It’s been a pretty random week so far, weather-wise.
One minute it’s lashing and the next the sun is splitting the stones, making those old wardrobe and makeup decisions even more manic than usual.
Never fear, as we’ve got you covered when it comes to the latter. Check out our fail-safe tips which will help to keep you gorgeous come rain or shine…
Keep it simple
When it comes to long-lasting makeup, there are tons of products and buzzwords flying around – longwear, waterproof, smudge-proof, sweat-resistant – the list goes on and can be overwhelming not to mention expensive. While these products can be a saving grace when it comes to foundations and mascaras, our advice is to keep your skin prep very simple.
Consider swapping your moisturizer for a sunscreen and leaving it at that. For those with dry skin, sunscreen is emollient and will protect against flaking just like a moisturizer. For oilier skins, it’s not a bad idea to skip the base altogether. Although cosmetic companies recommend moisturizing oily skin, product overkill can exacerbate the problem, meaning your makeup has slid off your face before you’re even out the door.
Match like with like
There are so many fantastic longwear products out there that you’ll be spoiled for choice, but often people will invest in an expensive product and still notice their makeup sliding or disappearing completely throughout the day (especially in particularly wet or hot conditions). This could be because your base (if you do decide to wear one) and foundation are not perfectly paired.
Pairing products is easier than you think. It all boils down to the simple fact that oil and water don’t mix. If your base layer is oil-based and your foundation is water-based (which a lot of longwear foundations are), it’s a slippery slope to makeup meltdown. Match like with like – if you buy a lovely long-lasting water-based foundation, try to ensure your base is water-based as well.
Don’t sacrifice your glow for staying power
Powder is essential on unpredictable weather days. If you are a fan of a dewy finish, you don’t have to sacrifice your glow for a matte, powdered look. There are some really beautiful powder highlighters on the market and with one sweep across your cheekbone, you can achieve a glow without shining like a lighthouse but still be confident in the knowledge that your makeup is set in place.
Application is key here. Instead of sweeping your powder products on with a fluffy brush, which can disturb the finish of your foundation, try dabbing your powder onto the skin with a sponge for less mess and more staying power. Sure, it might take longer to apply but it’ll definitely be worth it.
Use this handy waterproof mascara hack
For a lot of people, mascara is the one makeup product they can’t do without. But why confine it to your eyelashes? Spread the love. Mascara works surprisingly well on your eyebrows, too. Now, before you start getting visions of Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries, hear us out. First ensure weather-durability by opting for a wax-based eyebrow pencil to fill in and shape. Top eyebrows off with a coat of waterproof mascara in a matching colour. Again, application is key and using a very light hand is essential. Although this sounds like a lot of product, a mascara wand picks up individual hairs resulting in a more natural, fluffy look and will also seal the pencil you applied previously. It really works, trust us.
Lighten up
Of course, there really is one very simple way to ensure you won’t get any nasty surprises when you look in the mirror at 3am, and that is to wear less makeup. If you are a cosmetics queen this may be a hard pill to swallow but it really is a failsafe way to ensure damage limitation when you don’t know what to expect out there. Go forth and be brave, ladies.
