It's the night of the big event. You've applied your makeup perfectly, double checked it in the mirror and made your way out the door. A few hours into the event you decide to go to the bathroom - As you finish washing your hands you look up into the mirror *GASP*... what a mess! Your makeup looks faded and patchy, skin is dry yet oily, mascara crumbling under your eyes and lipstick smudged on your teeth.
Maybe not all of these apply to you, but definitely some will at one point or another. I know my skin has changed to become a lot oilier as of late, so even I have run into a few of these problems. This blog post is about how to avoid these to ensure that you continue to look as awesome at the end of the night as you did at the beginning! Furthermore, if you get your makeup done by me (TXT 0452 212 083 to book) these are some of the sneaky tricks I use.
1. Prime your eyelids
Raise your hands if you're a gal prone to oily eyelids! Often people immediately about facial sweat and oiliness, but neglect their eyelids when applying makeup. Your eyes are covered with some of the most susceptible makeup to smudging (eye shadow, eye liner, mascara) and thus it is highly important to prep them. I suggest using a long-lasting eyelid primer such as Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance or MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot. This will reduce oil production, make colours pop, and ensure products stay put all night.
2. Use waterproof mascara
Pretty self explanatory - waterproof mascara is an essential product for a night out. Any sweat, oil or tears will not cause dreadful smudging under the eyes. Also practice using your chosen mascara before hand, as some mascaras don't smudge... but crumble instead (e.g. The Loreal Telescopic does this for me - wah!)
3. Take your time on skin prep
Skin care before makeup is so important - it strips excess bacteria, sweat, oils etc from the skin, and also acts as a barrier between your open pores and the makeup you apply. Before application, I ALWAYS wipe down the skin with the Garnier Micellar Water and apply a lightweight moisturiser. If you want to go that extra mile, also apply a light layer of eye cream and lip balm to prevent excess dryness (as this can affect the longevity of makeup).
4. Prime the face...according to your skin type!
Primers act as another barrier between your skin and makeup. It is important however to pick a primer that suits your skin type. For example, primers such as Too Faced Hangover and Loreal Lumi are fantastic for dry skin. In opposition, products such as Benefit Matte Rescue and Makeup Forever Matte are perfect for oily skin. Essentially, the aim of the game is to eliminate any excess dryness or oiliness which can break down makeup - a perfect canvas allows for perfect application.
5. Powder your skin
Also a fairly straightforward tip to use. For powders, I like to choose a lightweight product which will matify without going cakey throughout the night. If you are on the drier side, lightly powder the T-zone as this is an area where oily and sweat are most likely to occur. If you know you get super oily, powder the whole face without going too overboard.
6. Use ''long-lasting'' or ''24 hour'' products
Products with these labels will be your best-friend, as they are specifically designed to last a long time. The most common types of products with these labels are brow colours, eye liners, primers, foundations and lipsticks. For example, on a lot of clients I like to use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade as this is labelled at ''long-lasting'' and ''waterproof'' (aka it is NOT coming off anytime soon!).
7. Seal everything with setting spray
Whilst it is a bit pricey, I use the Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray on every single client. Not only does this help smooth all products together, but it 100% improves the longevity of your makeup. It acts as another barrier between your makeup and everything else, acting as a final seal for your application.
Urban Decay states ''It is a mist that prevents melting, fading or settling into lines and keeps makeup looking fresh and flawless for up to 16 hours.''
8. Bring along products for touch-ups
My final point for today is to take some key products along to your event to keep your makeup looking as fresh as possible. To reduce shine, bring powder and blotting sheets to avoid looking hella sweaty in all those photos! You may also want to keep your lip colour in your purse/clutch particularly if your are eating and drinking during the event.
At the end of the day we have to remember that makeup isn't permanent, and therefore needs to be maintained throughout long periods of time. Some girls worry that if they book a 9am, 10am or 11am appointment with me their makeup ''won't last'' until 10pm - Girls, I guarantee with all these methods I use your makeup will stay on all day AND night.
To those attending a formal, social or ball soon I hope you have a fantastic night! To the awesome girls who have booked me, I can't wait to glam you up for your special event.
Olivia xx