For those of you who typed “baking” into the search bar looking for a yummy recipe and ended up reading a beauty article, here is the recipe for my delicious and easy Pecan Pie Bars that you can whip up in the time it takes your powder to bake.
Have a beautiful week, Mamas!
If you have a question for our makeup maven, Andi, just email it to mamas{at}nwaMotherlode{dot}.com. She’s a mama of three who totally gets you. We promise.
