As you may know, it has been mandatory to wear a face mask on public transport or in a communal indoor setting such as the shops, cinema, places of worship and more since 15th June otherwise you could face a fine. If you are anything like me you may have had your fair share of smudged makeup due to the mask. The heat and friction under your mask is a recipe for disaster and can leave half your makeup on your face mask.
One thing to note with wearing a face mask regularly and especially in this warm summer is that you need to take care of your skin. I have linked my everyday skincare routine and would recommend you do spend some extra time on skincare prep before you apply makeup and when taking it off to reduce your chances of maskne.
Given that the bottom half of your face is covered now would be a great time to ditch the staple lipstick and experiment more with different eye makeup such as eyeliner or colourful eyeshadow. However, if you are planning to take your mask off when you reach your destination you will want your makeup to remain intact so read on to hear some tips I have used to avoid the below predicament!
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1. Use a sticky primer
You want a primer that will grip to and stick your foundation down as much as possible so it can endure throughout the day. You will want to avoid ‘moisturizing’ or ‘dewy’ primers, whilst they are pretty they will make your makeup that bit more slippery meaning it is more likely to transfer.
I have also seen people rave about setting their primer or moisturizer with a translucent powder before their foundation. Whilst I avoid this since I get very dry skin on the lower half of my face if you are someone who is oil-prone then this may just be the trick you’ve been looking for to keep that shine at bay.
Try: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, £27
2. Select the proper foundation
When picking a foundation it is best to opt for a matte finish as that will reduce the likeliness of transferring since your base will already be set down. Matte foundations usually have oil control properties which will help limit any oils seeping through and breaking up the product making it less likely to transfer.
When applying the foundation, I would recommend using a sponge as it absorbs any excess product so you won’t have extra makeup sitting on top of your skin. There is always the option of skipping foundation and simply spot concealing as half of your face is covered. This will be more breathable for your skin and overall lead to less transferring and acne.
Try: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation, £27
3. Bake the lower half of your face
To put it simply, the more powder on your face the longer your makeup will last. I suggest taking a translucent loose setting powder with a damp sponge after you have applied your foundation and concealer and baking the lower half of your face.
This involves dipping the sponge into your powder and pressing it onto your skin with a heavy hand and allowing it to sit for around 5 minutes. Don’t forget your nose as that will rub a lot on the top of the mask! Then you can dust off the remaining powder and get on with the rest of your makeup.
Try: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, £32
4. Avoid gloss or cream lipstick at all costs
Of course, the easiest option will be to avoid lip products nevertheless if your makeup is needing to last until you take your mask off I completely understand! You want to consider the finish of your lip products carefully and how transfer-proof they are.
I would urge you to avoid glosses and anything creamy as that is highly likely to transfer onto the mask and could even smudge onto it as well-meaning you could end up with lipgloss on your cheek or nose! So I would recommend a matte liquid lipstick or subtle lip stain if you find liquid lipstick to drying.
Try: Maybelline Superstay Liquid Lipstick, £9.99 or Benefit Benetint Lip Stain, £15.50
5. Setting spray. Setting spray. Setting spray.
Setting spray will be your best friend. I would suggest applying as much as possible throughout your makeup routine such as before putting on your foundation and on the finished product. Setting spray will also lock down all that extra powder you have put on and remarkably reinforce it whilst making the look seem less chalky or dusty due to the excess powder.
Try: Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, £26
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