Beauty

This is how your makeup stays put all day: 8 smart tips

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Close-up portrait of a woman with long dark hair sitting in a car. She is wearing a white shirt and a watch with a brown leather strap. She looks directly at the camera with a natural make-up look with soft pink blush and lip colour, revealing her freckles. She leans her hand, fingers in front of her chin, against her face.

Do you ever have that feeling, that you come from the office and want to go straight to dinner, but would prefer to redo your makeup? Your mascara is half under your eyes, your concealer is creased, and there's nothing left of your lipstick. You don't have time to take it all off, so you just do a quick touch-up. But did you know that with the right products and techniques, you won't have to deal with this anymore? Here are my tips to keep your makeup looking fresh longer.

Skincare prep is important

Ever heard of office air? After a workday, women complain on social media that their skin looks dry and tighter; this is often due to the continuous airflow from the air conditioning or heating. The better you hydrate your skin, the less dull it looks at the end of the day. My holy grails for my dry skin are the Rhode Glazing Milk and the Elemis Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser.

Primer as a base

In addition to day cream, primer is also an important step in your makeup routine. It creates a smooth base, allowing foundation to apply more beautifully and your makeup to last longer. The right primer depends on your skin type: a hydrating primer for dry skin and a mattifying one for oily skin.

Check out this primer at Douglas

e.l.f. Power Matte Primer

e.l.f. Power Grip Primer

L’Oréal Paris Glotion

Choose the right foundation and concealer

Don't use too light or glowy formulas when it comes to foundations and concealers, but opt for products that say they are long-wear or transfer-proof. Products with too creamy or oily formulas can often shift more quickly on the skin. It's also important to wait a bit between applying products so they can dry, preventing them from pilling.

Maybelline New York Superstay Lumi-Matte Foundation

NARS Natuurlijke Stralende Langdurige Foundation

Check out this concealer at Douglas

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

Setting powder must not be missing, of course

The finishing touch for any makeup base is, of course, setting powder. If you don't have oily skin, it's important to use very little powder, just a thin layer on areas where your makeup fades quickly. Too much powder reduces shine and can make the skin look dry.

e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Essence Silky Blur Translucent Loose Setting Powder

The trick to making blush and bronzer last longer

I am a fan of cream blushes and bronzers and how easily you can blend them. Unfortunately, they don't always last very long. But you don't have to leave them out of your routine: to keep them on your face all day, it's best to start with the cream products and then use a powder bronzer and blush on top.

Why I swear by tubing mascara

Tubing mascara forms a layer around your lashes with polymers, and when it dries, your mascara stays put all day. The polymers also come off easily with warm water at the end of the day. The best part is that I don't have to constantly check if my mascara has smudged.

Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Tubing Mascara

Catrice Tubing Stay In Place Mascara

Mascara under your eyes? With this simple trick, you can remove it easily

Lip products are often the trickiest

Finding a lip product that looks good and lasts long is a true art. First, I would start with a lip stain, so even when the other products fade, your lips still retain their color. I use the Rare Beauty lip oil, which I let sit for a minute and then wipe off with a tissue. Then I use a pencil lip liner, not a creamy one, because those last longer. If I still want a glossy effect, I use a lip mask instead of a lip gloss, as those absorb much slower. The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask stays beautiful on me all day.

Set everything with a setting spray

Setting spray is, of course, the important final step in your makeup routine. A good setting spray ensures that your makeup doesn't transfer and lasts all day. Marit recently wrote about the ONE\/SIZE On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray that went incredibly viral, but there are also dupes available, such as the L’Oréal Infaillible Setting Mist.

With these tips, you no longer have to sit down at the table after a long workday with a half-faded makeup look. Because who wants to spend a long day having to redo everything in front of the mirror? With a few smart products and techniques, your makeup will look beautiful longer, and you can skip that extensive touch-up from now on.