How To Keep Makeup In Place All Day Long, Even When You Have Oily Skin

Even if you don't wear a foundation, it literally only takes 15 seconds to apply a little bit of primer, so it's well worth the effort. First, you gotta cleanse and tone your face. Remember when I talked about using a two in one product containing tea tree or witch hazel? These ingredients are ideal, because they tighten your pores and help to reduce grease output. Put a little cleanser/toner on a cotton pad and swab gently over your face, then let it sink in. 

 

Once your face is dry, dab a little clear oil reducing mattifying moisturizer over your face, ideally made with the same ingredients, then let it sink in. 

 

Only when your skin is completely dry should you apply any kind of primer. Which primer you choose is up to you. I'd always avoid dewy finish primers, though, because they'll make your skin look like it's a little greasy if that's how it tends to go naturally. Go for matte, powder finish primers instead. Start with a little and apply to your T-zone and chin primarily, then add some to your cheeks and around your nose if you need more coverage. Again, wait for it to dry before you apply anything else.

I don't like wearing a lot of foundation, so I never, ever wear a full face, even when my face is feeling really ick and I feel like I need more coverage, because I just feel like I'm wearing a mask. You might be the same! First up, dot concealer into those places where you need it — under your eyes, around your nose, on your chin, using a brush to apply it rather than your fingertips. Put it on the back of your hand first and then onto your face, never dipping the brush into the pot to avoid spreading grease and germs around. Blend, blend and blend some more. 

READ How to Choose the Right Skin Foundation Color for Your Skin Type

 

Don't worry if you don't cover any blemishes completely, because you're aiming for 80 percent coverage — your foundation will catch the rest. 

 

You coverage should be light, rather than really heavy. The heavier your foundation, the more likely it is to slide off, so go for a mattifying, light, and powder finish foundation, rather than anything with a dewy or "bright" finish. And heavens, steer clear of anything with a shimmer.

Whether you use blush or bronzer is really up to you. Personally, I prefer bronzer at the moment, but that's all probably going to change soon enough when I next go shopping for makeup! You have a couple of options here, depending on how well your base coverage "sticks". If you use a cream or a stain over the top of your base, it's more likely to stick, provided that your base coverage has settled into your skin well — otherwise, you might find that whilst patting your blush or your bronzer on, you end up dragging your base off with your fingers and ending up with a bit of a mess. Alternatively, you could use a bit of a dusting of a powder blush or bronzer, which is what I prefer, although it does give a slightly heavier finish. Just have a bit of a play around and see which formula works better for you.

 

One of the most annoying things about having oily skin for me, weirdly, is that spot between the top of my eyes and my eyebrows, because my mascara tends to rub there and because the skin is ever so slightly oily there, I end up with big black smudges there no matter how hard I try. The key to preventing that is to use an eyeshadow primer, but to dab it from your lash line all the way up to your brow line. 

 

If you use brow products, dab those over your brows too to give them a little bit of extra staying power. Let your product sink in completely before applying any eye makeup. Once you've done that, make sure that you use the most long-lasting eye products that you can find, and if your mascara still ends up rubbing off on your browbone, you might need to tick with a waterproof formula. As for eyeshadow, I'd recommend a cream finish rather than a powder because they they tend to wear off a little more evenly, if they're going to wear off at all. Look for products with a matte finish, as they're going to be more likely to stay in place. 

READ Fakeup Vs. Makeup: Falsies Or Mascara?

Another alternative is to use a thick kajal pencil along the upper lash line and blend it out using your finger. Kajal is super, super long lasting and because it's supposed to have a smudgey effect, it won't matter too much if it does get a little bit smudged, because that's how it's supposed to look! 

 

If you're going for something a little more precise, unfortunately, the only advice I can give is to spend as much as you can afford on a long-wear liquid liner. 

 

I've found that brands from some of the big clothing store, like Topshop and H&M are actually really good, but if you can get something Stile or Ilamasqua you'll be laughing.

 

Do you have any top tips for keeping your makeup in place all day, even as an oily skinned lady like myself? If you do, let me know - I'd love to hear all about it!