The last thing you want when going out for the day (or night) is to have your makeup melt off. Whether it’s due to oily skin, the heat and humidity or some other reason, it’s not a good look. When applying makeup, the goal is to make sure your makeup lasts all day. To take it one step further, we would love for it to look the same at the end of the day as it did when you applied it. So what steps can you take during your beauty routine to ensure that your makeup stays on through everything you do? Here are the details – and they have worked for me even after a hot day, or hiking through the mountains. Yeah, I’m that extra.

1 – Take Care Of Your Skin

Murad Vita-C Triple Exfoliating Facial

The foundation of good makeup, really starts with your skin. When you take care of your skin, it will be healthier and you’ll be able to provide a good canvas for makeup application. If you don’t already have a skincare routine going, a good and easy way to take care of your skin is to exfoliate it. You want to remove the dead skin cells and impurities, and increase cell turnover to produce healthy skin. If you are just starting, use a gentle cleanser or scrub to make sure that your skin doesn’t get irritated. For those that are more advanced in their skincare routines, a stronger scrub, microdermabrasion, or a peel is great. Exfoliating your skin will also help smoothen it out for your face makeup application and help your makeup last all day. I like using the Murad Vita-C Triple Exfoliating Facial. You can get $15 off your $50 Canadian purchase here. Get $15 off your $50 US purchase here.For a more gentle scrub, the Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash works really well and smells delicious.

2 – Prime Your Skin

Fenty Beauty - Pro Filtr Amplifying Eye Primer

You want to make sure to prime your skin so that it’s easier for you to apply your foundations, concealer, and other makeup products. It also helps your makeup last longer as it holds on to the makeup. I am still in the process of testing out face primers to find my favorite and will share in a new blog post! Speaking of priming, don’t forget to use an eyeshadow primer before your eyeshadow! My favorite is the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Amplifying Eye Primer. It’s an absolute must for me as I have oilier lids, and it helps the eyeshadow and eyeliner not crease or rub off and stay vibrant all day. A little trick is to use an eyeshadow primer on the fine lines on your face to help with foundation creasing.

3 – Apply Setting Powder

Tatcha The Silk Powder
Too Faced Peach Perfect Setting Powder

A setting powder not only helps you reduce shine and absorb extra oil, it helps hold on to your foundation and make it stay in place. For those with dark circles, “baking” (using a damp sponge to apply setting powder and leave it under the eyes for several minutes then blend with foundation and concealer), helps brighten the under-eye area by using your body heat to set it in place. Tatcha The Silk Powder and Too Faced Peach Perfect Setting Powder are 2 great options.

4 – Use A Setting Spray To Ensure Even Longer Makeup Stay

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Setting Spray

A setting spray is another step to ensure that your makeup lasts all day. And depending on the brand you get, some even promise up to 16 hours wear! It helps protect your makeup from fading or creasing (settling into fine lines) all day. I find this is absolutely necessary when I’m out for a really long day, at an important event, or when it’s really hot out. I want my makeup to look fresh like at the start of my day – who has time to reapply makeup anyway? One that works really well for me and lasts all day is the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Setting Spray +.  

5 – Reapply Setting Powders On Fine Lines

Sometimes if I see that there is crease in my foundation (this really depends on what foundation you use – some can be more oilier or liquid) I like to reapply setting powder. It’s invisible anyway and basically helps absorb oil and smoothens out your face. If you want to do the minimal amount in terms of reapplying makeup, bring a setting powder with you. It helps refresh your makeup look without having to add more foundation and possibly ruin the color and blendability of the makeup.

6 – Don’t Touch Your Face

The most important point of all – don’t touch your face! Even with applying setting powder and a setting spray, makeup can still transfer. I mean, look at our face masks. Even though the makeup will stay on your face and maintain the same look without creasing, once you touch your face, you’re adding oils and other dirt to your face. Even with the pressure of our fingers, it can move the makeup on your face. Not touching your face helps your makeup last longer, while making sure you don’t add bacteria to your skin. Who wants to wake up the next day with a new pimple or two? Not I.

7 – Use An Oil Blotting Sheet

If you have an oilier skin type, carry blotting sheets with you. I used to do this all the time in high school and university. But make sure you’re actually blotting or dabbing the areas that have more oil and not dragging the blotting sheet across your face because that will ruin your makeup. You can see my favorite oil blotting sheets in My Everyday Makeup Bag!

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