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How To Prep Your Skin: Pre-Party Skin Prep for Makeup

Prep your skin for the smoothest, most magical makeup application with my pre-party skin prep tips and tricks.

8 minute read

Darlings, before you apply a magical makeup look, it’s important to prep your skin with supercharged skincare products. Skin prep is the secret to creating a smoother-looking, glowing canvas for your makeup to glide onto. After applying your hydrating skincare routine using my MAGIC SKIN icons, your makeup will always look better! Whether you’re celebrating something special or are in the midst of party season, discover my tips and tricks for perfect skin prep for makeup to unlock gorgeous, party-ready skin!

Skin Prep for Makeup still life

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What is Skin Prep for Makeup?

When makeup artists talk about skin prep for makeup, they are referring to the skincare steps they perform before applying makeup. Skin prep is similar to your day-to-day skincare routine, however it’s done with the intention of readying the skin for a flawless makeup application. Preparing the skin for makeup focuses on using skincare to help skin look smoother, plumper and more radiant – if you want your makeup to look seamless and glowing, skin prep is non-negotiable, darlings!

Why Should You Use Skincare Before Makeup?

Skincare and makeup work hand-in-hand when creating a magical makeup look. Think of your makeup like a gorgeous painting, darlings. When an artist is creating their next masterpiece, they reach for a smooth canvas that will help lines to look sharper, strokes to look smoother, and colours to pop! Your skin is your natural canvas, and the best way to help it look smoother, plumper and ready for makeup is to perform a supercharged skin prep routine. Serums, moisturisers and face masks can help to hydrate your skin, smooth out the appearance of skin texture and leave your face feeling silky and supple – once you’ve prepped your skin with skincare, makeup can apply and blend more seamlessly and look even more flawless.

What Should I Use for Skin Prep?

Prep your skin with hydrating skincare products, starting with a gentle face cleanser and finishing with a magical moisturiser like Charlotte’s Magic Cream. Reach for products that are infused with powerhouse ingredients like vitamin C, polyglutamic acid and hyaluronic acid that will help to add moisture to the skin and give it a lit-from-within glow that looks gorgeous underneath makeup. It’s important to consider your skin type and skin concerns when building your skincare routine; choose products that work with your skin and layer beautifully with one another without pilling or bunching up.

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Skin Prep for Makeup: Step by Step

  1. multi-miracle glow cleansing balm packshot closed

    Step 1: Gentle Cleanser

    Your skin prep ritual starts with a gentle cleanser that will leave your skin feeling baby-soft and freshly cleansed. Use Multi-Miracle Glow – my versatile, supercharged gel-balm – to cleanse skin and unlock a gorgeous, glowing, fresh-from-the-facialist finish. Apply this moisturising miracle balm as a gentle cleanser, smoothing it across dry skin for a brighter-looking finish that feels fresh and looks radiant. Rich in moisturising oils including arctic cloudberry, rosehip and camellia oil and vitamins A, C and E, Multi-Miracle Glow is the moisture-rich cleanse your skin is calling for pre party.

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  2. Charlotte's Magic Hydrator Mist radiant skin rescue essence with lid off

    Step 2: Refreshing Face Mist

    After cleansing, reach for a face mist to give your complexion an instant moisture boost. Spritzing Charlotte’s Magic Hydrator Mist onto the skin delivers an uplifting, refreshing sensation that oxygenates and hydrates skin to feel instantly refreshed and revived. Not only does this hyaluronic acid-powered formula bring vital hydration back to the skin; it also helps to supercharge the skincare steps that follow it! Skincare absorbs best into slightly damp skin, darlings, and this gentle face mist is my essential skin prep beauty booster.

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  3. A dry sheet mask in textured fabric along with its golden-coloured foil packaging behind it.

    Step 3: 15-Minute Sheet Mask

    Before you get in the party spirit, it’s essential that you feel perfectly pampered. A sheet mask is a quick and easy way to give your skin some rejuvenation ahead of a late night, and my Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask is a perfect pre-party pick-me-up. Place the mask pink-side down and massage to activate the supercharged ingredients, then line it up with your eyes and mouth and wear for 15 minutes. The mess-free dry sheet mask gives the skin a surge of moisture to produce hydrated, plumper-looking, red carpet-worthy results.

    Tilbury Tip: Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask can be used up to 3 times, so after use, place the magical mask back into its packaging to be used again.

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  4. A glowy toner in a large, white-coloured bottle with a silver-coloured lid.

    Step 4: Radiance-Boosting Toner

    Onto freshly cleansed skin, apply an acid-free, radiance-boosting toner to enhance your natural glow. Glow Toner is my skincare secret for gentle exfoliation and daily radiance, helping skin to appear brighter and feel baby-soft. Using your palms or a cotton pad, lightly swipe this glow solution onto the skin to help brighten and balance the look of your complexion. After applying Glow Toner, skin feels gently resurfaced and pores appear reduced thanks to the refining properties of niacinamide.

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    Learn more about Niacinamide

  5. A luminous, ivory-coloured facial serum in a glass bottle with a white and gold-coloured dropper lid,

    Step 5: Hydrating Face Serum

    A supercharged serum has the power to help target skin concerns like dehydration, uneven tone, and fine lines. Reach for Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir for a superpowered helping of hydration courtesy of polyglutamic acid – a humectant that’s 4x more hydrating than hyaluronic acid. This supercharged face serum delivers magical moisture that leaves the skin feeling intensely hydrated, as well as youth-boosting effects of REPLEXIUM™ and the beautiful, brightening effects of Golden™ Vitamin C. It’s an essential step for unlocking Magic Skin ahead of a night of celebration!

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    Learn more about REPLEXIUM™

  6. A lip oil in a white coloured tube with reflective geometric patterns on it in silver colour and a rose-gold-coloured lid.

    Step 6: Conditioning Lip Oil

    Ahead of greetings on the dancefloor and dancing under the mistletoe, condition your lips with a comforting lip oil. Lip oils are perfect for keeping your lips feeling magically moisturised, and Charlotte’s Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir is the secret to healthy-looking, high-shine lips! Combining the power of a serum, the glassy glow of a lip gloss and the comfort of an oil, this rollerball lip oil glides onto the lips to create the plushest, party-ready pout!

    Tilbury Tip: Download the Charlotte Tilbury App and unlock access to shop my tinted lip oils – there’s Rose Lust for a soft, rosy glow and Berry Bliss for a sweet, berry tint.

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