ALL NIGHT LONG:
makeup that stays in place
It’s long been a goal of the beauty industry to achieve make-up products that require minimal, if any, touch ups – lasting from the moment you put them on in the morning until they disappear down the sink at night.
The degree of success depends on what you’re after. Many items claim eight, 16 and even 24 hours of wear, but whether you’d like the state of your face after wearing them for a full day and night is another story. Many long-wear products feel thick and uncomfortable, look chalky and settle in lines well before their expected “expiry” on your skin.
There are some winners however – products and approaches that extend the life of your look and, if they do start to migrate, wear off evenly, rather than leaving drop-down, smudges and that dreaded “ring-fence” perimeter of colour around your lips.
The following tips are useful when you’re putting your face on for a big event where you know you won’t have time to touch up, or for everyday wear if you’re averse to monitoring your make-up.
1 SKINCARE IS KEY
One of the most common complaints about long-wear make-up is that it emphasises and exacerbates dry skin. Ensure they work for you by following a mantra of cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate prior to picking up any make-up, so you’re starting with an ideal canvas. Get rid of any flakes and unwanted texture by using a gentle AHA or physical exfoliant at least once or twice a week, or try giving face (and lips!) a gentle massage with a facecloth in the shower, which will have a similar effect.
A few minutes before you’re ready to do your make-up, apply a nourishing moisturiser to lock in hydration and plump out fine lines.
Glow Lab Brightening Exfoliator, $15.
Shiseido Benefiance Day Emulsion, $111.
2 PRIMER PAYS OFF
Like shape-wear under a slinky dress, primer creates a smooth surface for your make-up to skim over. With skin cells naturally shedding during the day, plus oil production and evaporation, it’s a big ask for make-up to stick around, but primer really does help. Look for one that matches your skin type – hydrating for dry skin, mattifying for oily, and so on – and smooth over your face with your hands before starting your make-up.
Estée Lauder The Mattifier Shine Control Perfecting Primer + Finisher, $68. Juice Beauty Phyto Pigment Illuminating Primer, $62.
3 EYES AND LIPS BENEFIT FROM A BASE TOO
We know that primers work, but if you don’t like adding another step, or the way they feel on the skin, you could try an eye primer only. They help colour stay in place without creasing or smudging, and can intensify the colour of eye shadows that are too sheer for your liking. Dab a liquid or cream primer across your eyelids and wait a few seconds before applying your shadow and liner over top. Eye primers can also be dabbed on the bridge of the nose before foundation to help prevent glasses or sunglasses sliding in warm weather. For lips, a swipe of hydrating balm can form a smooth base, particularly prior to applying matte or liquid lipsticks. Revlon ColorStay Eye Shadow Primer, $18.
4 CHOOSE A LONG-WEAR FOUNDATION
If you’ve not had a positive relationship with long-wear bases in the past, it’s worth re-considering your stance. Updated formulas are more lightweight and blend well, and their real advantage is the way they control shine throughout the day. “Product performance has come such a long way,” says Kiekie Stanners, Senior Artist for MAC Cosmetics.
“Once upon a time high-coverage (and long-wear) invoked the idea of matte, powder finishes. Now a full-coverage base can reference the same texture as skin.”
Using the right tools makes the most of the new bases, according to Kiekie, as does working with a surprisingly minimal amount of product.
“Even if something is designed for full coverage, it doesn’t mean your application technique needs to be heavy. High-cover products provide great wearability and will last a long time, especially if you use them lightly.” Kiekie calls on a soft, fluffy brush to blur a thin “veil” of product over skin. “The softer the brush, the more diffused a high coverage product will be,” she says.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid, $62.
5 TRY A TUBING MASCARA
Yes, all mascaras come in tubes, but a “tubing” mascara refers to the way these unique polymer-fibre formulas wrap around each lash to form a water-resistant “tube” instead of just wiping pigment on to one side, like traditional wax and oil mascaras do. The end result is long, beautifully-defined lashes that last all day without flaking, smudging or getting dry and crusty.
The “tube” moniker makes even more sense when you come to remove your make-up. Simply rinse your face with warm water, being sure to completely wet your lashes. Close your eyes and slide or gently pull the pigment off with your index finger and thumb. You’ll be left with a gooey black tube in your fingers and absolutely nothing left on lashes or skin. L’Oréal Paris Unlimited Mascara,
Waterproof, $30.
6 LAYER UP
Applying products in thin layers and layering creams and powders consecutively helps give lasting power, not only with base, but also eye and lip products. In general, cream or waxy products go on first and then powder on top. It’s why lip liners are great at holding on to lipstick and cream eye shadows work well when a similar powder colour is applied as a second step.
Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow in Cognac, $20. Elizabeth Arden Eye Shadow Trio in Not So Nude, $36.
7 PICK A PRO-POWDER
Loose or pressed powder is returning to favour and you won’t have to forgo the pursuit of lush, healthy “real-skin” texture. New iterations either focus on delivering a flattering, blurring, soft-focus veil that helps to minimise fine lines (unlike predecessors that had the tendency to settle in and amplify them) or weightless particles that set make-up in place without the feeling of additional product building up. Powders also tend to be more finely-milled, meaning smaller individual particles of powder, and cleverly loaded with skincare properties (even wonder hydrator hyaluronic acid), so there’s no flaking or caking. Stick to a minimal dusting down the centre of the face (nose, chin and smile lines around your mouth) rather than everywhere. Revealing some of the natural texture of your skin is more fresh and flattering. Lancôme Long Time No Shine Setting Powder, $70.
8 APPLY A LIQUID LIP
If you’re wearing a traditional cream lipstick, by all means prep with a pencil (filling lips all the way in) for endurance, however its worth investigating the new breed of thin, liquid-y, ink-based lip colours that are easily applied with their pointed wand and wear comfortably without cracking for hours without feeling parched or pilling. They will wear away evenly, leaving a subtle stain that isn’t as obvious.
L’Oréal Paris Rouge Signature in I Don’t, $27.
9 SET YOUR FACE WITH A SPRAY
Just as hairspray is to your flyaways and topcoat is to your mani, make-up setting spray keeps your make-up from smudging, creasing or fading until you want to remove it. One trap is the confusion between the variety of face mists and spritzes out there. They are not all one and the same. “Finishing” or “refreshing” facial mists are similar and are designed to deliver moisture to the skin, while setting sprays give a micro-fine mist that locks make-up in place once you’ve finished applying. The former can be used to refresh make-up that’s gone a little dry and cakey or over matte foundation for a little “real skin” glow, while the latter is generally used to make your masterpiece last perfectly for hours on end.
Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray, $26.
10 TOUCH UP BY BLOTTING
Using powder or additional liquid foundation later on in the day or night only results in too much product to skin. Instead, carry blotting papers with you and press these firmly and gently over your shiny areas, waiting a second or two for excess oil to absorb. Be careful that you don’t rub or move the paper across your skin, as that will remove make-up. Simply pull it away from the face in one motion and use a new sheet for different areas. AWW
Shiseido Oil-Control Blotting Paper, $27.