We can all relate to bad makeup days—when your eyeliner just isn't matching up and your bronzer seems to be applying more muddy than matte. But the worst type of bad makeup day is without a doubt when you finish a full-face routine only to notice your products are pilling.
Pilling often occurs after overusing skin prep, rushing through skincare steps, and if the product formulations you've chosen are incompatible, leading to makeup being unable to absorb and instead forming small balls of product on top of the skin.
One person who's struggled with pilling is Kim Lloyd, from Florida, who shared a video about it after having to completely restart her makeup for the third day in a row. Lloyd also gave Newsweek some insight into how to prevent it.
In the video, Lloyd said, "Nine times out of ten, for me, it's because I'm not letting my skincare sink into my skin enough. That was the case today... I tried to rush it and it ended up pilling."
She said: "The more product you use, the more likely it's going to happen, and also the formulation matters."
Expanding on the importance of checking your product formulation, Lloyd told Newsweek, "Most makeup is either silicone or water-based. Water and silicone do not mix well and could be the cause of makeup pilling or separating.
"You can tell by looking at the ingredient list. It's important to look at the first several ingredients—just because water is the first ingredient, doesn't mean it is water-based.
"If the product contains silicone ingredients like dimethicone, cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, cyclomethicone, or other silicone ingredients within the first five or so ingredients listed, the product is silicone-based. If not, it is water-based!
Lloyd has also learned that another way to prevent pilling is by ensuring you allow your skincare enough time to soak in, so your skin is getting the best out of the products.
She recommended waiting "at least 10 minutes after applying skincare before applying makeup, or until the skin is mostly dry to the touch, giving your skin time in between each step to let the products settle in.
"Getting a handheld fan can help speed up this process. I tend to stick to thin formulas for daytime skincare if planning to apply makeup."
What Do the Comments Say?
The comments section was full of users sharing their own pilling experiences and advice. One said: "When I know I'm gonna be doing my makeup for an event I only use SPF for this reason!!"
Another user wrote: "SO FELT. I've been struggling with this so much recently and I might not be letting my skincare sit enough now that I think about it!"
A third user said: "It's always the worst when I'm getting ready in a rush in the morning [because] I can't wait for the skincare to set."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Lollie is Newsweek's Beauty and Self Care Reporter based in London, U.K. In her role, she covers a range of ... Read more
