/5 Ways to Party-Proof Your Makeup

5 Ways to Party-Proof Your Makeup

It’s finally that time of year again. When your Facebook notifications start blowing up with party invites. While you may start the evening looking extra cute with smoky eyes and pouty plum lips, Instagram will be documenting the slow disintegration of your full face of makeup.

You do, however, have a couple options in order to avoid this. Such as hitting decline on every holiday event for the month of December and boycotting New Year’s Eve. Or paying attendees to delete their Snapchats and unplugging the Wi-Fi at every venue you attend. Or simply declaring bare-faced is your new holiday look for this season. Better yet, don’t sweat. Like, ever again.

If none of that is feasible, we’ve listed five products to help party-proof your makeup for any event. This way you can stop living in fear of mirrors after midnight and get back to snapping and posting as many selfies as your data allows.

Flawless, long-lasting makeup begins with a holy grail primer

Sure, this step seems too much effort for too little payoff, but your 2am face will thank you if you’ve applied a makeup primer that’ll make your foundation go the distance. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, the OG of face primers, was designed for use under heavy studio lights. So you know your foundation will look perfect underneath your BFF’s makeshift holiday disco ball. Smoothing out your skin, minimizing your pores and making your makeup last through the night? Sign us up.

Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($36, sephora.com)

Keep it simple and say no to dark, smoky eyes

Blending smoky eyeshadow and adding sparkles to your lids is a good idea around 7pm But somewhere around 1am you’re likely to be rubbing your eyelids by accident. Avoid this by not wearing dark eye shadow or lining your lower waterline with a black pencil. Instead, apply a longwearing and waterproof liquid liner to your top lids. Stila’s version features a marker-like tip for easy application and the budge-proof formula is ideal for a night out. Use this opportunity to wow everyone with a perfect cat eye instead of perfect raccoon eyes.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($29, sephora.com)

Don’t let your lips fade into obscurity

The change of season always ushers in darker lipstick hues. Rich plums, moody burgundy and mulled wine are popular colours to apply before any holiday party. But just like the smoky eyeshadow, it doesn’t always translate well later in the evening. Three eggnogs in and you’re bound to forget to reapply as the night goes on, and you’re left with faded lips. Either stick with a moisturizing, neutral shade or layer your lipstick on top of a lip pencil to guarantee staying power. The Nars satin lip pencils are available in a wide range of colours that are creamy, long-wearing, moisturizing, and vitamin-enriched.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil ($32, sephora.com)

Stop your perfect eyebrows from melting off

You tirelessly create perfect-feathered eyebrows only to have those same manicured hairs melt off your face later in the evening. Worse yet, is when only one stays and the other goes. Try not to let this happen by using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Primer after gliding on a pencil or a powder. The wax formula is easy to apply, long-lasting and water resistant but also tames brows without the dreaded flaking or drying. The end result is subtle yet defined eyebrows staying put well into the early hours of morning.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Primer ($27, sephora.com)

Always rely on a trusty setting spray to save the evening

If you are to only use one item from this list, make sure it’s the Urban Decay Setting Spray. Sure, it sounds too good to be true. A lightweight and long-lasting formula that not only helps makeup stay in place for hours but works on all skin types. That description alone is more in line with sorcery than a setting spray. But alas, it exists and it was developed to save all types of makeup meltdowns. Whether you’re dancing all night long or stuck at a tropical bar, your foundation, blush and bronzer will stay on your face forever.

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray ($36, sephora.com)