How to: ensure your make-up lasts

It is a struggle to keep your makeup looking as good as it did when you first applied it, by the time you have had it on a few hours your coverage is already fading. So, what is the secret to long lasting makeup?

Primer is the ultimate product to ensure your makeup withstands the general everyday exposure to the elements. Primer is the answer to all of your long lasting makeup dreams. It is futile to even bother applying your foundation if you haven’t first covered your skin in a layer of this product.

Firstly, primer minimizes the visibility of pores by sealing them and therefore providing greater coverage, whilst also giving your skin a smooth and velvety complexion that is as lust worthy in real life as it is on Instagram. As well as transforming your skin to luminous loveliness, primer also acts as a shield against natural elements that would usually cause your foundation to wear off.

Although, it may seem like a rather pointless and expensive buy, when surely you would much rather be spending your pennies on a fab new eye shadow, its benefits are unparalleled. On a day when I need my makeup to last, I generously apply primer before my foundation knowing that my makeup will look as fresh at 9pm as it did 9am. Despite being super expensive, the Laura Mercier foundation primer is the best on the market. It has a creamy but lightweight consistency and a luminous quality that leaves your skin looking radiant. It can be worn alone as a skin pick me up, but worn under foundation it gives your skin a subtle glow. It is a bit of an investment at £29.00, however one tube will last you a while. A must have product for your Christmas list.

Whilst primer for your skin is essential if you want your coverage to remain fresh, eye shadow primer is necessary for the smoky eye lovers out the there. Mac’s Prep and Prime 24-Hour extend eye base revolutionised my smoky eye routine. After watching a short demonstration from a Mac girl, I was sold on this product and it became irreplaceable in my eye shadow prep. Not only does it make my eye shadow last from dusk until dawn, it also brings out the pigment in my favourite products. This primer works especially well with glitter eye shadows and really makes them sparkle. Once this primer is applied the colour on the eyelids is so much deeper and incomparable to what the shade looks like without it. Try it and you won’t regret it. (£16.00)

The final key to long lasting makeup is setting spray. Once you have completely finished your makeup, simply spray your whole face 2-4 times. My favourite product is the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray. The weightless formula ensures that your makeup lasts for up to 16 hours, keeping your contour and smoky eye firmly in place. What’s great about this product is that it prevents your makeup from cracking or fading but allows your skin to breathe, creating a beauty look that lasts. (£22.00)

Whether you have a long day at University or work or just want your makeup to last for a night out, then these products have got you covered.