Investing in a very expensive long-wearing lipstick from your favorite brand is a lot less painful if you know it's going to last a few months instead of just a few weeks. By changing your makeup style and application routine in small ways, you can wear less makeup without committing to a bare face look. Stretch your quality products longer by trying at least one of these six fun tricks.
Skip the Sponges
Sponges do give you great control over your foundation, highlighter, and other creamy skin covering products. However, the thick and porous material absorbs a lot of your favorite products and keeps the makeup trapped instead where only washing can release it. Practice with efficient application brushes or turn to your fingers again to minimize wasted product.
Dilute Certain Products
Most makeup products only work well when applied full-strength, but concealer is particularly suited to diluting with your favorite moisturizer. This trick not only stretches your favorite concealing products, but it also helps when the thickness of the mixture makes it tricky to blend the concealer with the rest of your foundation and powder. Layering on thinner coats provides a more natural look too. You can also create creamy eyeshadows by mixing an eye-safe moisturizer with loose powders for brighter color and longer wear while using less product.
Waterproof Your Face
Tired of reapplying makeup three times a day due to sweating or humid air? Pick a method for waterproofing your first application so you only need a few touch ups throughout the day. You can also apply less when you know it's not going to be dripping off your face after only a few hours. Waterproofing ideas include
- Setting sprays that cover the face in a breathable top layer to prevent smudging and smearing
- Primer creams and spritzes that go on first to encourage your makeup to stick well to bare skin
- Gels designed for coating particularly thick applications of blush and eyeshadow
- Absorbent papers to blot oil and sweat without disturbing your foundation and lip color.
Stick with Beauty Balm Creams
Tired of carrying along a bag full of foundations, primers, sealers, setting powders, and other products just to get the look of smooth skin? Try a thin coating of beauty balm, also known as BB cream. This product was first developed in Asia as an alternative to multiple layers of makeup on a hot day. Many people use these creams for prepping skin to accept other makeup products, but you can use a tinted version in place of everything else to save money and speed up your routine.
Spread the Bronzer Around
No room in your bag for packing half a dozen different eye shadow shades for a weekend away? Instead of doing your usual three or four color blends, grab your favorite shade of bronze and use it to accent different parts of the face. The right copper color doubles as eyeshadow, subtle lip shimmer, powder eyeliner, and contouring tool. Using bronzer across the face also gives you a cohesive, matching look with less effort.
Remember to Moisturize
Finally, don't forget the good old fashioned trick of properly moisturizing before you apply your makeup. Since foundations and lipsticks are built on creamy bases full of oils and waxes, dry skin tries to suck up these sources of moisture instead of letting the layers sit on the surface. A smooth and even coating of any basic facial moisturizer gives you the best base for application and reduces how much you need of each product to get the look you want.
Stretching your makeup allows you to budget for higher quality products, which further reduces the amount you need to apply. Even the most budget-minded fashionista can afford the best brands when you only need a few dabs at a time.
Check out a site like Lili Buzz for more makeup advice.
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