Unless you’re willing to carry a handbag half the size of your body around, having make-up on hand for touch-ups at all times can be a real pain. Especially foundation, which always seems to be the thing to leak, break and take up the most space (with the exception of products like Klara Cosmetics Foundation Stick). So we enlisted the help of professional make-up artists, Eloise Proust, Tobi Henney (female) and Sheri Vegas to teach us their tricks for making foundation last all night (or all day) long.
Tip #1 Skin prep
“Skin preparation is everything when it comes to how your foundation will sit on your skin and how long it will last. Make sure you exfoliate your skin twice a week, and if you have dry skin use a light, fast absorbing moisturiser before you apply your primer and foundation.” – Eloise
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“I always begin a make-up [look] with Bioderma Créaline, which removes any excess oil and make-up residue.” – Tobi
bh recommends:
- Goodness Every Week Face Scrub
- Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost Daily Restoring Complex SPF 15
- La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Micellar Water
Tip #2 Prime
“A great primer is a very important step for how well your base will last. I recommend silicone-based primers which have a beautiful silky feel to them. They are great to fill in uneven skin texture, pores and fine lines to give the illusion of smooth even skin when foundation is applied.” – Eloise
bh recommends:
- Sormé Fresh Start Primer – anti-ageing
- L’Oréal Paris Base Magique Primer
- Revlon PhotoReady™ Perfecting Primer
Tip #3 Choose the best products for your skin type
“The correct foundation for your skin type is key. Choose a dewy hydrating foundation for dry skin types and a more matte finish foundation for combination to oilier skin.” – Eloise
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“[Making your foundation last] is all about using the right skin care and foundation for your skin type. If you find that your foundation is disappearing it could be as simple as changing your foundation and choosing between a primer and/or a moisturiser. For oily skin go for an oil-free primer with a longwear foundation and press your powder into your skin. For dry or dehydrated skin go for a moisturiser with a hydrating foundation and a little dusting of sheer loose powder just down the t-zone.” – Sheri
bh recommends:
- Innoxa Pollution Protect Foundation (for dry skin)
- Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 (for dry skin)
- Clarins Ever Matte Foundation SPF 15 (for oily skin)
- Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation (for oily skin)
Tip #4 Set with powder
“My best tip for making foundation last is setting the skin with powder. One of my favourite products to finish make-up with is M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder.” – Tobi
bh tip: If you have dry patches, avoid using powder in these areas as it can cause a flakey finish. Instead focus on the oiler parts of your face (as these are the parts that tend to need touching up), which is commonly the t-zone.
What are your tips for making foundation last?
