Fabulous tips to avoid make-up mishaps this party season. Make the most out of your features with these clever long-lasting techniques & affordable products
Follow these party-proof make-up tips and you’re sure to look great… even at the end of the night.
The best part? They’re easy enough to be foolproof.
Evian– Not Just for Drinking
That doesn’t mean the bottled variety. Lots of companies have now brought out a ‘complexion refresher’ spray, which is basically aerosol h2o.
It may sound primitive, but like so many other simple products it is an extremely useful must-have. Spritzing a little over the face before or after foundation will give it a fresh, dewy glow.
It’s also brilliant for use at the end of a long night to stave away the look of tiredness and make the make-up appear freshly applied. The pressurized aerosol packaging also helps to keep the water jets fine and mist-like, something a mere splash of tap water could never achieve- think mini shower pick me up.
Just don’t spray it too close to your face, or people might think you’ve gone for a pre-party jog.
Primer & Foundation
Always use a primer before your foundation. It stops it from caking or collecting around those stubborn dry patches. Laura Mercier offers a wide range of primers for different skin types and, though on the pricey side, is definitely worth taking a look at.
Choose a foundation based on your skin type. If you have naturally oily skin using an oil-based foundation will only make it worse.
Mineral make-up is the latest craze for celeb make-up artists as it cares for the skin at the same time as providing great coverage- BareMinerals do an extensive range of mineral foundations.
Choosing a concealer one or two shades lighter than your foundation will finish the look by brightening any darkness around the eyes.
Bronzed Goddess
At this time of the year, it’s so easy to look washed out and well, a bit ill. No sun equals no color, and regardless of how popular the Twilight films are, not many people actually want to look like a member of the undead. This is where bronzer becomes your new best friend.
Brush a touch across the places that would normally catch the sun and don’t go overboard, especially if you are naturally pale. Don’t forget to lightly dust the decolletage to give it an attractive sheen.
Remember to Set Your Foundation
Foundation is prone to wearing off by the end of the night, especially after a big night out. Tapping neutral colored face powder onto the t-zone will prevent this from happening. Dust a bit across the forehead and down the central strip of the face, including the chin, and finish by blending it outwards.
Translucent powder is also useful to carry around as it’s so quick and easy to apply even without a mirror and will keep your complexion looking flawless.
Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s such a key step it couldn’t possibly be left out. Skin will look tired and dull no matter how much make-up is applied if we don’t take care of it from the base up.
Exfoliating is a great way to bring back a youthful glow to our complexion by scrubbing away any dead cells. Finish with lathers of moisturizer for an impossibly soft finish.
It’ll Make You Blush
Blushers can do wonders for our overall look. Even if the rest of the face is completely bare, blusher is a must. It gives even the whitest of faces a touch of color and life.
The area of the cheek we apply the blusher to can also help to elongate or shorten the face. If you have a rounder face shape, for instance, applying blush in a v-shape at the sides of the cheeks will make it less prominent. Longer face shapes should stick to the apples of the cheeks (the fleshiest part when we smile) to shorten the face.
Use cream blusher for a more natural sheen to the powder variety.
Taming of the Brow
There’s not much to say on this except always remember that they frame your face and are visible to all around you. Wax, pluck, or thread them, just don’t forget to take care of them. Don’t over-pluck, make sure you own a brow comb to tame stragglers, and if you’re feeling really brave invest in a specialist brow kit.
TooFaced brought out a pocket-sized package that caters to all your eyebrow needs, including a small powder palate to fill in any calamities.
Using Mascara for Maximum Effect
Mascara, like blusher, can completely change our look for the better. It makes the windows to the soul stand out.
For overstated party-glam apply the mascara on both the underneath and tops of both sets of lashes, layering it for a darker look.
Or for a more subtle effect, place the tip of the mascara wand at the base of your top lashes and gently ease it from side to side before giving one upward sweep. This will make the lashes appear fuller at the root and do the job of a liner and mascara in one.
Highlight Your Best Features
Highlighting the cheekbones, the area just underneath your eyebrows and the top of your cupids bow (the v-shaped indent above our top lip) will bring out the features of your face. Putting a lighter shade of foundation above the cupids bow makes the lips appear instantly fuller and works just as well as the lip plumper glosses now on the market, minus the uncomfortable tingling sensation. Use glitters to spice up and highlight your best features. You can get glitter in bulk in different colors and shapes here.
Perfecting the Eyeliner
Liquid eyeliner is notoriously hard to apply and most of us go out of our way to avoid it. The easiest way to apply it is to first draw out the desired shape with pencil eyeliner. Then, pulling the eyebrow upward fill in the template you created with the liquid liner. Make sure you allow time for it to dry properly before re-opening the eye.
Eyeshadow primer is also a good idea for reducing smudges. Urban Decay offers a great shadow-primer wand with the added bonus of pretty packaging. Apply it after foundation and before eyeshadow/liner for a fool-proof base.
Avoid Lipstick Mess
No-one wants that dreaded of all mishaps: lipstick on the teeth. The simple way to avoid this is to layer rather than plastering it all on in one go.
The temptation is to put as much on as possible to make it last, but applying a thin layer of lipstick, dabbing with a tissue then recovering with yet another layer is a much more effective way to achieve long-lasting lip color.
For extra insurance finish with a little powder gently dusted through tissue over the lips. This will set it much as one would powder over foundation.
Drawing over the entire lip with a similar color lip liner prior to applying the lipstick will also help to keep it in check.
There you have it, effective but simple steps to maintain that flawless party look. Though it may be tough to follow all of them, experiment, and have fun!