Disappearing makeup is one of life’s little injustices. After exercising an almost inhuman amount of self-control by dutifully getting up early rather than hitting snooze, only for your painstakingly applied makeup to slide off by the time you grab your 4 PM snack, renders it something of a Sisyphean task. I don’t know anyone who’s not experienced this at some point – myself included. On the whole, my face can hold onto eyeliner (specifically Charlotte Tilbury Liquid Eye Pencil), mascara (Max Factor 2000 Calorie Curl Addict doesn’t crumble), and brow gel (Glossier Boy Brow can survive even the sweatiest of sauna sessions). Everything else? It’s a veritable Slip 'N Slide.
Then, there’s the matter of setting sprays, which are pretty Marmite in the beauty community. Some people love them; others think they don’t really do anything. But Shareen says, "I’m a big fan of setting sprays – the Chantecaille Rosewater is great for setting makeup, or Cover FX Mattifying Setting Spray if you really need to lock in makeup. If you want your highlight to pop, spritz your face then apply powder highlighter while it’s still wet. It’s not a subtle look!"
Most of my makeup education came from my days working on the shop floor of a high-end beauty store. Being of a drier skin type, I used to avoid powder like the plague, but my colleagues showed me that a light dusting was the difference between your makeup looking like a Raphael or a Picasso after lunch. (I love By Terry Hyaluronic Powder, which has hydrating hyaluronic acid for ultimate smoothness).
"Powder is really key," says Shareen. "It’s the one thing most women don’t do enough of when it comes to applying makeup. It really doesn’t have to be cakey, just a light dusting of Chantecaille HD Powder over your face right at the end is all you need. I do my lipstick first, then once I’m done perfecting that a little, the makeup will have settled into my skin somewhat and I can concentrate the powder where it’s needed," she added.
