Tried and tested - So, no more coming home looking like a hot mess (especially this festive season)!

by Hanan Haddad

Is it just me, or did 2019 basically didn’t happen?

We find ourselves back in the holiday season, where parties are in full swing and social gatherings are taking up a good chunk of our calendar. 

Contrary to popular belief, I am not a frequent party-goer. However, there is just something about year-end festivities that has me itching to down a couple of drinks and dance the night away with friends. When it comes to getting ready for these parties, it’s a whole process for me (which is probably why I prefer staying home for most of the year).

The reason is simple: I sweat A LOT and I want to look snatched even when I am wasted. 

Hence, my skin needs to be perfectly prepped to lock in that makeup until I decide to take it off haphazardly in a drunken state before I crash. If you find your makeup wearing away mid way through a party, here are some tips and products that are tried and tested to be party-proof. 

P.S. You can click on the images to shop the pieces!

1. Skincare is numero-uno

Dehydrated skin tends to eat up foundation while oily skin will break down the base - both cases lead to patchiness in coverage. Therefore, if you are looking to have a flawless base all night long, the key is to balance the skin before makeup application. 

I always either exfoliate or do a sheet mask prior to a night out, depending on how my skin is feeling that day. If it is looking congested, I would use a physical exfoliant such as the Inoue Seikoen Peeling Gel or a clay mask like the Philosophy Pore Extractor Face Mask on targeted areas (ie. T-zone and chin). The peeling gel, in particular, is great at refining the texture of the skin and making it silky smooth, without stripping my acid mantle dry. Also, it’s weirdly satisfying to see all the dead skin on your face ball up and wash away. 

When my skin’s feeling tight and dehydrated, I opt for more nourishing treatments that will plump out fine lines and give it a boost of moisture. My favourite for a long time has been the Eve Lom Radiance Transforming Mask. With a name like that, I came in with high expectations and this unassuming cream mask delivered. 

The mask is very low maintenance as you just massage it on the skin and rinse it off after about half an hour. There is a slight warming sensation as you massage the emollient formula all over, but it goes away after a few seconds. Before the hemp oil craze hit the beauty industry, this mask was way ahead of its time. Hemp oil soothes any redness and deeply nourishes the skin, while gentle AHAs slough away dead skin cells, leaving a supple and radiant visage. 

2. Priming is not a placebo effect.

For anyone with sparse brows, you know the struggle.

You take the time every day to carefully fill them in and give them body and texture, only to find out later in the night that one of them have clocked out early after being wiped away by sweat, leaving you looking like a one-browed fool for the rest of the night. 

Okay, I’m projecting.

For this reason, I prep my brows too and use certain formulas that I know will not let me down. A useful trick I always do is to prime my eyebrows. You don’t need a separate primer for this step, just your favourite eye primer will do. Spread a thin layer over the brows before filling them in with a pomade. My favourite is the Benefit Ka-Brow cream-gel brow colour. It comes with a nifty brush that actually works and is completely sweatproof. Unlike most brow pomades, this one has a waxier consistency that prevents brows from looking too bold and blocky. 

I also set everything in place with a tinted brow gel. However, not all brow gels are created equal. While some claim to hold brows in place all night, not all deliver on this claim. One that impressed me tremendously was the Catrice Brow Idol Sport Proof Mascara. This is literally hairspray for the brows so you have to be careful not to over apply. The tint packs quite a punch too, hence if you have thicker brows, this could be a one-and-done product for you. 

3. Chuck the lipstick, go for a tint.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be reapplying my lipstick in between tequila shots. And transfer-proof lippies are way too drying on my lips. God forbid I end the night with a ring of colour around my lips and the centre completely worn off.

The perfect solution comes in the form of lip tints.

Even if you pick bold colours such as reds and burgundys, tints tend to wear away more elegantly, leaving behind a hint of colour. So you can eat and drink all you want without ever having to worry about your lips. These tints also come in a variety of finishes from ultra glossy to satin matte, depending on what look you’re going for. The Urban Decay Vice Lip Chemistry in the shade ‘21’ is the one I’m currently obsessed with for a glossy finish. Peripera’s Ink Velvet Lip Tints are always my go-to for a matte lip.