Whether you have a special event, are going out for the night or have oily skin, you’re probably looking for a few professional tips to keep your makeup from melting right off your face, right? You spend all that time concealing your blemishes, evening out your skin tone, perfecting your highlight and contour, and finding the perfect lip gloss. Fast forward an hour or two and your makeup is shiny, uneven or smudged.
Check out these tips to keep your makeup from melting and ruining all your hard work.
1. Wearing primer is one of the best tips to keep your makeup from melting. Adding another layer might seem counter productive, but primer makes an excellent base for the rest of your makeup, locking it in and keeping it from melting. Of course, you could always just opt for a BB or CC cream for coverage and leave it at that.
2. Be conscious of your makeup’s texture and consistency. Choose light foundations, or keep it sheer. Heavy, oil-based cosmetics do not wear well in hot weather. Light, shear and waterproof makeup will stay in place longer. Don’t pile on lots of thick, creamy products, because that’s just asking for trouble. You can also try skipping liquid or cream foundation altogether and use mineral powder instead. The less foundation and fewer products you use, the more likely it is that your makeup will stay in place. A little highlighter, bronzer, some blush, and a coat of mascara will generally work beautifully – followed up by a lip gloss that will protect your pout from the sun!
3. Use a waterproof formula! To prevent makeup from melting in hot weather, keep in mind that waterproof makeup (ie. eyeliner or mascara) is less likely to melt than the regular formulas. This typically applies to your eye makeup, especially your mascara and eyeliner. However, you can find plenty of waterproof cosmetics including lip liner, lipstick, even foundation, and they will help keep the sweat and humidity from ruining your makeup job.
We can’t count the number of times this combination has saved us from a makeup meltdown, especially when we do makeup on location in extreme heat! Urban Decay Primer Potion underneath Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream eyeshadows (We use the black as a waterproof gel liner) and Aqua Smoky Lash mascara creates a waterproof seal of makeup awesomeness that DOES NOT MOVE until you remove it at night.
4. Set your makeup with a Setting Spray! Urban Decay kind of slays it with The All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. Cover FX and Make Up For Ever also have setting sprays that ensure your skin looks perfect for hours.
5. Sometimes you just can’t stop the sweat. That’s okay, as long as you’re prepared. You need to have a little touch up kit with you:
- Blotting Papers – these thin, magical papers works wonders, because the second you feel yourself breaking a sweat, you can carefully blot your forehead, your T-zone, or the area just under your eyes
- Lip Gloss – a nice neutral pink/nude shade to reapply after eating or drinking. You can also have a lip liner (in a shade close to your natural lip colour) on hand.
- Pressed Powder – If you get really shiny or need a little extra coverage, using a pressed powder and applying it with a makeup brush is perfect for eliminating shine and smoothing out the skin.