Inside The Age-Old Debate: Which Comes First, Your Base Or Your Eye Makeup?

There are so many ways to do your makeup. With the wide variety of tutorials and products available, there's no limit to what you're allowed to do with your face. However, in a world with so many options, there is also a lot of debate on which way is "right." While there's no right or wrong way to do things, there are options that are more efficient than others, and that should be explored.

One common point of discussion is whether you should do your eye makeup before or after doing your face makeup. Since the rise of beauty gurus on YouTube, there has also been a rise in people trying eyeshadow before doing their face makeup. This started around the 2010s, when bolder eye looks were much more popular. But of course, there were and still are individuals who find comfort in doing foundation and concealer before applying eyeshadow. While we all have our reasons, makeup artists and professionals have pros and cons for both choices.

Doing your face makeup first could be considered the classic way to do your makeup. This is because applying eye makeup sometimes feels like putting the final touches on a great look. Makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell explained to Yahoo Life that this is her preferred method of doing things. "I personally like to do face first, then eyes," Sewell said. "I love applying my base products because it helps me really gauge the type of eye look I am going for that day." She went on to explain that she uses her face makeup to help inspire how she will do her eyeshadow that day.

In order to do this properly, make sure that your eyebrows are done before starting your eyeshadow. While this might seem like a trivial detail, it's important because it helps frame your shadow better and create the best look for you.

While it might seem odd to apply eyeshadow first, it actually aligns with some of the game-changing makeup hacks that every girl should know. This is because sometimes we like to use fun colors that can often lead to fallout when applied to the eye. Ashlee Glazer, a celebrity makeup artist explained to Makeup by L'oreal, "Anything really loose or messy I'll do before foundation." She went on to explain, "Glitter is always on bare skin, too, because it can be cleaned off easily." While blending makeup flawlessly isn't as hard as you think, it can be so much harder with eyeshadow fallout. This is because once eyeshadow gets on the foundation, the vibrant colors become much harder to brush off your face without ruining the whole makeup look.

So, which one comes first? If doing a colorful eye look or one with loose pigments, it's much better to start with your eyeshadow and then move on to other parts of your face. However, if you are not worried about your eyeshadow (or opting out of eyeshadow all together) it is fine to use complexion products first and then move on to eyeshadow afterward.