It's the stuff of nightmares: lovingly massaging your best skincare into your face, only to watch it pilling off your skin the minute you go in with your foundation brush. Don't let it happen to you! Follow the advice below to save yourself from a similar fate:

Fiona Stiles: “It really depends on the person’s skin and the situation. I love using a really rich moisturizer so the skin is gorgeous and glowy—a favorite of mine at the moment is Magic Cream from Charlotte Tilbury. Another favorite is the Priming Moisturizer from Glossier. (This is not pandering, I love this moisturizer!) Not everyone’s skin can take a very emollient moisturizer so when I want something lighter this is the one I reach for. When there’s time, I also like to sneak on Elemis Eye Patches or the collagen masque from Masqueology. It instantly smooths fine lines and plumps the skin. After moisturizing I always apply a lip balm to let it sink into the lips while I do foundation. I’ve been using Glossier Balm Dotcom and the Eight Hour Cream Nourishing Lip Balm from Elizabeth Arden. Sometimes I’ll throw By Terry's Baume de Rose in the mix just to change it up, which I like to do.”

Maki Ryoke: “First, clean the skin with Bioderma Créaline H2O and follow with Chanel Gentle Hydrating Toner. Finish with moisturizer—what I choose depends on the skin condition of models...but usually I use Crème de la Mer, Darphin Hydraskin Rich, or Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Day Cream.”

Frankie Boyd: “I always like to start with a clean canvas. Using Bioderma Créaline and Cotton Clouds I give the face a refreshing cleanse. For residual stubborn waterproof makeup I use Lancôme Bi-Facil. I never use wipes on the face. I find them to be surprisingly rough and much too astringent—often they leave the face red and irritated. If I have the luxury of time, I'll spoil my client with a Colbert MD Illumino Anti-Aging Brightening Mask. These mask are simply the best at rejuvenating tired skin. After 15 minutes with the mask, I like to give a firm facial massage with the remaining serum. If I don't use a mask I like give the massage with a lot of moisturizer to really hydrate the face while waking up the skin. Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 works for this (be careful using this near the lash line because of the SPF). After the moisturizing session I like to blot the face with a tissue to remove excess oil.”

Joanna Czech: “My favorite tip for glowing beautiful skin for a night out is about 30-60 minutes before you apply your makeup to use Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 followed by their Crème Masque Vernix followed by their Serum Yall 02. Let the mixture sink in and voila.”

Dick Page: “The main thing for me is that makeup application gets more and more complicated with serums and primers. I'll see some models put on all that stuff before they come to set, but it separates and pills on the skin. Then we just have to remove it anyway. I try to get my guys not to do a massage thing especially if the girls are being touched by 20 pairs of hands a day. Don’t bother the skin too much if you want to keep it calm. We do it as simple as possible—apply Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturizer and Lip Conditioner while they're in hair. If we're shooting outside, we use an SPF that won't interfere with skin or makeup too much. La Roche-Posay makes a good one. Or the Shiseido Smoothing Veil on top.”

—as told to ITG

Photo via ITG.

Discover the career stories of Dick Page, Tom Pecheux and more in The Professional.