You Should Always Use Moisturizer Before Applying Foundation To Your Face. Here's Why

There are those of us who have a set skincare "routine" — misters, exfoliating creams, masks, serums — and then there are the rest of us. Sure, we'd like to look good, but, "Oh, where did I put my firming wand?" just isn't the kind of thing you'll hear us say. And sure, we've been told that you're supposed to moisturize before you apply foundation, but that advice tends to go out the window when it's a busy Monday morning, and your more pressing goal is to slather on something that will cover up the fact that you were up late the previous night, so you can get out the door and get on with life. The only problem is, skipping moisturizer is making you look old.

When you skip moisturizer, your foundation just won't settle properly on your face — it can crease, flake, or just not stay on all day (per Bustle). If you're time crunched, many beauty experts would argue you'd be better off skipping the foundation, and not the moisturizer, especially since you can find tinted moisturizers that will at least partially cover what you've been using that foundation for (via Self). "Good hydration is key to a youthfully radiant complexion at any age," Jamie Coombes, a makeup artist for Dior, told Good Housekeeping.

Okay, fine, you've decided: You'll do it. You'll take that extra step of using that fancy anti-aging cream, with all of its antioxidants and peptides and whatever other scientific sounding ingredients are printed in tiny font on the bottle. Then you'll follow up immediately with your foundation — if you're fast enough, you'll still have time to stop at Starbucks before work! If a flawless face is your goal, though, you're going to have to slow your roll. A rush job "can result in blotchiness and ultimately limit the amount of coverage your foundation can offer throughout the day," Laura Geller, a makeup artist in New York City, told Real Simple.

Instead, you need to moisturize first, then give your skin some time to digest the magical ingredients before you move on to make up. "Wait five minutes before you apply foundation to let moisturizer sink in," makeup pro Rachel Goodwin advises (via Glamour). On a time-crunched morning, five minutes might be a long wait, but if you look more youthful once you're all put together for the day, you're the one who will look like you cheated time!