From clean girl beauty to latte makeup, beauty trends shift quicker than you can snap your fingers. 

And guess what? The latest buzzword in the beauty lane is “underpainting.” If you're a makeup enthusiast (which I'm betting you are!), then this is one trend you'll want to get the lowdown on. Here’s our explanation to what underpainting makeup is and how to do it!

What is Underpainting?

In the context of makeup, underpainting is all about applying contour, highlight and blush on your skin before your foundation. 

I know what you’re thinking - wait, contour can really go on before foundation?

Yep - and supposedly, this is supposed to make it all blend out better! Underpainting makeup is a technique that professional makeup artists have used to create a perfectly sculpted look that blends together seamlessly.

It avoids harsh lines from improperly blended contour and blush, creating a flawless runway-ready canvas.

This makeup technique works best with cream and liquid foundation formulas. They’ll blend together the best - trying to blend a powder contour into liquid blush and trying to blend foundation on top of that will be a textural mess!

For the smoothest blend and most flawless application, keep your underpainting makeup products all the same texture! 

What Does Underpainting Do?

Underpainting sounds like a lot of work, but it’s actually a straightforward technique for getting the perfect blend. Applying your foundation over the top of concealer, contour and blush creates a seamless, natural-looking blend for a flawless makeup look. 

Underpainting Makeup: How to Do It

We all know that using the right skincare is the base of any good makeup look. Make sure your skin is freshly cleansed and moisturised. This helps ensure a smooth blend and prevents makeup from clinging to any pesky dry patches. 

Next step: prime your skin with your favourite primer. These are usually specific to certain skin types and concerns - those with larger pores will prefer a pore-filling primer, while if you have dry skin, a hydrating primer provides an extra layer of moisture.

Now, let’s really start the underpainting process. Our beauty team suggests starting with bronzer and contour. Simply apply these to where you usually would, and blend out. 

Next, apply your blush. Do the same as with contour - apply it and blend out.

Then, conceal and highlight. Brighten under eyes and cover up blemishes before blending out. 

The next step is to apply your foundation. Our tip for this step is to bounce it into your skin using a beauty sponge - this ensures the right amount of coverage, without smudging around all the hard work you just did.

Now, your base is ready to go. If you want, you can apply any more complexion details such as highlighter before locking everything in with a setting powder and finishing spray!

Underpainting Makeup Picks

Best Concealer for Underpainting

When it comes to creamy, long-lasting and blendable concealers, no one does it better than Lancôme. The Lancôme Effacernes Long Lasting Concealer has an easy-to-blend, high-coverage formula that’s designed for all skin types. It’s ideal for concealing blemishes and brightening dark circles - making it perfect for underpainting!

Honourable Mention

Another liquid concealer that our team loves for underpainting is the Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer. This is an easy to apply, high coverage formula that doesn’t settle into creases or texture, making it ideal for underpainting!

Best Contour for Underpainting

The best shade for true contour is always going to be a tiny bit cooler than bronzer. After all, bronzer is for warming up the face. Contour is meant to create the illusion of shadow, subtly sculpting features. Our top pick is the Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A Contour.

Best Blush for Underpainting

The ideal blushes for underpainting makeup need to be creamy, pigmented, and blendable. The Giorgio Armani Neo Nude A-Blush blushes fit that profile - these liquid formulas are perfect for adding a flush of colour to skin. 

Honourable Mention

Another option for cream blush is the GA-DE Idyllic Cream Blush. These pigmented cream blushes blend out effortlessly on skin with fingers, a brush, or even a sponge - making them another great pick for this makeup technique!

Underpainting: Key Points

Underpainting is more than just a beauty trend - it’s a technique that can work brilliantly to create a cohesive, well-blended, and long-lasting makeup look. The secret to this makeup technique is to use liquid and cream complexion products, as they blend into skin seamlessly to create a perfect canvas!