By: Gabriella Abreu

A recurring question I have when getting ready in the morning is “how long will my makeup take?” I find myself not having a lot of time to go through all of the motions of a makeup routine. But, one thing I will never skip is my baking process.

Kim Kardashian West, owner of KKW Beauty, demonstrating the baking process on her Instagram story using her baking kit.

We’ve all heard about baking from somewhere. Some hear about it from their makeup-loving friend, others learn about it from YouTube MUAs or even Kim Kardashian. No matter where you’ve heard about it from, it’s clear that the technique is popular. But the main question is “does it work?” Simply, the answer is yes. But, it takes a little practice to get it right--like many other makeup techniques. I’m going to take you step-by-step into my baking process, which has yet to prove me wrong. Even after a long night out with friends, a football game in the heat, or a 5-hour plane ride, my makeup looks as flawless as it did when it was applied.

1) Blended Base
First, make sure your foundation and concealer have been blended together properly. If the base of the makeup doesn’t sit on the skin properly, the powder will expose all of the minor imperfections. Take time to make sure that it’s smooth and the colors blend well!

2) Right Powder
I touched on my favorite powder, the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powde r, in my previous blog post “How to perfect the dewy skin look.” Long story short, this powder is life-changing. It doesn’t cake up, crease, or leave a white cast in flash pictures. What more could you ask for?

3) Proper Application Tool

My favorite way to apply this powder is using a damp Beauty Blender. I want to make a clear emphasis on the word DAMP, not wet. No one wants to get the powder in the container soggy.

4) Applying the Product

To achieve the most seamless bake, open the container and pour the desired amount of powder into the cap. Pack the product on the beauty blender by pressing down on the loose powder in the cap. Then, starting from the inner corner of the eye, press the beauty blender onto the face until you reach the outer end of your eye. After about 10 minutes, swipe off the excess product with a large fluffy brush. I recommend the Real Techniques Blush Brush. Lightly dust the rest of the face with what is left on the brush to mattify.

Voila! With a little practice, you will have a perfectly mattified face that will stay for the whole day!

Baking is tricky—but totally worth it!