Don’t you hate it when you spend precious time carefully applying your makeup only to have it wear off after a few minutes in an overheated restaurant? Or it lasts through dinner, but then you head out for drinks and stop into the restroom after a cocktail or two, take a look in the mirror and wonder how your face went from perfectly put together to melted and messy? I’ve got some solutions to keep you put together all night. It’s all in the primer and finishing products.
First, before you apply your foundation, apply a primer. For years, Smashbox made my favorite, and depending on your skin type, this is still a great choice. Sold at Sephora, Ulta andNordstrom, Smashbox primers come in a variety of formulations, including hydrating for dry skin, light for skin that tends to look oily, green-tinted to neutralize red undertones, bronze-tinted to give you a healthy glow, a formula with SPF 15 for summer and more.
Along with Smashbox, I’ve recently found another new favorite — Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum. I got a little vial of this good stuff in a recent Sephora Beauty Insider 500-Point Perk Tarte sample set. (BTW, if you shop at Sephora and haven’t joinedBeauty Insiders, do it now. Membership is free, and you get special discounts. Plus, for every purchase you make, you earn points that can be used on deluxe sample sets only available to members.) This natural skin brightener is infused with Amazonian clay, chamomile extract, and Vitamins A, C and E, making for a potion that’s packed with antioxidants, essential oils, anti-inflammatories and moisturizers to leave skin radiant and ready for makeup. The clay gives the product a light beige tint, and I must admit, in a pinch I’ve put it on by itself and run out the door to give my skin a smooth finish when I didn’t have time to apply foundation. You can get this good stuff at Ulta or Sephora.
I’ve also spent plenty of time on this blog talking up Urban Decay Primer Potion for eyes, which now comes in four different shades. Apply it before shadow and let it dry. Your eye makeup will stay intact all night.
The key to getting the best life out of your primer is giving it time to soak into your skin before you apply your makeup. So put it on after you moisturize, then do your hair or before applying the rest of your makeup.
Once you finish your face, there is one more important step to achieving a stay-put look — finishing spray. I’m a sucker for Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. Shake the bottle, then spray a fine mist over your face in “X” and “T” formations for a final layer of protection. It seals your makeup and claims to keep it in place for 16 hours. I’m not sure about the time claim, but I know it’s kept my face pretty until 2 a.m. on more than one occasion.
Give these products a try, and I’m sure you’ll notice a difference all night long.
