How to Prep Your Skin for Flawless Holiday Makeup

‘Tis the season for holiday parties! You know what that means? It’s time to look and feel your best so you can show up and out for the holidays. While your holiday makeup look might be the centerpiece, what sets the stage is your skin. A healthy, glowing complexion ensures your makeup goes on smoother, lasts longer, and looks flawless.

Makeup enhances your natural beauty, but it’s your skin that creates the base for that polished look. Here are some tips on how to prep your skin before makeup this holiday season.

1. Avoid Applying Makeup on a Broken Skin Barrier

Your skin’s health is priority number one. If you’re dealing with breakouts, sunburns, or irritation, give your skin time to heal before applying makeup. Piling on products over an irritated skin barrier can further irritate skin.  

What to do instead:

Focus on calming and nourishing skincare to repair your skin. Use a gentle, non-stripping cleanser such as Clean Queen Glycolic Cleanser and soothing serums such as our Snake or Snail Serum to rebuild your barrier.

2. Cleanse Away Impurities

Start with a clean slate by washing away dirt, oil, and impurities that can dull your complexion. Makeup applied over dirty skin won’t look smooth or flawless.

What to do:

Choose a cleanser like our Clean Queen Glycolic Cleanser that effectively cleans without over-drying to maintain your skin’s natural balance.

3. Exfoliate Away Dead Skin Cells

Exfoliation is the key to a smooth, radiant canvas for makeup. By removing dead skin cells, you create a fresh base for your products to adhere to evenly.

How to do it right:

Opt for an exfoliant with AHA and Lactic Acid such as the Power Wash Peel Pads to easily wipe away dead skin cells.

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Hydration is your skin’s best friend when it comes to prepping for makeup. A super-hydrating serum, like our Snail Serum, can plump and smooth your skin while delivering anti-aging benefits.

Why Snail Serum?

• Peptides to boost hydration and combat signs of aging.
• It's clinically proven to visibly hydrate skin in just 2 hours.

5. Prime Your Eyes

If you have mature skin, skin can look especially dry upon makeup application and make your eye area makeup crease, so don’t skip this step before you apply thicker makeup formulations such as concealer! You can use a hydrating eye serum like our Snake Eyes Eye Serum to give your under-eyes hydration pre makeup application.

Why Snake Eyes Eye Serum?

• Provides hydration that smooths fine lines.
• Ideal for mature skin or anyone prone to dryness around the eyes.

6. Prime Your Lips

If you’re rocking a bold lip this holiday season, don’t skip this step. Applying a hydrating lip balm or mask pre-makeup ensures your lips stay soft and smooth.

What to do:

Choose a lip treatment with peptides to plump and nourish your lips while keeping them hydrated, especially if you’re wearing matte lipstick.

7. Sunscreen Is Still a Must

Even during the holiday season, protecting your skin from UV damage is crucial—especially if you’ll be out during the day.

What to look for:

• A lightweight, hydrating formula that layers well under makeup.
• Opt for a Korean sunscreen that does not pill.

Here’s your skincare guide for glowing skin and makeup prep for the holiday season! Not only does it help you achieve a flawless makeup look, but it also keeps your skin healthy and glowing underneath. No matter how you show up for the parties coming up this holiday season, it’s always a good excuse to take care of yourself through skincare. Happy Holidays– and cheers to glowing skin!