We’ve compiled a few simple steps to make sure your meticulously applied prom make-up stands the test of time.
1. Exfoliate
There’s more to making sure your make-up lasts all night than just choosing products that promise long-wear. Two months before prom, start exfoliating your facial skin twice a week. The smoother the surface of your skin is, the more evenly you can apply make-up, therefore the longer it will last.
2. Use a primer
Primer is your absolute BFF when it comes to making your make-up last longer. As with exfoliating, it provides a flawless, even surface to apply your foundation onto, and it stops your foundation being absorbed into your skin, giving it greater staying power.
If you suffer from oily skin, like us, oil free primers are your best bet. They give a matte finish, rather than a dewy one, which can exacerbate oils.
Use en eyeshadow primer too, to stop your eyeshadow creasing. It might seem silly to spend your prom budget on a product you can’t even see, but trust us, it’s an essential step in make-up application. Why spend time creating the perfect blend of shades, for them to have disappeared before the dancing begins.
3. Buy long wear products
While long-wear make-up products still need a helping hand to last all night, they’re designed to withstand more than generic cosmetics, so when you’re shopping for make-up for prom, look for items labelled “long wear”, “waterproof” and “24 hours”, as well as ones formulated to resist smudging and humidity.
4. Use make-up brushes
Use a brush—not your fingers—to apply foundation. The oil from your fingers can mix in with the foundation and affect how it wears.
5. Use a lipliner
We remember when we thought lipliners were horrendously uncool, but once we found out they’re key to keeping our lipstick in place, you can’t keep us away from them.
Choose a lip liner in a colour that matches your lipstick shade, or pick a universal clear one that works with any lipstick hue.
Line your lips with a lipliner before applying your chosen lip shade. This will give a structure for your lips, and give your lipstick something to stick to. Apply your lipstick with a brush, building the layers for a look with staying power.
6. Set your make-up
Once you (or your make-up artist) has finished your make-up, seal it in with powder, or a setting spray to ensure it really stays in place. We love Urban Decay’s All Nighter Long Lasting Setting Spray because it refreshes our faces and hydrates our skin as well as cementing our make-up in. Mist it onto your face just before you leave the house, like you would a hairspray for make-up that stays on from your limo ride to your last dance.
7. Don’t touch
If you don’t normally wear a lot of make-up it can be tempting to touch your face a lot, but try your best not to. Even long-wear products will struggle to stand up to being rubbed or touched constantly.