DANA'S VANITY

I know I am coming in too late for the month of February and a bit too early for March but I wanted to make this post as a beginning of a series for my blog. I'll try to post my favorites monthly if there's anything new that I love. So let's get on to it shall we ☆

Today I want to share with you a few tips for long-wearing makeup which is also perfect for night time! Now personally I don't really go out "clubbing" but I understand the struggle of keeping your makeup intact by the end of the night especially if you've been sweating, eating, and drinking. Of course, this totally applies to other occasions wherein you need your makeup to stay on for a long period of time. Here are a couple of things you can do in your makeup application to extend the wear of your makeup and keep it looking flawless all night.

1. Prep your skin 

Left-Right: Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector, Nars Pro Prime Pore Refining Primer

The first step to achieve long lasting makeup is by prepping your skin by applying a primer. There are so many primers in the market but choose a long-wearing and mattifying primer to keep your oils at bay as well as to smoothen out your skin. A good canvas is very important if you want your makeup to be flawless. I used the Nars Pro Prime Pore Primer all over my face and Becca's Ever Matte Primer only on areas where I get oily which are my t-zone and cheek area. If you're wearing eyeshadow, also use an eyeshadow primer or an alternative is using concealer on the lids then setting it with a translucent powder.

2. Create a flawless base

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

A good foundation can help the wear of all the other makeup products you apply. I prefer to use my Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation because it really stays on throughout the night without feeling cakey or heavy. Apply concealer only on the areas you need more coverage but avoid caking it on and apply sparingly. I also suggest that whatever foundation and concealer you use, set it with a translucent powder, my favorite is the RCMA no color powder. Another good trick to keep your foundation intact is by baking. To do this, just apply a translucent loose powder using a damp sponge on areas you applied concealer or where you get the most oiliest and then leave it on for a few minutes before dusting it off, this will help lock all your liquid products in place to avoid creasing and help the other products you put on afterwards apply and wear better. Apply powder foundation only if you feel that you need more coverage.

3. Choose powder over cream products

Top-Bottom: Nars Laguna Bronzer, Mac mineralized blush in Love Joy (apologies for the dirty packaging)

Since I have oily skin, products such as blush, bronzer, and highlighter usually wear off on my face after a few hours especially if I didn't prime and set my face. This is why I prefer to use powder products over cream products because powder products tend to stay longer on the face. The most long wearing blush I've tried so far is Mac's mineralized blushes-I use the shade love joy which shows up as a pretty red-toned color on my skin tone. 

4. Use a setting spray

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray (super old packaging)

Using a setting spray will help prolong your makeup and set it in place. I prefer to use Urban Decay's all-nighter setting spray as a last step to my makeup routine and I found that this helps keep my makeup on as well as reduce the powdery look from all the powder I've applied. Don't confuse setting sprays with other spray type products such as the ever famous Mac fix+ which is more for removing the powdery look and merging your makeup into one. Other sprays are used for different purposes so I suggest to stick with a setting spray.

5. Keep blotting powder and oil blotting sheets in hand

Clean & Clear Oil Control Film, The Face Shop Oil Blotting Pact

Even if you've done all the steps I've mentioned above, it's important to keep a powder and oil blotting sheets handy for touch ups. This is more for girls who have combination to oily skin types. My all time favorite oil blotting sheets are the Clean & Clear Pink Grapefruit Oil Control Film which does a good job removing any oiliness plus it smells so good too! As for powder, I suggest you go for a blotting or translucent powder instead of a powder foundation which can make you look more cakey. A good blotting powder I've tried is the Mac blot powder and currently I'm using The Face Shop's Oil Clear Blotting Pact which also helps remove oil without adding and disrupting my makeup.

6. Opt for a liquid lipstick

I'm using Jouer liquid lipstick in Noisette

If you haven't heard, liquid lipsticks are pretty awesome and they are popular for a reason. The main reason being that they are more long wearing than your regular lipsticks. Using a liquid lipstick is great if you want your lip color to last with minimal touch ups. Be careful and wear a balm first though to avoid your lips from cracking. The best long wearing and comfortable formulas I've tried are from Jouer and The Balm. Also quite recently I've worn Colourpop's Ultra Satin lipstick in Calypso and was pleasantly surprised because it didn't smudge at all even after I ate oily food and it even retained some pigment without looking crazy. I suggest you check out Colourpop's ultra satin lipstick line if you are looking for something more affordable.

I hope you found these tips useful for your next night out! 😉 What other steps do you do to prolong your makeup? Leave a comment down below!