When you’ve spent a certain length of time primping in the morning, the last thing you want is to look in the mirror at 11am and find that your eyeshadow has turned pale and your lipstick is now a distant memory. It is possible to make make-up last a lot longer than you think but you have to be realistic about your expectations.
No matter what it says on the pack, it is unlikely that any make-up you wear will really last 16 hours, particularly with the hot and humid climate in our beloved country. Having said that, there are some tricks that can help your make-up go the distance.
Face
• Unless you have very dry skin, skip the moisturiser. The heat in Nigeria tends to make the face oilier,
and if you add moisturiser to that, you’re asking for your makeup to slide off your face before you’ve even
arrived at your destination. If you must use lotion, go for an oil-free moisturiser. However, using sunscreen as a base may be a good idea for anyone living in a tropical region like ours.
• Apply a face primer all over the face and eyelids before applying foundation. A good primer will reduce the appearance of some blemishes and will help make-up go on smoother. It also helps keep make-up including eyeshadow in place. Try face primers like Laura Mercier Foundation Primer and Smashbox Photo Finish.
• If you have oily skin, use an oil-free foundation.
• After applying foundation, set this base by dusting your face with translucent powder. Iman does a great blot powder, which is good at keeping oil at bay and making foundation last.
Eyes
• Choose powder eyeshadow over the creamy kind. Cream eyeshadow tends to move around and settle in the crease of the eye – not a good look.
• Applying eyeshadow (and other powder make-up) with brushes instead of the fingers also extends the wear of the product, because though you may not see it, there is almost always a bit of oil on your fingers which will inevitably transfer to the face and encourage make-up to disappear.
• Liquid eyeliners last longer than eye pencils, and gel liners are the new wonder of make-up. A good gel liner lasts so long you actually have to make a conscious effort to take it off at the end of the day.
Cheeks
• Once again, powder rules. Give cream blushes a miss although mousse blushers last almost as long as blush powders.
Lips
• The secret to long-lasting lip make-up is layers. So, first fill the lips in with your desired lip liner.
• Apply one coat of lipstick and blot the lips with tissue paper.
• Apply a second coat and blot again.
• Apply the third coat and you’re ready to go.
• Matte lip colours last longer than glossy ones but if you can’t imagine life without lip gloss, take it along with you. You’ll definitely need it.
• Special duo lipsticks that have a colour at one end and colour sealant at the other last much longer than
ordinary lipsticks although they can feel dry.
• Lipstick sealants like Lipcote are also good to try. When using lip sealants, don’t re-apply the liquid over lipstick. If you want to touch up, you have to take off both the sealant and the lipstick and reapply both; otherwise, you’ll get a flaky, patchy mess.
