There’s nothing worse than product pilling. (Okay, fine, I can think of a few other worse things: missing the train by mere seconds, escargot, and… global warming, but I digress.) It’s messy and ruins what could have been a beautiful work of art (hi, me, my face!)—turning it into a clumpy, melty makeup mess.
Why Your Makeup Looks Clumpy
Pilling happens when the serums, moisturizers, and sunscreen (or really, any product) you just applied begin to clump and turn into teeny-tiny balls. It tends to happen when you don’t give your products enough time to dry before moving on to the next, dermatologist Shari Marchbein, MD, previously told Allure.
The most obvious fix? Be patient.
“Typically, giving a bit of extra time—a minute or so—between layers will prevent this,” she said. After a few too many pilling incidents in years past, I now wait five to 10 minutes after applying my morning skin-care routine (to ensure everything has enough time to fully absorb) before moving on to my base makeup.
What to Do If You Have a Skin Condition
I have rosacea, so before I start applying makeup, I usually give my skin time to calm down and lose its flush, which tends to appear in full force while I’m applying any product (even if I smooth it on gently). If you have a similar sensitive skin condition, I would recommend running your makeup collection by your dermatologist to make sure none of the active ingredients will aggravate your skin. You could also consider going the minimal makeup route: dewy skin, brushed brows, and a little color (lips and/or eyes—dealer’s choice).
How to Reapply Sunscreen Without Smudging Your Makeup
While I don’t reapply makeup throughout the day (when it’s gone, it’s gone is my motto), I do try to re-up my sunscreen application when I can. Obviously, I can’t remove a full face of makeup just to reapply it again immediately after (at my office desk, no less), but I can sneak in some extra protection in the form of setting sprays with SPF (more on those below) and mineral powder formulas that feel more like makeup than skin care.
While sprays don’t offer enough sun protection, they do provide some, as long as you tap it into your skin post-mist. So if you want to keep your full beat intact, mist or dust your next round of SPF on and gently tap it in to avoid smudging, smearing, and, most importantly, pilling.
Reader Question
First, does makeup, including eyeshadow and lip products, protect the skin even if they don’t contain SPF? Does foundation with SPF (at least 30) need to be reapplied every 80 minutes? If not, how often does a person reapply it? Is there any way to keep my face protected with just touch ups and not having to do almost a full face of makeup multiple times a day?
— asks Allure Reader Samantha Johnson
Dear Samantha,