by Alexandra Nicole Nuralam

We Tested The Viral Foundation Hack for Oily T-Zones

Your usual makeup routine probably starts with primer, then foundation and concealer, before you top it off with powder, right? Well, maybe it’s time to change things up a little. There’s a new (and simple) foundation trick going around the Internet that leaves you with flawless foundation all day. Here’s everything you need to know before trying it for yourself.

What it is

If you’ve been spending time on TikTok during this social distancing period, then chances are you’ve seen the viral foundation hack. In case you’ve somehow managed to avoid this innovative beauty trend, the hack suggests you put your base products in reverse order: translucent powder before foundation. The trick started making its way around the app in late February by user @ridaaaamat.

The general consensus on social media is that this viral foundation hack really works. Users everywhere are saying their foundation looks airbrushed and flawless without looking cake-y and best of all, it stays locked in all day.

The video, which has been watched more than 2.7 million times, encourages you to change your whole routine, by applying translucent powder after moisturizing. Then, mist your face with setting spray and follow up with primer before going in with foundation. How does this work to make your skin so flawless? Basically, the layering of powder, spray, primer, and foundation helps to ‘seal’ the skin underneath, control sebum production and refine your skin’s texture.

The verdict

I like to keep things semi-matte since I have combination-oily skin and I get pretty oily by midday. For the purposes of trying this reverse-order base routine, I stuck to products that have been tried and tested to work. After doing my full daytime skincare routine, I realised a major issue with this makeup trick: there’s no mention of sunscreen. I’ve been using this sunscreen-moisturizer combination product, so it’s not too bad. But if your sunscreen and moisturizer are separate products, it might pose a problem for you. If you’re trying out this trick in the morning, you’ll need to use moisturizer or sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.

After setting powder, setting spray and primer, I really saw a difference in the way my skin looked. This trick gave me an entirely matte base. After I went in with foundation, my face looked as filtered as the TikTok clip said it would.

Though the foundation itself looked flawless, layering other products were kind of a challenge. Cream formulas tugged slightly against my skin—I was layering cream products on top of powder. This technique definitely works better if you stick exclusively to powder blushes, bronzers, and highlighters.

And after a few hours of wear, I did notice my T-zone was not as oily as it would be normally, but there were some fine lines appearing around my nose. My skin also felt drier than usual. I’d have to say, avoid this technique if you’re trying to achieve a sheer or medium finish, or if you have dry skin. But if you like a full-coverage look and have skin that’s on the oilier side, there’s a good chance you’ll like this trick. Just make sure to moisturize really well at the end of the night.

The step-by-step guide

1. Do your skincare first, including moisturizer.

2. Apply setting powder and wait a few minutes— you want the powder to become part of your skin. Then, spritz on some setting spray.

3. Apply primer.

4. Go in with foundation.