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Party-proof your look with tricks to make your make up last all night

Verity Douglas
Writer and expert5 years ago
View Verity Douglas's profile

Picture the scene. You've cut loose and are dancing like nobody's watching. Except, everybody is because your make up's done a runner and your mascara's now pooling somewhere near your chin. You are the definition of a 'hot mess' - and not in the great 'Kate Moss' way.

However, with these top tips to party-proof your beauty look, you can ensure that you're the epicentre of attention for the right reasons...

In your prime

If Christmas's excesses are starting to take their toll, the chances are your skin is looking dry and lacklustre. The right primer should plump and hydrate without adding 'slip', to help your base blend better (and wear far longer). Mabel + Meg's {Lumilixir Serum} is oil-free and brimming with hyaluronic acid to replenish cells' moisture reservoirs. Apply and allow a few seconds to penetrate (this sinks in with no trace), then use your fingers to smooth BY TERRY's thirst-quenching {Hyaluronic Hydra-Primer} all over your face (and neck)!

Layer up

When it comes to enhancing longevity, several light layers will wear a lot better than one ultra-thick one. Think carefully about whether you need blanket coverage, and concentrate foundation on the areas requiring a little extra help. A tinted moisturiser (like NIOD's {Photography Fluid}) will grant a gorgeous 'real skin' finish, or (if your skin's misbehaving) use colour correctors to 'balance' its levels before diffusing your base with a damp {Beautyblender} - you'll be able to use a lighter formulation, which minimises risk of make up melting. 

PRO TIP: Spritz your Beautyblender with a setting spray - we like Pixi's {Fixing Mist} - to maximise your make up mileage.

Get baking

Back away from the oven... we're talking about 'baking' your make up (not whipping up a sponge cake). If you're going for gold in cosmetic athletics, the best way to extend the staying power is with powder (and lots of it). The icing on your make up cake, 'pack' loose powder on the areas where make up might slip - underneath the eyes, along the jawline, underneath your cheekbones... Huda Beauty's {Easy Bake Loose Setting Powder} comes in a spectrum of shades to help colour-correct as it sets. Use a dense brush (or sponge) to apply a thick layer, then leave for as long as you can (ten minutes is perfect), before sweeping away the excess.

Choose your formulations wisely

Want your lipstick to stay put through cocktails and canapés? The latest long-wear formulations will ensure your face stays flawless come hell (or eye water). Sweat-, smudge- and thoroughly party-proof, Stila's {Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner} is the key to the slinkiest of feline flicks (that won't slink off), while Benefit's {BADgal Waterproof Mascara} is completely budge-resistant. For lips, you can't go wrong with Huda Beauty's {Liquid Matte} lipsticks - bold (non-drying) liquid pigments that won't transfer. Or try Jouer's {Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipstick} in one of their on-trend metallic tones.

Finish with a final 'coat' of setting spray, then go forth and cut ALL the shapes (while feeling ultra-smug).

SHOP MAKE UP >>

Verity Douglas
Writer and expert
View Verity Douglas's profile
Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...
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