Ever worn a pristine, white top and looked down halfway through the day to see half of your foundation smeared all the over the collar? Or worse, gave someone a hug and looked over to see foundation marks stained on their clothes? It happens to us all but we’ve got a few tips and tricks to keep your clothes make-up free!
Invest in a quality primer
We are often guilty of missing primer out of our routine, but it is crucial. Whether you want to blur wrinkles, mattify, hydrate, minimise the appearance of pores or even skin tone, primer creates a velvety base for makeup and helps it to stay put for longer.
Our favourites include Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, which comes in a range of alternative versions to suit your skin type. Equally Estee Lauder’s Illuminating Perfecting Primer, is another high-end primer that is truly worth the investment; it gives the skin a healthy, dewy glow, making it a perfect base before applying foundation. Finally for a drugstore alternative try Revlon’s PhotoReady Perfecting Primer.
Switch up your liquid foundation
To try and prevent your makeup rubbing off, you can apply thinner layers of product or switch to powder formulas, which help to absorb your oils that can cause makeup stains.
Pure mineral makeup binds to oils instead of water so gives the makeup a natural water resistance, making it last longer and smudge less. Mineral foundations are often more comfortable to wear on the skin as they contain less chemicals, oils and other additives that can irritate sensitive skin or cause unnecessary breakouts.
bareMinerals are renowned for their weightless powder foundations, which now come in two finishes, Matte and Original depending on your skin type. The Matte SPF 15 Foundation, helps to absorb excess oil and eliminate shine for a natural matte finish. The powder texture feels like a smooth cream on the skin, blending in beautifully to minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines.
Use a setting spray
When it gets swelteringly humid or hot outside during the summer months, then using a setting spray will be your makeup saviour. After finishing your makeup, spritzing your face with a setting spray will ensure your makeup stays put all day and into the night.
Urban Decay’s Setting Spray is one product that has been surrounded by plenty of hype ever since its launch, and this setting spray definitely lives up to it!
The spray comes in a selection of formulas, but the Urban Decay De-Slick makeup setting spray, is one of our favourites. It mists on weightlessly to control oil and deflect surface shine whilst keeping the skin looking flawlessly matte. High-tech ingredients keep foundation, shadow and blush from smudging or fading, leaving your makeup looking like it has just been applied.
For a cheaper alternative, try The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Face Mist. This light spray provides instant hydration for the skin whilst setting makeup, plus the rosewater scent smells delicious.
Don’t forget to blot!
Last but not least, blotting is essential to keep shine at bay especially if you suffer with oily skin. Using blotting sheets is a cheap and affordable way to make sure your makeup stays in place throughout the day.
Try Boots Skin Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets, to instantly remove excess oil from the skin, without smudging any makeup. For a high-end option, try Shiseido’s Oil-Control Blotting Papers. The lightweight, oil absorbing papers contain a floral aroma which restricts the production of the stress hormone, cortisol – making them perfect for those long days in the office.
One alternative to blotting papers comes in the form of an oil-blotting stick. Benefit’s POREfessional: license to blot stick, instantly mattifies skin for up to 6 hours after application, whilst the windup applicator makes it handy for travel.
Great tips! What works best for me is blotting my face with a paper tissue after applying foundation and then applying a powder.