Nine make-up must-haves for summer that will survive from morning till night
When it comes to an event, nobody wants their face to flag before they do. It doesn’t matter what your plans consist of – Ascot, the Henley regatta or next-door’s barbecue – what we require from ‘occasion’ make-up is that it stays looking fresh and pretty from arrival to rosé-soaked departure.
It needs to be able to survive weather extremes, emotional outpourings and wild kitchen dancing. According to make-up artists, the likelihood of longevity depends upon two factors: application and products.
Layering is key. While it might seem easier just to trowel on one substantial covering of foundation or eyeshadow, it’s far more effective to use two or three super-sheer layers. It looks way more natural, too. And there’s no longer a trade-off between endurance and comfort. The days of suffering the torturous sting of Lipcote are long gone.
To get the best tips, I interviewed maquillage supremo Charlotte Tilbury, who has made up high-profile brides (remember Amal Clooney’s nuptials in Venice?) and countless celebrities – all of whom need to look as photo ready leaving the after party at 3am as they did arriving on the red carpet eight hours earlier.
Remember, it’s all in the prep
Clarins SOS Primer Gold Glow, £33, clarins.co.uk
Tilbury says her job is made so much easier ‘if my clients have been prepping their skin with an exfoliating toner – it removes dead skin cells and creates an even base for me to apply products’. Check out The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner (£7.70, johnlewis.com).
Next step, layering.
Try one of the new slew of primers that do so much more than give your foundation something to grip on to. We love the new Vieve Skin Nova Instant Radiance Primer (£29, vieve.co.uk) to even out skintone and deliver a lit-from-within glow. Alternatively, try Clarins SOS Primer Gold Glow (£33, clarins.co.uk), which smells divine and adds a shot of sun-kissed colour, or make-up artists’ favourite Nars Soft Matte Primer (£34, cultbeauty.co.uk), which is great for soaking up shine.
Get with the new-gen powders
Face powder has historically had a bad rep – and rightly so, according to Tilbury: ‘They used to make you look cakey and 101!’ Not any more. ‘Nowadays there are formulations that are microfine and super lightweight.
These not only extend the life of your base, but blur blemishes and reduce the look of pores, too. In fact, they make you look younger rather than older. Before events powder down the central T-zone of my clients because having shine there is not great for photos.’
Available in five shades, check out Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder (£57, spacenk.com). Tilbury also ensures clients have powder in their clutch bags so they can touch up mid-event. A red-carpet trick that works in real life is to preload a retractable brush with powder so you can just sweep over when needed. The new Otis Batterbee Retractable Magic Powder Brush (£30, ) is our on-the-go pick.
Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk, £21, charlottetilbury.com
Invest in a lip pencil
Fundamental to a lip colour’s staying power, it’s time to think of a lip liner as a primer for your pout. Tilbury advises: ‘Use it all over the lips as a base, as this will make any subsequent lipstick last better and stop it bleeding into the lines.
My Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk (right, £21, charlottetilbury.com) is cross-generational – I have 80-year-olds who are obsessed with it.’ And, as a bonus, ‘it’s brilliant for resizing and reshaping lips,’ she adds, because ‘they get thinner and more asymmetrical as we get older’.
Spritz on a setting spray
Setting spray is another product you might be sceptical about. ‘The old formulations were like putting hairspray on your face,’ says Tilbury. ‘Sticky and tacky. They might have made your make-up stay all day, but walking around with crunchy skin? No thanks.’
Cult product Hourglass Veil Setting Spray (£48, cultbeauty.co.uk) with zero crunch has been joined by a host of new products that not only form a clever ‘invisible mesh’ over make-up, but also deliver a hydrating, smoothing, plumping hit of skincare via their superfine spray. Use to set make-up, then throughout the event as a skin pick-me-up.
For a budget option, try Elf Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray (£10, elfcosmetics.co.uk).
Hot weather = Chafing
Megababe Thigh Rescue Mini Anti-Friction Stick (£8, boots.com) has a balm-like texture that minimises rubbing.
Under a tenner
W7 Liquid Eyeliner Pot (£4.50, w7makeup.co.uk) is my new discovery. Budge-proof and easy to apply.
Deputy beauty editor: Alice Robertson
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