Who among us hasn’t left the house feeling like their makeup looks flawless, only to catch their reflection a few hours later and wonder where half of it went? Between heat, normal facial movements, skin type, and stress-induced face-touching, keeping makeup in place and looking just as fresh as when you applied it can feel like a full-blown side hustle—but without the money.
Fortunately, creating a truly long-lasting, sweat-proof makeup look isn’t about piling on more products. It’s about using the right techniques from the very beginning. In fact, some of the most effective tricks happen before you apply your foundation. The timing of your skin-care routine, the way you use (or don’t use) primer, how you apply powder, and even what you do before filling in your brows can make a surprisingly big difference in how well your makeup holds up.
To separate fact from fiction in the quest for long-lasting makeup, we asked professional makeup artists Katie Jane Hughes, Karol Rodriguez, and Jenny Patinkin to share the tips they rely on when they need makeup to withstand hours under hot lights, in front of the camera, or just existing in the real world. Ahead, discover their best advice for making your makeup stay put, from strategic layering techniques to inevitable touch-up tricks that can help keep everything unwavering from morning to night.
Don’t jump into makeup immediately after skin care
Being in a rush and having your makeup last are not reconcilable, especially when it comes to timing your makeup application to your skin care. It’s an absolute must to put some space between the last step in your skin-care routine and the first step of your makeup routine. “It’s best to let your skin care dry down a little bit before moving on to makeup,” says Patinkin. Hughes agrees, telling Allure you should wait five to seven minutes, “then go on with a complexion product.”
You’ll know it’s time when your skin doesn’t feel slick anymore. “I have dry skin, so I like to go in with a thicker moisturizer,” Rodriguez says. “When I can tap my cheek, and it’s no longer wet—just bouncy—that’s when I know I’m ready for makeup.”
Use as little product as possible
Is “less is more” a cliché? Yes. Is that because it’s true? Also, yes, especially when it comes to makeup and the skin care you’re applying before it. “Don’t overdo skin care because too much is detrimental to your makeup,” Hughes says.
Our pros unanimously agree. Rodriguez says resist the urge to do a full “12-step Korean skin care routine” before starting your makeup. “You’re making a little mess.” Instead, they say, use minimal product all the way up to your powder.
Patinkin always tells her clients, the thinner the layer, the longer the wear. “Definitely use a light hand, apply as little product as you can get away with, and you don’t have to apply makeup on every surface of your face—especially those areas that are prone to getting sweaty, like the sides of the nose and the upper lip.”
Foundation primer is optional—unless you’re oily or sweat-prone
Allure social media manager Bianca Richards applying Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder before base makeupCourtesy of subject
