Your Pores:
To prep your skin is key to maintaining a perfect application, is exfoliating is key.
The smoother the surface, the more even the application of your makeup is, therefore your makeup will last longer. At least twice a week make sure you exfoliate your dead skin cells away.
Moisturising:
Have you ever noticed that sometimes your makeup starts to collect in those fine lines or those pesky crease by midday? This is because throughout the day our hydration levels and sebum production do fluctuate which causes your skin to begin to look uneven but there are moisturisers that do respond to ‘over-day ageing which will aid this.
Primer:
Primers are great for sealing in your moisturiser and also provide a smooth surface for your makeup. Not only do primers do that they also keep your makeup from absorbing into the skin, giving your makeup staying power. If you have exceptionally oily skin and feel as though your makeup slips off during the day, try a formula that is oil free with a day matte finish. If you feel you get dry patches during the day then try a primer that has a hydrating qualities which will seal in moisture.
To prime your eyelids, use a different primer then the one you use for your face. This will intensify your eye makeup look and it won’t slip or crease.
Long wear:
Makeup that has been labelled long wear, are called that for a reason. The good ones will boast about being budge free without making you look to heavily made up. The Bobbi Brown range covers everything from mascara to long wear foundations. Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Even Finish Foundation is a great one if you have a dry skin, whilst the Clinique Stay Matte Oil free makeup formula contains a shine absorbers, this one is great for the oiler skin types.
Layering:
Building up your makeup with lighter layers instead of using one heavy layer will make your makeup last longer and it will always look more natural too. This rule applies to doing your base first then on to your eye makeup then lipstick.
Powder setting:
If you in it for the long run then you should always seal in your makeup with a powder, this helps it stay put. Whilst a lot of people just set the makeup along their T zone, dont neglect to set your under eye concealer, as doing this will keep your bags at bay.
Lip Mapping:
For long lasting lipstick the trick is to sandwich in the colour. First you will need to do is frame your lips with a lip liner, whilst doing this map out your cupids bow and also the corners, this will give you some structure when applying your lipstick. Apply your lip colour with a lip brush, and begin to build up the layers and then finish with a coat of the pencil colour which will set it all in place.
Setting Spray:
Makeup setting mists/sprays are a must have product that have been designed to help prevent your makeup melting off of your face, so you hardly have to touch it up during the day. Setting Sprays are like a hairspray for your face.
Touching:
So this one we are all guilty off. Touching our faces, sometimes without even realising it. You can go out and spend an arm and a leg on high performance products but if you have the bad habit of touching your face or picking at spots then you might as well not bother. Try to find another activity to replace it with like clenching your fists or even interlocking your fingers together and this habit ruins your makeup throughout the day.
Blotting:
While it is very tempting to top up your makeup during the day, using too much powder can make you look cakey and will leave you with a heavy finish. Build ups of product can also increase the size of your pores and dehydrates the skin’s surface. Use blotting papers throughout the day, these also help prevent shiny faces by midday too.
Feature Image Credit: Joel Bedford on Flickr
