How to Bake Your Face for a Long-Lasting Matte Makeup Look

If you, like us, spent the 2010s watching beauty vloggers on YouTube, you’re likely familiar with makeup baking (usually simply referred to as “baking”). For the uninitiated, the technique—which promises to help keep under-eye makeup in place all day—involves layering baking powder makeup over concealer and letting it sit for about 10 minutes. Proponents insist that the setting technique is the secret to a smooth, crease-free under-eye—and having tried it ourselves, we’re inclined to agree.

In the years since baking blew up, makeup trends have shifted towards a more dewy, natural finish (ahem, glazed donut skin). Still, there’s something to be said for a matte makeup look that will last all day long and stand up to the rigor of special occasions without smudging and creasing. Alas, there aren’t many other makeup techniques that deliver the same foolproof, locked-in-place, photo-ready results as makeup baking.

So, take notes as we share how to bake makeup—specifically your foundation and concealer—in seven simple steps for a long-lasting makeup look.

What Does Makeup Baking Do?

Makeup baking is the process of applying a thick, visible layer of setting powder over your foundation and concealer and leaving it on for five to ten minutes to set the face. As it sits, your body heat allows the foundation and concealer to essentially “melt” into the skin. At the same time, the powder helps absorb excess oils. Once the excess powder is brushed away, you should be left with smooth, matte makeup that won’t crease, smudge, or transfer throughout the day.

To bake your face properly, you’ll need a loose translucent powder. While pressed setting powders can be useful for diminishing excess shine, they’re not as well suited for the baking technique. Finally, keep in mind that while you can technically set any makeup look with baking powder makeup, the technique tends to work best will full-coverage, matte makeup looks.

How to Bake Makeup for a Long-Lasting Look

When you use the baking technique for your makeup, first you apply primer, then foundation, then concealer, and finally powder. While we’d usually say that makeup doesn’t have any rules, with baking, foundation is always applied before the powder—never the other way around. Keep scrolling to learn exactly how to bake your face like a pro in seven simple steps.

Step 1. Prep your face

Skin prep is sometimes overlooked, but it’s an important part of any makeup routine. Start by cleansing your face to remove any excess oil and impurities, then apply your serum and moisturizer as usual (don’t forget SPF for daytime). Once your skincare products sink in, apply a makeup primer to help create a smooth, even base for your foundation. If you need a recommendation, try the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Matte Setter. The non-comedogenic formula instantly reduces excess shine and helps extend makeup wear for up to 24 hours. We also love the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer for a smooth, blurred base.

Step 2. Apply foundation

Once you’ve primed your face, then you can apply foundation. Before baking your face, it’s best to apply a liquid foundation like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 32 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation. The transfer-resistant formula provides buildable, medium-to-full coverage with a lightweight texture that feels comfortable on the skin. Plus, it’s transfer-resistant, so you can count on it staying put on busy days. We suggest applying it with a foundation brush or makeup sponge to even out your skin tone and camouflage dark spots, blemishes, and unevenness.

Step 3. Add concealer and contour

After applying your foundation applied foundation, you can use concealer to add more coverage to areas you’d like to conceal or brighten. We suggest the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer up to 24H Full Coverage—it’s waterproof, pigmented, and boasts a long-lasting matte finish. Use a shade that closely matches your skin tone to conceal discolorations, or opt for a slightly lighter shade to brighten and highlight. You can also use it to contour—for that, you’ll want to select a hue one to two shades deeper than your natural skin tone. After concealing, highlighting, and contouring, use a makeup brush or sponge to blend everything out.

Step 4. Apply setting powder

After your base is complete, it’s baking time. Grab a clean makeup sponge and a translucent loose powder. For the latter, we love the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Blur-Fection Longwear Loose Setting Powder, an ultra-fine, talc-free formula that leaves the skin looking smooth and blurred. Dip the sponge into the powder and press it onto your under eyes in a thick, visible layer. You can also apply the powder to the sides of your nose to help set your contour or beneath your cheekbones to help make them appear sharper and more defined. In any case, you’ll want to use a lot of powder—with baking, more is more.

Step 5. Let powder set

Set your phone timer for 10 minutes to let the powder “bake.” Typically, people use this time to do their eye makeup or apply their lipstick. You can also use the time to do your hair (or at least get started on it).

Step 6. Dust off excess powder

Once the timer goes off, use a large fluffy brush to gently sweep the excess powder off of your face. You should be left with silky-smooth, almost airbrushed-looking skin.

Step 7. Complete your makeup look

Once you’ve dusted off the baking powder, you can proceed with the rest of your face makeup, like applying bronzer and blush. Since you’ve already baked your face, it’s best to use powder products, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Blush and L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer. Avoid layering cream or liquid formulas over your powder makeup—doing so could lead to patchiness and pilling, which is precisely what you’re trying to avoid. Once you’re done, go ahead and spritz your entire face with setting spray to finish off your routine. We recommend the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist, which helps eye, lip, and face makeup resist transfer all day without a cakey look or feel.

What’s the Difference Between Setting Powder and Baking Powder?

The primary difference between setting powder and baking powder is what they’re used for: Setting powder is used to set the entire face while baking powder is usually used to help set specific areas (like the under-eye area). Setting powder can also come as a loose powder or a pressed powder while baking powder is always a loose powder.

The technique differs, too. When you set your face with a setting powder, you usually apply a thin layer to help absorb excess oil and give your makeup a more blurred-looking finish. Baking makeup, as explained above, involves applying a thick layer of powder and letting it sit for around 10 minutes, then sweeping off the excess.

How Long Do You Leave Baking Powder Makeup on Your Face?

Baking powder makeup should generally be left on your face for around 10 minutes in order to allow your body heat time to “melt” your makeup products together. Giving your powder this extra time after you’ve completed the rest of your look is essential to creating a long-lasting finish without creases. If you’re in a rush, five minutes should work, too—you just may not get as much wear time out of your makeup as you would with a longer baking time.

Next Up: How To Find Your Foundation Shade Match: An Expert Guide

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris