What Is Underpainting? Everything to Know About the Viral Makeup Trend

What Is Underpainting?

Underpainting is a makeup technique that involves applying contour—and often concealer, blush, and highlighter—before foundation. Usually, contour, blush, and highlight are applied after foundation, but this technique switches it up for an easy, seamless way to put your products before foundation. By establishing your dimension first, then softening by layering foundation on top, your makeup will look softer and smoother. 

Underpainting has been around, but what’s new with the trend? Originally, the technique was primarily used for strategic contouring, but in 2026, the definition of underpainting has broadened to include concealer, blush, and even highlight! What began as a phenomenon among makeup artists and stylists has now become a widespread trend that anyone can replicate; it’s that simple.

Why Is Underpainting Trending Again?

Underpainting may not be new, but the way beauty lovers are using it is evolving. What started primarily as a contouring technique has expanded to include concealer, blush, and highlighter, giving you more ways to create dimension before foundation ever enters the picture.

The renewed interest also makes sense alongside today’s shift toward complexion makeup that looks polished but still like skin. Underpainting gives you the best of both worlds: Contour, blush, and concealer create shape and dimension underneath, while a sheer layer of foundation helps diffuse harsh edges for a softer, more seamless finish. The result is sculpted without looking overly done—and endlessly customizable depending on how much (or how little) you want to apply.

How to Do Underpainting Makeup Step by Step

We’ll show you step by step what underpainting looks like, and the right techniques to consistently achieve natural-looking application for a soft but sculpted glam.

Step 1: Prep and Prime Your Skin

Make sure to cleanse your skin well, and apply a light layer of moisturizer to hydrate your skin. First, try  BELLÁPIERRE COSMETICS Purifying Milky Cleanser for a gentle cleanse, followed up by TATCHA The Dewy Milk Moisturizer for lightweight hydration. To achieve a blurred effect on your pores, use E.L.F. COSMETICS Power Grip Matte Primer. This primer minimizes shine from your skin’s natural oils, and will even out your “canvas.” These initial steps will make all the difference in prepping your skin for the painting stages. 

Step 2: Apply Concealer, Contour, Blush, and Highlighter

• Color Corrector: Go in with a color corrector of your choice to brighten the undereye area and reduce shadows. To minimize redness and blemishes, you might want to opt for a green-toned color like ERBORIAN CC Red Correct to soften as needed. 

• Concealer: Next, you can apply a medium to generous amount of concealer under the eyes, on the lower forehead, and any high points on the face to bring those areas forward. For a streamlined application and luminous formula, use NARS COSMETICS Radiant Creamy Concealer. This will give your face a healthy glow, and contrast nicely with your contour.

• Contour: It's the step that started it all; contour remains an integral part of the process to define, deepen, and snatch. For the ultimate lift, Mary Phillips suggests using one hand to lightly pull at the temple and eyebrow area while applying contour in an angular, upward motion. Then, follow the hairline and apply on the upper forehead, middle of your cheek extending toward the ear, along the jawline, and along the sides and bridge of your nose. If you like liquid contour, you’ll love RARE BEAUTY's Soft Pinch Liquid Contour. For cream contour enthusiasts, we recommend ACE BEAUTÉ COSMETICS Sculpt & Define Contour Stick for a melting effect. Pro Tip: When choosing your contour shade, aim for a product that’s two to three shades darker than your natural skin tone for the best results. 

• Blush: As one of the simplest steps in underpainting, blush application can be incredibly useful to be layered on before foundation, to avoid an unnatural excess of pigment. For a subtler, healthy-looking glow, apply a cream or liquid blush to the apples of your cheeks, extending slightly toward the temples for more coverage. For a totally sun-kissed flush, finish with a small amount on the tip of your nose. We like RARE BEAUTY's Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush for a liquid-like cream formula that lasts all day long.  

• Highlight: A cream formula will be your best friend for this step. With a small brush, begin drawing small lines from the middle of your brows arching downward toward your nose. Next, apply vertically along the bridge of your nose to offset the contour. Then, under your cheekbone contour, apply a touch of highlight, to achieve the same effect. To craft a brighter undereye, add in a touch of highlight with your concealer. Try PURLISSE COSMETICS ViVi Glow BB Highlighter with hyaluronic acid and jasmine to enhance both the look and feel of your skin. Our favorite place to highlight is right above the cheekbones, reaching towards your temples so that those high points truly reflect light. 

Step 3: Blend Your Underpainting Makeup

After your products are placed where you want them, go in with a medium-sized brush to lightly blend any harsh transitions. The LUNA MAGIC COSMETICS Duo Face Brush Set includes an angled brush and a softer brush for all your blending needs. 

Step 4: Apply Foundation Over Your Underpainting

The step we’ve all been waiting for: foundation. What you’ll want to keep in mind is that your application is meant to blend those initial layers, not fully cover. Opt for a light to medium coverage foundation, and you’ll want to avoid any labeled as “matte”. That way, your underpainting can shine through without being erased. Our pick for a light to medium coverage foundation is MORPHE COSMETICS Lightform Extended Hydration Foundation; it delivers clean coverage and a weightless finish. If foundation isn’t your jam, substitute this step with a skin tint. We use vitamin B3- and vitamin C-infused GIRLACTIK COSMETICS 2-in-1 Luminous Tint Foundation. Either way, this step fuses your underpainting and finishes your look seamlessly!

Step 5: Set Your Makeup

Finally, set your canvas with a setting spray. For a long-lasting, breathable spray, we recommend E.L.F. COSMETICS Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray to lock in your look. 

Is Underpainting Worth Trying?

Now that we’ve laid out the steps to create an underpainted look at home, it’s time to embrace the creativity, get experimental, and have fun with the process. Underpainting is buildable and adaptable, meaning you can tailor the technique to fit your skin type, makeup routine, and personal style. As the technique has undergone an evolution in 2026, one thing is clear: there are endless possibilities to sculpt and define your features exactly how you like. If underpainting has shown us anything, it’s that switching up the order of your makeup can be refreshing and still fit into your routine.