How to make your makeup last all day in three easy steps

If you're anything like me you'll agree there's nothing more frustrating then spending the morning perfecting your makeup only to find by the evening you look like you didn't put any on. Your foundation has faded or dried out, you've got mascara spots under your eyes and your eyeshadow has creased or disappeared.

It's a nightmare, but there are three methods you can follow to help minimise the fall out.

Prepping your face 

Get Washing
Whilst it may seem obvious, washing your face in the morning can actually have a deterimental impact on how long your makeup lasts. Applying makeup on a dirty face increases your chances of it slipping or flaking away. Cleansing in the morning washes away dirt, sebum and old makeup leaving a blank canvas for you to start from scratch.

Don't forget to exfoliate!
Whilst it may not be obvious to you dead skin tends to accumulate on your face, and it's important to exfoliate a few times a week to remove that unwanted skin. Putting makeup on over untreated skin means the surface is not as smooth and the makeup is more likely to flake off.

Moisturise
Using a good moisturiser helps keep your skin nourished and fresh. Moisturising also helps to prevent any dry patches which may result in your makeup looking cakey or plastered on. If you have oily skin, use a oil free or gel moisturiser and use something more nourishing if your skin is drier. It's important to use a moisturiser with SPF in as UVA rays are harmful even during winter.
Don't Forget! Whilst moisturisers are vital try not to go too greasy or your makeup will just slide off.

Prime it baby
If you haven't been living under a rock for the last 5 years you're probably aware of how important primers can be in your makeup routine. Using a good primer, whether it's eye primer or face primer has a lot of influence on how long your makeup lasts. Primers give your skin a gorgeous silky base so that your foundation simply glides on top.

Choose the right makeup

Go for the invisible look
It's important to remember when buying foundation that it should look like you're not wearing any makeup. Foundation is used by millions to hide the imperfections we don't want to show the world so that last thing you want is a foundation that illuminates those. If you remember anything, remember that your foundation should sink into your skin.

Try before you buy
Whilst we don't have the liberty of trying everything before we buy it, we do have the option to try out makeup. It's vital to make sure you get colour matched or else you could buy a shade that's not suitable and you've just wasted £20 on something you can't use. Many department stores like Debenhams, house of Fraser and John Lewis are more then happy to assist you with a free makeover.

What's the right formula?
Everyone's different so not everyone is going to be wearing the same type of foundation. When choosing a product you should buy something that relates to your skin type, whether it's oily, dry mature, normal or sensitive skin. Bear in mind that your skin may change from one season to the next, for example in Winter your skin may be dry but in Summer it's more oily.

What type of coverage do you need?
Depending on how much coverage you want you can opt for a light, medium or heavy foundation. Whilst you may want to conceal more in the winter and use a heavier foundation, the warm weather and brightening effect of the sun in summer may result in you using a lighter foundation. Generally if your skins good you will only need a light coverage to even out any minor blemishes, if you are more worried about your skin you can use a medium or heavy coverage. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Choose longwear lip colour
We've all been that girl who applied her gorgeous new lipstick in the morning only to find it had disappeared after half a hour, unable to resist the clutches of the morning cup of tea. By choosing a lip colour that is water/food resistant you'll ensure you'll still be seeing it later that day no matter what you eat or drink.
Don't forget! You can use a lip liner around your lip colour to keep it looking great all day long.

Use powder eyeshadow
Cream eye shadows have the unique ability to crease in a short space of time, leaving a horrible cakey effect. Whilst the formulas have certainly improved over the years it's best to resist temptation and use a powder eyeshadow over a eye primer.

Keep your makeup in place 

Take your time
You may think you don't have any time in the morning and you're stressing about running out the door but it's important to give your makeup time to set. Slapping your makeup on in five minutes won't give your makeup time to set and will result in it sliding off. After each layer try to wait a few minutes before applying the next. Once you've applied your foundation you'll want to keep it in place. The best way to do that is to use a translucent setting powder that can set and give a matte appearance. By using a translucent powder you're not adding any extra colour to your face.

Avoid touching your face
If you've ever phoned someone just after applying your makeup you couldn't have failed to miss the runny foundation marks on your phone. By touching your face you're effectively doing the same thing removing a little bit of makeup each time thus increasing the chances of your foundation rubbing off.

Wear your hair up
It may sound strange but wearing your hair up can actually help reserve your makeup a little longer. By having your hair away from your face it won't be able to rub on it and accidentally remove any makeup.