How to touch up your makeup throughout the day?

For most of us, the makeup we painstakingly put on in the morning unfortunately doesn’t quite look the way it initially did once the day ends. Factors such as oil, sweat and oxidation of the foundation (which causes a darkening of the shade when in contact with the surrounding air) will alter the way our makeup looks.

Hence, keeping an on-the-go makeup kit would be handy to help with this problem, where we always stash the products we know we’ll need to touch up throughout the day – like lipstick, powder and maybe eyeliner. But how do we really keep our makeup looking fresh without piling on the products and looking ‘cakey’? That’s where we give you some tips below.

POWDER PUFF, FOUNDATION BRUSH OR MAKEUP SPONGE

Those with oily and combination skin are prone to shine taking over on the face, and we don’t mean the glowy, healthy highlight type. To touch up, don’t dust your loose or compact powder directly on top of the shiny areas. Although this may immediately eliminate the shine, you are essentially applying powder on the oil that’s sitting on your face.

Instead, grab a soft facial tissue and gently blot the excess oil away, before taking a clean powder puff, a dense foundation brush or makeup sponge, and blend the areas without any product. This ensures your foundation is blended back into the crevices of your skin for a seamless finish, without adding more unnecessary product. Once done, apply a light layer of powder only to the areas that will most likely produce shine again. Less is always more!

FACIAL MIST

Attention to all our dry skin girls: if face mist isn’t already, it’s now going to be your new best friend. Because applying moisturizer over your foundation throughout the day is just not going to cut it. A face mist is the most feasible – and dare we say, most glamorous – option. Once you start to feel your skin getting ‘tight’ and dry from being in an air-conditioned office all day, whip out a hydrating face mist or even setting spray, to spritz all over your face and decolletage. Besides adding moisture to revive your makeup, the refreshing spray will also keep you alert to take on the rest of the day.

Look out for ingredients such as rose water, plant extracts and caffeine for the most effective touch up spray. One with SPF would be an added bonus, as we are recommended to reapply every two hours or so to keep sun damage at bay. Make your own by diluting some of your favourite toner with water and adding a few drops of organic essential oils before pouring the mixture into a spray bottle.

CREAM ANYTHING

Cream products always look more natural than their powder counterparts, so we recommend you keep a cream blush and contour/ highlight stick in your makeup kit for touch ups. After re-blending your foundation or misting your face, dab on some cream blush to your cheeks for a healthy, natural glow. Your colleagues will think you took some time to brisk walk during your toilet break.

Do the same with your cream contour and highlight, but always be sure to apply sparingly and build up only if needed.

Now you can say goodbye to bad makeup days!

Nur Syazana H.