5 Reasons Your Makeup Is Patchy and How to Fix It

Moisturize well

“To avoid patchiness, make sure your face is well prepped and moisturized, and give a little extra love to any especially dry patches on your face,” advises Blunder. She loves using a salve or balm for the dry spots before applying makeup.

“Ensuring your face has enough slip and moisture will guarantee your makeup goes on smoothly and evenly,” says Blunder. She suggests choosing a product that’s emollient or oil-based with a translucent base. Blunder likes to use Undercover Face Crème ($95) for skin prep to facilitate easy makeup application.

But don’t apply too much moisturizer

This might seem contrary to the last tip, but Cole recommends avoiding going overboard with products before putting on makeup. “Prepping the skin is key,” she says. However, “applying too much moisturizer or not allowing it to dry before applying primer can cause pilling or foundation to appear patchy.“ She recommends going with a lightweight moisturizer like Cloud Cream ($38).

Use a primer

Lovello recommends not only moisturizing before makeup application but also using a primer. She says to make sure skin is “soft to the touch before you start putting makeup on.”

Exfoliate

Lovello says exfoliating can help combat dry skin and patchy makeup. Cole also recommends exfoliating twice a week to remove dead skin using either a chemical or physical exfoliant, like PUR Joystick Exfoliating Deep Pore Clay Cleansing Stick ($26) or Downtown Detox ($28).

Choose the right formula

If you have patchy problems, Blunder recommends going for a foundation that slides and blends smoothly as opposed to a powder. She suggests Blunder Cover ($52), as it’s an easily spreadable hybrid foundation and concealer.