6 Face-Saving Hacks for All-Day Makeup
Dipping your toes into the white Caribbean sand is all fun and games until your super-flawless vacation makeup starts making a run for your chin. Being sun kissed is hot, but resembling a wet raccoon? Not so much. We’ve all been there, but fortunately there are ways to avoid this miserable fate. Try these little-known, face-saving hacks to keep your makeup in place no matter how hot and sweaty you get on that fabulous vacay… or, you know, driving to happy hour after work.
The skin can only hold so much! Applying eye cream, moisturizer, sunscreen, primer and then foundation can make the last layers slide right off, so try mixing your moisturizer and primer together to keep the base coat light. Mixing a moisturizer like the DDF Mattifying Oil Control Moisturizer With Sunscreen ($44) with a tiny bit of Smashbox’s Photo Finish Primer Light ($36) should leave your makeup set and shine free all day.
Oil and water don’t mix
If you’re taking all the necessary steps to keep your foundation in place and it’s still running away like a non-committal ex-boyfriend, the solution may be as simple as reading the labels. Are you using an oil-based lotion with a water-based foundation, or vice versa? Just like oil and water, the products will separate and slide apart, leaving you foundationless fast. (Image via Mireya Acierto/Getty)
Try Tubing mascara
Tubing mascara isn’t the new girl on the block, but it’s still flying under the radar. Unlike traditional mascaras, tubing mascara is made out of polymers that go on wet, then shrink wrap around each eyelash. This essentially creates little plastic tubes around each strand that won’t melt away with oil, sweat or humidity. Ironically, it’s easy to take off with just a few splashes of warm water, which is great for those sensitive eyes. Blinc’s Tubing Mascara ($26) is one of the best.
Tame the brows
For girls with darker brows, waterproof mascara can be a game changer. Simply wipe the excess product off the wand and brush it through your brows. This trick tints and tames every last hair, keeping your brow game endlessly strong. Lighter-browed girls can opt for a waterproof clear coat like the NYX Proof It! Waterproof Mascara Top Coat ($7) or any waterproof brow pomade. (Image via Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty)
Keep that blush going forever
Powder blushes are gorgeous on their own, but they don’t always last. To get that lit-from-within glow for hours, try applying a cream blush or matte lipstick to the apples of your cheeks, blending back, up the cheekbones toward the ears and setting the color with a light powder blush. This trick will give your rosy cheeks ultimate staying power. The new Moisture Matte Lipstick from Butter ($22) looks flawless with any light, complementary powder blush.
Seal your shadow
Using an eyeshadow primer should keep your look lively for hours, but some extra help won’t hurt. Try spritzing your eyeshadow brush with a setting spray like Model in a Bottle Sensitive Makeup Setting Spray ($21). This will make your shadow go on a bit darker and last longer. To achieve an all-day smokey eye, use this trick to apply a dark shadow along your lash line with a thin brush. This will create a sultry, smudgy yet still defined look with no fallout.
What tricks have you discovered for making your beauty routine last? Tell us how you keep things looking fresh all summer in the comments below.
