When I was a MAC Makeup Artist, customers would always come in asking for touch up products for a special event. If you have a big event coming up – i.e. your wedding day or a ball, you want your makeup to stay flawless throughout the day into the night. Here are some products I like to recommend to touch up with:
Lip Primer
I always tell my clients to take lip products with them to touch up during the day. If you are prone to feathering or dry lips, start with a primer. I love the MAC Cosmetics Prep & Prime Lip. Its a clear balm that goes on your bare lips, and you actually go right on the edge of your lip line. This helps to stop the lipstick from feathering. Its about $33 AUD and is sold at MAC Cosmetics counters. A similar product, at an attractive price (and don’t we all love that) is the Colourpop Cosmetics Lip Primer. I think its only $6 AUD. But you have to order it from the states and pay postage. Which is still worth it if you have time and want to order a few things. Put your lip primer on first, wait a few seconds – it will go a little sitcky, then go on with your colour.
Gloss looks great in Photos!
If your a gloss girl, you will be pleased to know that gloss photographs beautifully in photos. I love gloss but only if its creamy. I personally HATE sticky glosses – I hate the way they feel BUT – they are so much more long lasting on the lips. So its entirely up to you, would you prefer a sticky gloss that will last awhile? Or a creamy gloss that you will have to touch up with more often? My favourite creamy glosses are the MAC Cosmetics Cremesheen’s they feel more like a balm than a traditional sticky gloss.
Lipstick all the way
If you are more a lipstick girl then there are tonnes of long-lasting products on the market for you. The great thing with lipsticks is that they can be more long-wearing than glosses – especially the ones with a matte finish. After I do a trial I tell my brides to visit their favourite makeup counter and try different colours on to see what they prefer. Don’t be shy! When I used to work at MAC we would have at least one bride every week come in and try on about 10 different shades until she found her perfect colour.
Again MAC Cosmetics has a massive selection of colours – sorry to keep harping on about the brand, I promise I am not endorced by them, but they do have a rather large selection of colours. Bobbi Brown Cosmetics also have a great selection of more neutral tones great for brides. If you are after ultimate longevity on your lips – try a liquid lipstick, lots of companies do them now, and I have some from Colourpop and Kylie Cosmetics. Definitely try these on first as I find the colours dry a bit darker than what they appear in the bottle.
Powders
If you are prone to oily skin or a shiny t-zone ….or if you are getting married in the middle of summer in our lovely Perth 40 degree heat, then I would recommend a powder to touch up with. I usually recommend a compact powder over a loose – as loose powders just get messy. The last thing you want is dusting your whole outfit in powder. Two options would either be a light powder or a full coverage powder depending on what coverage you like on your skin. The Hourglass ambient lighting powder is a nice soft sheer powder and the MAC Studio Fix Powder is more full coverage.
Eyeliners
The last product I would suggest – and this one is not for everyone, is an eyeliner. This is more if you have gone for a bold eye look and want your eyes to stay smouldery and intense throughout the night. You need an eyeliner that is soft enough to not drag the skin under your eye, but also long-wearing and won’t smudge. I have tried loads and my recent favorite is defiantly the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye-pencils sold at Mecca Cosmetics. I used the colour Whisky below.
Brushes
So you have a powder and your perfect lip product – how will you apply them? With powder you can either go with a brush or a sponge. I am an oily person – so I take both as they both have their on their own benefits. Brushes will apply the product in a lighter coverage to blot shine instantly. You don’t need the most expensive brush on the market, just something soft and fluffy and not too big. Remember you don’t want to powder your whole face, just where you get shine. Real Techniques at Priceline do some great smaller fluffy powder brushes.
A sponge on the other hand will apply a heavier amount of product in a specific area. For example, if you have eaten and your foundation has worn off around your chin, a sponge with a full coverage powder will add back the coverage you lost. Manicare and MAC Cosmetics do round sponges which can sometimes fit inside your powder container. Win win.
Ok now lip brushes – firstly I know not everyone loves using a lip brush. If you have a lip liner, you can always line your lips first and then fill in with your lipstick. If not and you are going to be rocking a bold lip – you need a brush to get that professional edge. My biggest tip would be to get a lip brush with a lid. Otherwise you get all sorts of yucky things sticking to your little brush when you pull it out of your handbag.
So lets recap….
Touch-up products to consider with would be your lip products, a powder, something to apply them with, and an eyeliner if you are going for a bold eye look.
Have I missed something? Let me know and I will be sure to cover it in another blog!
