Every great makeup artist knows that the key to a radiant, glowing base is properly prepped skin. That's right, no matter how good your foundation is, if you really want it to look its best, it's all about focusing on your complexion. Now, we know that it can sometimes seem as if there are a million and one products to apply before your makeup, from serums to primers and eye creams, but sometimes a simple yet effective moisturiser is all you need (alongside your favourite SPF, of course).
In fact, lots of celebrity makeup artists swear by skin-tightening face creams to help give the stars that plump, lifted look. If you're curious to know which creams they keep in their kits, then you're in luck, as we asked some of the most sought-after makeup artists in the industry to share their top picks, and also tapped some skincare experts for their favourite formulas, too. From luxury moisturisers to high-quality drugstore favourites, there are lots of incredible options for you to choose from. We even asked each makeup artist for their top application tips and tricks, so you know exactly how to get the most out of the products.
The best thing about these creams is that you don't need to spend hours prepping your skin before makeup, so they're an easy addition to your daily skincare routine. Keep on scrolling for all the information you need on the best skin-tightening creams, and get ready to glow like never before.
Do skin tightening creams work?
Skin tightening creams work by packing skin with moisture, which has the effect of plumping up loose skin, making lines and wrinkles look less apparent. In addition, those that contain collagen-stimulating ingredients like vitamin C or retinoids will help to prolong this effect into the long-term, too.
Are skin tightening creams safe?
The majority of skin tightening creams are totally safe to use. Just look out for ingredients that may cause sensitivity, such as retinoids or exfoliating acids, and avoid layering these with serums that also contain active ingredients.
What to look for in skin tightening creams?
When choosing a skin-tightening cream, consider the texture first and foremost. Do you prefer a light gel texture or a rich cream? If your skin is more on the oily side, you'll probably perfer a lighter, thinner texture, whereas dry skin will need a thicker formula.
It's also important to be mindful of any active ingredients that may potentially cause sensitivity or may not layer well with other ingredients or with your makeup.
How to apply
"I know most people start applying their face cream from the centre and then spread outwards, but I like to do the exact opposite, and here’s why: Most of us have dry cheeks since the skin doesn't produce as much sebum there as it does other places like the T-zone. Therefore, applying most of the product to the cheeks and sides of your forehead will give you more hydration exactly where you need it," says Paris-based makeup artist and expert Andreea Ali.
Scroll ahead for the best skin tightening creams, as recommended by experts.
The Best Tightening Face Creams
- Best for brightening: Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream (£178)
- Best for dry skin: Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask (£140)
- Best luxury moisturiser: Augustinus Bader The Cream (£230)
- Best for plumping: Dior Capture Totale Firming & Wrinkle-Corrective Creme (£97)
- Best for fine lines: IS Clinical Youth Complex (£158)
- Best for oily skin: Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream (£67)
Best for brightening:
"This cream from Sisley is one of my favourites. It's a super-lightweight formula that's great for creating radiance and a nice lifting effect," says Ali.
Pros: Feels and smells luxurious
Cons: Expensive price point
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Rosewater, glycerin, shea butter
Best for dry skin:
"I actually use this mask as a moisturiser for super-dry or dehydrated skin. It plumps the skin and provides an immediate tightening effect. It’s truly an extraordinary product. I apply a small amount [to avoid] excess product on the skin, and then I continue with foundation. It's probably my most effective trick when I'm working with someone who has very dry skin."
Pros: Can be used as a mask or moisturiser
Cons: Expensive price point
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Shea butter, grape leaf extract, rose oil
Best luxury moisturiser:
"This is a rich formula that hydrates the skin and leaves it with a healthy-looking glow."
Pros: Gives skin a glowy finish
Cons: Expensive price point
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Aloe vera, squalane, ceramides
Best for versatility:
"This is my personal favourite. I use it on my clients and on my own combination skin. No formula has worked better for giving my skin lots of hydration, elasticity and radiance without that greasy feeling so many other rich creams can leave behind. This is a versatile, all-year-round kind of moisturiser—it's truly magic!"
Pros: Doesn't leave greasy residue
Cons: Expensive price point
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Shea butter, algae, macadamia oil
London-Based Makeup Artist Nikki Wolff
When applying serums and moisturisers on your face and neck, makeup artist and expert Nikki Wolff advises, "Smooth upward and outward. Any extra moments you can spend on massaging during your application, your skin will thank you for. Remember to be gentle around the eyes and pay the jawline and lymph area (at the sides of the neck) extra attention."
Best for plumping:
"I adore the Dior Capture Totale Firming and Wrinkle-Corrective Creme," says Wolff. "The formula is rich without being greasy, so it really plumps and firms the skin whilst also wearing well under makeup."
Pros: Instantly plumps skin
Cons: Contains fragrance
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Glycerin, ceramides
Best affordable moisturiser:
"For something affordable yet effective, I like Olay’s 3-Point Age-Defying Cream. It’s easily absorbed yet still hydrating, smoothing and firming."
Pros: Affordable price point
Cons: Not suitable for those with a niacinamide allergy
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides
"I've become a huge fan of applying retinol-infused skincare products, as they've made a night-and-day improvement to my skin texture and making my complexion smoother and plumper," says New-York-based makeup artist and expert Morgane Martini.
Best for fine lines:
"I love the IS Clinical Youth Complex. It's full of antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and retinol, which are all great ingredients to tighten the skin whilst improving texture and reducing fine lines. I highly recommend this product," says Martini.
Pros: Hydrates skin in the long-term and the short-term
Cons: Expensive price point
Formula: Serum
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, fruit acids, vitamin B5
"When applying moisturiser before makeup, I like to give the product enough time to sink into the skin," says makeup artist Mira Parmar. "I also like to dampen the skin with a facial mist which helps to lock in moisture for extra hydration."
Best for oily skin:
"This rich cream works to hydrate and plump the skin. It is formulated with a special blend of hyaluronic acid and algae and it also contains ingredients to protect the skin against stressors, which is why I love it," says Parmar.
Pros: Can be used day and night
Cons: Frequently sells out
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, algae, ginseng
Best SPF moisturiser:
"Another cream that is highly concentrated in hyaluronic acid. This product is beautiful on the skin and perfect for under makeup. It really firms and plumps, and for under £25, it's great for the purse too."
Pros: SPF50 protection
Cons: May not be suitable for sensitive skin
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin
Best for rough skin texture:
"This is one of my favourite moisturisers to add a glowy finish to the skin, and is great to use both alone and under makeup. It contains a duo of AHAs which work to remove dead skin cells and reveal a radiant and plump complexion."
Pros: Smooths rough skin texture over time
Cons: May not be suitable for sensitive skin
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid
Birmingham-Based Dermatologist Sonia Khorana
“The Olay Hyaluronic24 + Vitamin B5 collection is unlike anything else on the market...this is the ultimate thirst trap," says Khorana.
Best for dehydrated skin:
"This [formula] combines hyaluronic acid with powerful ingredients like vitamin B5, niacinamide and glycerin to deliver long-term skin hydration while strengthening the skin’s natural moisture barrier."
Pros: Provides intensive hydration
Cons: May not be suitable for those with niacinamide allergies
Formula: Gel cream
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin
Manchester-Based Esthetician Grace Day
"Merit is best known as a makeup brand, but their MO is great skin, so it only makes sense that they'd formulate skincare products with a skin-first approach. Great Skin Moisturiser was specifically designed to be used under makeup, so as well as soothing skin and plumping it with moisture, it also doubles up as a primer to create the perfect base for concealer and foundation."
Best for enhancing makeup application:
"Key ingredients include oat extract and glycerin which help to soothe and moisturise skin, as well as hydrating hyaluronic acid."
Pros: Preps skin for makeup
Cons: Only available online
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, polysaccharides
"Ectoin’s multitasking abilities make it the perfect choice...as it addresses three key skin goals for this [mature skin] life stage — firmness, hydration and protection. It also has the added benefit of helping to improve the skin's tolerance of retinoids," says London-based dermatologist Malvina Cunningham.
Best for mature skin:
“Ectoin is gentle and works on all skin types. Its anti-inflammatory properties help calm redness and irritation, making it particularly good for sensitive skin," says Cunningham. For those with dry or dehydrated skin, its exceptional moisture-retention capabilities make it a fantastic hydrating ingredient. It also works well for oily, combination or acne-prone skin as it is not greasy and does not clog pores.”
Pros: Formula is personalised to your skin type and concerns
Cons: Only available through subscription
Formula: Serum-cream
Key ingredients: Ectoin, azelaic acid, matrixyl 3000
"If I want my makeup to last (and who doesn't?!), I will always choose a hydrating formula with a satin, almost primer-like finish, such as the Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream," says London-based makeup artist and Esthetician Katie Onyejekwe.
Best for long-lasting makeup:
"Dehydration can leave your base looking patchy within the hour, so a barrier-boosting formula that combines multi-weight hyaluronic acid and peptides, plus ceramides to lock it all in, is perfect for smooth, plump skin and a seamless base."
Pros: Supports the skin barrier
Cons: May not be suitable for oily skin types
Formula: Cream
Key ingredients: Squalane, ceramides, linoleic acid
Shop More Skin-Tightening Creams:
I'm extremely loyal to just a handful of moisturisers, and this cult-classic pick from Charlotte Tilbury is one I can count on when I want my skin to look plump, tight, and super-dewy. It's loaded with amazing ingredients like the brand's BioNympth Peptide Complex (which kick-starts collagen production, plumps and moisturises); along with damask rose water, organic aloe vera and luxe, delicate oils from rose hip and camellia.
Ole Henriksen skincare products never disappoint, and this gel-like moisturiser is one of my top picks from the brand. The formula is filled with peptides, ceramides, collagen and hyaluronic acid, keeping your skin deeply hydrated and giving a visibly plumped effect.
This is, hands down, one of the best day creams I have ever tried. The hydrating formula leaves you with super plump skin and a gorgeous, glowy finish. Plus, makeup glides on seamlessly over the top.
This No7 cream is up there with some of the best luxury moisturisers on the market. Not only does it work to reduce fine lines, but it makes skin feels so hydrated and plump, and it sits incredibly well under foundation. If you like a really glowy, radiant makeup look, I couldn't recommend it enough.
You'll believe in magic after trying this ridiculously lovely moisturiser from IS Clinical. This brand make some of the most coveted skincare products in the industry, and it partnered with top makeup artists when it conceptualised and created this cream. It imparts a deeply hydrating, subtly luminous finish, and thanks to the addition of copper peptides, each application stimulates collagen production to help firm the skin.
This story was previously published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
