How to Perfect the Afternoon Touch-Up

I don't know about you, but my makeup certainly does not look as fresh at 4:00PM as it does at 10:00AM.  During the day, simple tasks like walking around, eating, blinking...movement of your face in general can take a toll on your makeup.  In addition, your skin will replenish oil during the day as time progresses after washing it as well as lose moisture.  All of these factors can cause our makeup to cake, smudge, and fade.  Thus, many women refresh their makeup throughout the day.  Check out these tips for your mid-day touch up:

1.  Clean up around your eye area
The most noticeable area that smear and fades is generally the eye area.  Always keep some Q-tips with you to clean up around the eye area.  Tackle more stubborn mascara and eyeliner smudges with Almay Oil Free Makeup Eraser Sticks ($6 at Ulta).  They're basically Q-tips with a makeup remover formula in the middle of the wand.  When you break it in half, the solution dispenses to one side of the Q-tip.  And it doesn't leave an oil or residue behind.  Even though I typically wear gel eyeliner, I keep a creamy pencil liner in my purse for any easier liner touch up.  
After all that, sometimes my eyes still don't look as awake as they did in the morning.  If I'm going out to dinner or something after school or work, I'll line the inner corners of my eyes with a shimmery, white eyeshadow (using a brush, wand, Q-tip, or white eyeliner pencil) and dust a light cost of the shadow under my bottom lash line to make my eyes pop and my eye makeup look sharper.  It really helps counteract any darkness around the eyes (from makeup smudging or fatigue) and acts as a light-reflecting luminizer to brighten.

2.  Mattify oil
When you wash your face in the morning, you rid your pores of excess oil.  However, during

the day, your skill will slowly replenish that supply.  By mid-day, your face may appear shinier than it was in the morning.  Excess oil may also cause some foundations and powders to cake.  So, keep some Palladio Oil Absorbing Rice Paper Tissues with Rice Powder ($4 at Ulta) in your purse.  You don't need to invest in expensive blotting tissues because drug store ones can do the job.  I really like the Palladio ones because they absorb oil really well without smearing makeup like other blotters do (make sure to pat not wipe oil from your face).  Just don't overdo it...you shouldn't be blotting more than three times per day because constantly removing oil will send a signal your skin to produce more oil.  Eventually, this can cause your skin to overproduce oil. 

3.  Wake up your complexion
To top it off, dust your face with a sheer pressed powder like the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder ($34 at Sephora).  The powder will help also help absorb any excess oil.  I prefer a pressed powder because they are generally a more light-weight, and they're more mess-proof for easy storage in your purse and reapplication.  In addition, I prefer a powder with a sheer coverage (rather than a transparent one or one with fuller coverage) and radiant finish because a slight touch of color and luminosity won't interfere too much with the makeup on your face.  In fact, it can even your skin tone and give your

complexion a little lift.  
For days when your complexion is looking particularly dull, gently pat a small amount of Mally Perfect Poreless Primer ($35 at Ulta) over your face before you apply the powder.  I save it for certain occasions only because I don't like the fact that it contains bismuth oxychloride.  But I must say that it's the only primer that I have stumbled across so far that looks okay over makeup.  As a primer, it helps seal in moisture, smooth, and brighten.  Mally herself claims that this is a good way to rid your face "mid-day crusties" and keep your complexion glowing.

4.  Reapply
With eating, it's pretty hard to keep your lip color on all day, so don't forget to reapply it throughout the day to keep your face looking fresh.  Adding an additional coat of mascara can also spruce up your look.  Lastly, you may need to retouch any blemishes or dark spots that you spot cover with concealer.  Slim concealer pens like the Shiseido The Makeup Corrector Pencil ($18 at Sephora) are perfect for the job.  It's compact for carrying around, while the stick formula glides on easily and allows for a precise application.

5.  Rehydrate

Throughout the day, your skin will lose moisture as time passes after applying your morning moisturizer.  Also, many foundations work by pulling moisture from your skin, which can be dehydrating.  To set your reapplied makeup and replenish your moisture supply, spritz with some Avene Thermal Spring Water ($9 on drugstore.com) over your makeup.  Not only will your skin look refreshed, but it will feel refreshed too. 

If you find that you have to reapply your makeup multiple times a day, you can probably take better measures to keep your makeup on.  For example, try using a setting spray like the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Spray ($29 at Sephora) to set makeup in place better than a setting powder or long-lasting foundation alone.  You can also use primers to keep your mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, and lip color in place.  Some really effective healthy options include:

• Tarte MultiplEYE Clinically-Proven Natural Lash Enhancing Primer ($22 at Sephora)
• Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer ($20 at Sephora)
• Alison Raffaele Face Forward Primer SPF 15 ($46 on dermstore.com)
• BITE Beauty Line & Define Lip Primer ($22 at Sephora)

Hopefully, these tips will help you freshen up so that you can put your best face forward every time of the day :)