Baking Like a Pro – How to Make Your Makeup Last All Night

There is one backstage moment I love: when all the performers sit waiting with white patches of powder under their eyes. That is baking – and it is one of the reasons stage makeup lasts for hours under hot spotlights. The good news: you don’t need a stage for it. The trick works just as well for a wedding, a party or a long night out.

What is baking?

When you bake, you press a generous layer of loose powder onto your concealer and let it sit for a few minutes. The warmth of your skin melts powder and concealer together, then you sweep away the excess. The result: your concealer stays put, settles less into fine lines and the area looks smooth and bright.

What you need

• •A foundation as your base – I use Huda Beauty Easy Blur
• •A creamy concealer
• •A finely milled loose powder – I use Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder
• •A damp makeup sponge
• •A soft, fluffy brush

Step by step

1. Prep the skin

Well-cared-for skin around the eyes is everything. I apply a light eye cream and let it sink in briefly. Without prep, any powder can look dry.

2. Apply concealer

Place concealer in an inverted triangle under the eye and press it in with the sponge. Important: don’t apply it too thickly – work in thin layers instead.

3. Press in the powder

Pick up a generous amount of powder with the damp sponge and gently press it onto the concealer. Don’t swipe, just press. It is fine if it looks white – that is part of it.

4. Let it sit

Now wait about five to ten minutes. I use the time to do my eyes. Any eyeshadow fallout lands on the powder and simply sweeps away with it at the end.

5. Dust off

With a soft, clean brush I sweep the excess downwards in gentle strokes. What remains is a smooth, bright finish that lasts all night.

Where else baking works

• •Under the cheekbones, to keep your contour sharp
• •On the T-zone, if you get shiny quickly
• •Around the mouth, so lipstick doesn’t bleed

My pro tips

• •With dry or mature skin, only bake under the eyes and use very little powder
• •Use the sponge damp, not wet
• •For flash photos, choose a powder that isn’t stark white and won’t cause flashback – Easy Bake comes in several shades

Baking is one of those small pro steps that make a huge difference. Try it with your next evening look – for example with my evening smoky eye tutorial or my After Dark Glam look.

Transparency: some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, I receive a small commission – the price stays the same for you. My opinion remains my own.