Make Your Makeup Last Longer
We’ve all had that moment where we look in the mirror to see that the makeup we applied earlier has now smudged, run, or disappeared altogether.
Whether you sweat your makeup off, cry it away, or it up and vanishes, it can be annoying to have to perform midday touchups. The truth is, you shouldn’t even have to!
I know, personally, juggling a busy schedule of working and being a mom of two little cuties, I need my makeup to last all day. Plus, after the birth of my second child, I struggled with melasma that left dark areas around my eyes that look like dark circles, so the last thing I need is smudgy eye makeup!
Who wouldn’t love makeup you can apply in the morning and trust that it will loyally stay with you throughout the day? It would be nice to not have to do mirror checks to ensure your concealer didn’t peace out by lunch time.
Why Your Makeup Comes Off and Smudges
Breaking a Sweat: If you’ve ever gone to a summer wedding, you know the challenge of trying to look daisy fresh while beating the heat. Double points if you live in a place where you rock makeup during humid summers! Sweat mixes with makeup and melts it away, and blotting doesn’t really help the situation.
Oily Skin: Our skin’s natural oils can create shine and creases in makeup. This is especially true on our eyelids. Make sure you’re properly caring for oily skin even before makeup goes on (more about that in a bit).
Using the Wrong Makeup: You could be using the wrong makeup for your skin type or your skin’s needs. There are formulas that offer mattifying, moisturizing, waterproof or anti-aging benefits. Also, sorry to say, but sometimes lesser quality makeup doesn’t have the staying power of better quality brands. If you want to stick with drugstore names, try to avoid some of the cheaper labels if you’re looking for lastability.
Touching Your Face (Stop it): This is a biggie! Constantly touching your skin can smear or lift makeup off your face, not to mention cause potential breakouts. And we all know what rubbing your eyes can do to makeup (hello, racoon eyes).
How to Keep Your Face in Place
Begin by using a cleanser formulated for your skin type to remove dirt and excess oil. Use a gentle exfoliator twice a week to buff away dead skin and create a smooth surface which will make makeup go on more evenly and last longer.
Once you’ve cleansed and blotted your face dry, follow up with an oil-free moisturizer containing a minimum level 25 SPF. Yes, even if your makeup contains SPF! It’s best to start with a good protective base before moving on to makeup. Finally, wait a few minutes to allow moisturizer to absorb into skin before applying makeup.
Here’s a few of my faves to get your skin ready to rock!
I created my Alana Mitchell Foaming Pumpkin Cleanser so all skin types can use it and enjoy its benefits! It includes ingredients to nourish skin, refine pores, and fight the signs of aging for clean, healthy skin!
For gentle exfoliation, use this luxurious Dermalogica MultiVitamin Thermafoliant. Not only does it lightly buff away dead skin, it infuses skin antioxidants and nutrients. Plus, it actually warms up while you scrub! So soothing.
You can’t go wrong with this Image Skincare Prevention+ Daily Matte Moisturizer SPF 32. It offers broad spectrum protection while moisturizing skin. It’s also an oil-free formula and absorbs excess oils, making it perfect to layer under makeup!
As an option, you can also apply a primer before your makeup. As Cosmopolitan beauty editor, Bridget March explains, “Primer ‘seals in’ your moisturizer and provides a smooth, even surface for makeup. Not only this, it keeps your makeup from being absorbed, giving it greater staying power.”
This Image Skincare I Prime Flawless Blur Gel is one of my personal favorites. It blurs imperfections and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also plumps and smooths skin while antioxidants fight signs of aging, so you have flawless, youthful skin even before you apply your makeup!
Look for an oil-free foundation to reduce the chances that it will slide off your face. You can also try foundations and concealers that are long-wear formulas created to last throughout the day. If you have oily skin, look for a mattifying formula to soak up excess oils.
Pro tip: When applying makeup, build thin layers of coverage rather than a single thick one. Not only will this help your makeup last longer, it will look more natural and reduce makeup creasing or caking.
Blush, Not Bashful
For a rosy glow that won’t fade, go for a cream or liquid cheek stain rather than a powder which fades quicker. Cheek stains and cream blushes have a richer pigment which means they’ll last longer. Bonus if you get one that doubles as a lip stain!
Set It and Forget It
Once you’ve applied your makeup masterpiece, seal it with a light layer of setting powder. For a little more coverage, you can use a pigmented loose or packed powder. Or, try a translucent setting powder to add some matte (without being flat), and keep everything in place for a flawless finish.
Eye Primer
Did you know there are also primers specifically for eyes? And they’re excellent when it comes to helping your eye makeup last. First, they give you a smooth surface for applying makeup and concealer. Secondly, they act as a barrier to keep excess oil from fading or creasing your makeup (especially important for eyelids which tend to get more oily). Finally, they make the pigments in your makeup pop so they look just as rich on your skin as they do in the palette.
All Day Eyebrows
You don’t want to spend time meticulously filling in and perfectly shaping your eyebrows only to have them disappear at the first sign of sweat. Start with a waterproof eyebrow pencil to fill in sparse spots. You can also use a powder followed up by a tinted wax. Next, set your arches with coat of clear waterproof eyebrow sealer. Finally, make sure to include your brows when you do a final sweep of setting powder.
Stay Put Shadow and Liner
If you’ve started with eye primer, you’re already ahead of the game in the battle of the smudge for eye makeup. It will also guard against eyeshadow creasing. You can opt to use a long-lasting eyeshadow. If you’re using a cream shadow, make sure it dries before moving on to eyeliner.
When it comes to eyeliner, a waterproof gel or liquid formula is your best friend. If you prefer a pencil, or want a softer look, choose a waterproof one and set it with a similar-colored shadow or powder. Follow up the whole eye makeup shebang with a light dusting of a translucent setting powder.