The Makeup Artist Secret: Skin Prep Is 80% of the Look

Ask any working makeup artist what separates an okay result from a flawless one and you'll get the same answer: the skin underneath. Prep is 80% of the look.

The professional sequence: hydrate first (a fast-absorbing moisturiser, then a full minute to sink in), then primer only where needed — pores and T-zone — not as a face mask. Foundation applied to well-hydrated skin needs half the product and looks like skin, not paint.

Same rule below the jaw: if shoulders, legs or décolleté are on show, moisturised skin reflects light evenly — that's the "lit from within" effect, and it comes from hydration, not highlighter.

The body half of prep: Butta Drop — satin finish, absorbs in seconds.