How A Makeup Artist Sweat Proofs Her Makeup

How A Makeup Artist Sweat Proofs Her Makeup

As a regular makeup wearer and also someone who lives in Australia, Land Of Much Humidity, I feel like I’m constantly fighting a battle against Sweaty Skin ruining my makeup.

So I asked Makeup Extraordinaire Helen Samaryan what she does to prevent sweat from ruining all her hard work. But ALSO how she recommends best revive makeup should sweat start to win out. Which, depending on your skin, your genetics, the weather, and a heap of other reasons often out of your control, it might! (And that’s okay/normal/life.)

What You Can Do To Sweat Proof Your Makeup

1. Pick and Apply Your Makeup Carefully

If you know you’re prone to sweat, or if the humidity is going to be through the roof, it’s probably for the best that you bench your dewy, glowy products in favour of things that have more staying power. (i.e. a satin or matte foundation or base product.)

In order to minimise any sweat, Helen also suggests applying your base products with a light hand, recommending you apply “just a touch of powder and foundation” instead.

Some makeup-artist recommended products to sweat-proof your makeup:

Hourglass Veil Primer
Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
Morphe Continuous Setting Spray
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder

2. Prep Your Skin Like A Makeup Artist

“Good skin prep and a good primer is essential,” says Helen. So if you want your makeup to have the best possible chance at lasting in hot, sweaty conditions, don’t skip your skin prep.

“I always use the very minimum of face oil (Face Hero gets a serious workout in my kit), moisturiser, and eye cream. Once the skincare is on it’s also important to use a primer that works for your skin type, there are a bunch of great ones on the market that target different skin concerns (including mattifying, illuminating, colour correcting and pore smoothing primers).”

What You Can Do To Revive Makeup Throughout The Day

1. Use Blotting Papers

It can be tempting, but if you notice your skin starting to sweat, fight the urge to wipe it off. “Do not wipe away your sweat,” Helen warns. “I recommend gently patting the skin with an oil blotting paper or a tissue if you don’t have any blotting papers. This will absorb sweat without shifting the makeup too much.”

2. Pack A Few Essentials For On-The-Go Touch Ups

Be prepared and stash a few clever products in your handbag to keep your face fresh all day long.

“Having a mini beauty blender in your makeup bag is my favourite solution. I find that beauty blenders are fantastic at smoothing and blending out any makeup that might have shifted or separated without lifting off too much of the remaining product left on the skin. Use a patting/stippling motion and go over any areas that aren’t looking smooth,” advises Helen.

“Of course it also won’t hurt to have a little concealer, blush/bronzer and a powder in that touch up bag as well so you can build up a little coverage you may have sweat off, add a little colour and matte down excess shine.”

What You Should Always Remember

While Helen’s makeup wizardry tips can be very effective for preventing sweaty skin, it’s important to remember that sometimes sweat happens.

“Keeping all those product suggestions in mind, it’s also important to remember that sometimes it’s inevitable,” says Helen. “Be it hot/humid conditions, stress, a medical condition, menopause, or just someone generally being more likely to perspire, sweat can appear and that is normal.”