My skin is insanely temperamental. Sometimes I wake up feeling like my face and the Sahara Desert are one in the same, and no amount of regular moisturizer can tame it. Other days, my T-zone throws a fit, and suddenly I'm in desperate need of long-wearing foundation.
Getting makeup to last is dependent on a whole mess of factors: The weather plays a part, but so do stress levels, hormones, and diet. Unfortunately, having both dry skin and oily skin alike are an added inconvenience when it comes to long-lasting makeup, too. The moisturizing cream that fixes dry skin can become greasy, and some oil-free makeup coverage strips skin of its natural moisture.
While there are loads of makeup brands that promote all-day stay, permanence is also heavily dependent on the prepping and finishing stages. Proper exfoliation makes all the difference for dry and flaky skin, while the right setting spray can keep makeup from sliding all around your face (i.e., suddenly your expertly constructed cat eye is on your chin, and you have no idea how it got there). Especially if you’re in for a long day of work or a long night of socializing, it’s imperative that your makeup stays exactly where you last put it, and these steps will help.
1. Exfoliate Dead Skin With The Dead Sea
Pure Body Naturals Dead Sea Mud Mask, $18, Amazon
If makeup’s not sticking to your skin, this No. 1 beauty bestseller can keep oil, dirt, or dead skin from getting in the way. The Dead Sea Mud Mask buffs away any unwanted obstructions with vitamins and minerals taken straight from the Dead Sea, in addition to jojoba and sunflower oils. It’s anti-aging and pore-reducing, and it creates a beautifully clean slate for all of your favorite cosmetics.
2. Prime Your Whole Face For A Photo Finish
Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer, $35, Amazon
People often skip the priming and go straight from moisturizer to makeup, but this Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer acts as a barrier between the two so that grease and makeup are kept far, far apart. It intensifies colors and neutralizes skin's natural red undertones, giving a long-lasting finish. This one works with your foundation to keep your skin looking like porcelain hours after your morning makeup routine.
3. Prime Your Eyelids For Anti-Creasing
Eye Primer By Radiant Complex, $14, Amazon
If your shadows look more impressive on the palette than they do on your face, it’s probably because you need a reliable lid primer. This one by Radiant Complex prevents smudging and oily-looking creases. It creates a neutral base so that your shadows can really pop against your skin, and reviewers say that their makeup looks freshly applied, even at the end of the day.
4. Prevent Caked Lips With Cake Batter
Diva Stuff Cake Batter Lip Scrubbie, $10, Amazon
It’s really hard to make most lipsticks stay, especially if you have dry lips with lots of creases for the color to settle into. This adorable lip scrubby softens and exfoliates skin, and should be the first step in your journey to all-day lip color. This lip exfoliant by Diva Stuff takes me back to my childhood days, when things weren’t worth owning unless they were flavored like some kind of baked good.
5. Prime Your Lips For A No-Smudge Finish
SHANY Eye and Lip Primer, $9, Amazon
Next, you’ll need a primer for your lips, as well. SHANY Primer can be used on lips and eyes for double the usage, and it’s waterproof, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and infused with vitamins. It’ll intensify the color of your lipstick as well as keep it from ending up on your face and other people’s clothes. (Ideal for when someone backs up into your face in a crowded bar.)
6. Powder Your Way To A Fresh Face
NYX Cosmetics Studio Finishing Powder, $7, Amazon
Foundations don’t mesh well with oily skin, but a good finishing powder makes all the difference when it comes to lasting coverage. This oil-absorbing face powder by NYX Cosmetics Studio is the No. 1 best seller for a reason: it keeps makeup in place, provides extra coverage, and it won’t ghostify the color of your foundation. Without it, one wrong move — one absentminded swipe — and your morning fingerprints will be imprinted in your makeup all day.
7. Use This Oil-Control Spray For The Ultimate Set
Urban Decay Oil-Control Setting Spray, $23, Amazon
This Urban Decay oil-control spray is essential, especially during those hot summer concerts and impromptu workout sessions. Its temperature-control technology keeps makeup cooler, so it won't slide off. Foundation, cover-up, eyeshadow, and blush will look matte and fresh, regardless of sweat and oil. That being said, it’s also lightweight and sulfate-free, so it won’t dry out skin or weigh it down with excess layers.
8. Make Color Stay Longer By Layering With Balm
Clinique Almost Lipstick, $17, Nordstrom
If you’re a snacker, a cheek-kisser, or a lip-biter, odds are your lipstick doesn’t stick around very long. Thankfully, Clinique has a brand of pigmented balm called Almost Lipstick, and fans say it’s not going anywhere. It hydrates without looking goopy or wet, and it won’t bleed to give you the dreaded 5-year-old-with-a-popsicle look. (Layer the resilient color underneath your favorite lipstick to make your color really pop.)
9. Build Your Lashes Up With This Mascara Primer
Revitalash Volumizing Primer Eyelash, $24, Amazon
If your mascara can’t seem to make it through the day, it’s time to prep before you coat. This volumizing primer conditions lashes to ensure mascara goes on smoothly — creating the illusion of long, full lashes. Its blue color lets you see where you've applied it, and users said it separates lashes for a smudge-proof, flake-free defined look.
10. Use These Brushes – Not Your Fingers!
BS-MALL Premium Kabuki Makeup Brush Set, $9, Amazon
A great trick for solidifying your makeup is to use good-quality brushes — not your oily hands. This No. 1 best-selling set of assorted brushes from BS-MALL has everything you need to perfect your makeup routine at a great value. They’re made with only the highest quality, shed-free materials, so even professional makeup artists use them. The soft, flexible brushes apply everything: foundations, bronzers, blushes, shadows, creams — you name it.
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Images: Larisa Birta/Unsplash (1); Amazon (10)
