Foundation - Before or After Eye Makeup

I get asked this question quite a bit when I teach the makeup workshop: should the foundation be applied before or after the eye makeup?  As with everything makeup-related, the answer is: it's actually up to you, there is no right or wrong, just a matter of preference.

The main advantage of applying the foundation after you've done your eye makeup is that, should there be fallout, you will totally "erase it" when you apply the foundation.  If you're someone who has a tendency to be messy when applying your eyeshadow, it might be worth considering trying to apply your foundation after you've done your eye makeup and see if you like that.  For a while, I did apply my foundation after. One of the issues that I had with it was that you need to wait a little after you've applied your eyeliner and mascara for them to dry or else you run the risk of smudging them.  You could obviously apply the eyeliner and mascara after you've applied your foundation but I always forgot to wait. Another thing that I didn't like so much was that, while I could get close to that eye makeup, there would inevitably be a little bit of skin that wouldn't have foundation applied to it. It's not something that would really be noticeable much (unless you really don't go close enough) but it was bugging me a little.

I personally prefer to apply the foundation first because it gives me an even canvas to work from.  I apply the foundation all over my face, including my eyelids. It does happen that I have some fallout, in which case I use a fluffy brush to gently brush it away and it generally works fine. There will be times, though, when that's not enough b/c it somehow ended up being smudged or I mess up with the eyeliner and mascara and need to correct using some water or makeup remover. When that happens, the disadvantage of having applied the foundation already is that it will effectively remove some of it. But nothing says that I can't reapply a little bit to fill that "hole".

My recommendation really is that, if you're satisfied with your order, just keep doing that. Or if you're wondering which is best, really, try it for yourself and see which one you prefer. Again, there is no right or wrong answer: just preference.