A MUA Shares Her Tips For Preventing ‘Crusty’ And ‘Cakey’ Makeup On Mature Skin—Try Her Effective Technique!

As skin matures, applying makeup can become more of a balancing act—especially when it comes to achieving a smooth, natural-looking finish. One of the most common concerns? Cakey, or “crusty,” makeup that settles into fine lines and emphasizes texture rather than enhancing your glow. The good news is, with the right techniques and products, it’s totally possible to prevent that heavy, uneven look and keep your makeup looking fresh and flattering all day long.

Erica Taylor, a makeup artist, recently shared her tips and tricks to preventing a “cakey” and “crusty” makeup look. According to her, if you have mature skin, it’s best to not wait for your skincare to dry if you want to prevent cakey-ness. Read on to learn more.

When your skin is still slightly damp from moisturizer or serum, makeup blends more smoothly into the skin. This helps create a seamless, dewy finish instead of sitting on top in a dry, cakey layer. With mature skin, hydration is key. By layering makeup onto damp skin, you help lock in that moisture and prevent foundation from clinging to dry patches or fine lines.

Erica explains that if your makeup is looking crusty or your skincare is pilling—especially on mature skin—it might actually be because you’re waiting too long. “You’re waiting,” she says. “That is for oilier, younger skin. When you are mature, you want your skincare to marry right into your foundation. You want them to live happily together.”

Instead of waiting for her skincare to dry, Erica moves straight into her makeup routine. She applies her skincare, then immediately follows with primer and foundation on top. “It looks like natural glowing skin,” she says.

Using a brush, she blends everything into the skin before finishing with concealer. As she puts it, “If our skin is changing, so should our techniques to accommodate.”