Get baking with your makeup

If the term baking conjures up images of cupcakes and other delicious confections, then you’re behind the times. It’s actually the latest big makeup trend.

The baking technique has been around for decades, but is currently enjoying a revival in light of the extreme contouring craze.

A quick scan of Instagrammed photos tagged #bakingtechnique reveals scores of women captured with various amounts of powder patted all over their faces.

Baking, in the cosmetic sense, involves wetting the skin after foundation and concealer have been applied by using a damp sponge to dust powder over dark shadows or areas of the face that you want to highlight. Apart from highlighting facial features, it also sets makeup to keep your look fresh throughout the day.

For perfectly baked under-eyes and covering up dark circles, makeup artist Heidi Hamoud recommends using a hydrating eye cream to prep. You can also use a thick, pigmented concealer and dab it under the eyes, before blending out any creases and tapping the area lightly with a face powder to set the makeup.

Now comes the baking part. Using a damp sponge, apply a generous amount of powder under the eye, before leaving it to set for five minutes and dusting off the excess with a makeup brush.

Use a hard-pressed powder to go over the

‘baked’ area with a brush, using light flicking motions to smooth everything out, buff off the powder and provide extra coverage.

It isn’t just eye bags that can benefit from the approach — the technique can also be used as a method of contouring when applied underneath the hollows of the cheekbones and to the chin or down the bridge of the nose for a baking hot look.

Screenshot from the beauty tutorial, Perfect Under Eye Highlight, on YouTube