MANILA, Philippines—Picture this: You’re on your way to your classes when suddenly, the rain pours. You’re carrying the paper that you worked on all night and don’t want to get your homework wet, so you have no choice but to make a run for it to the nearest building.
However, if you were wearing makeup when you were stranded, chances are, your makeup got ruined while you shielded your homework instead of your face.
While you should always prioritize schoolwork over vanity, you can’t pop into class with streaky cheeks and runny mascara. So you either start your makeup from scratch, or hide your face behind the assigned readings the entire day.
However, with the right makeup application, there’s no need to hide out at home on rainy days. Prevent streaky eyes and smeared foundation by prepping your makeup for the rainy days.
“Rain-proof makeup starts with the base,” said Bobby Carlos, creative director of Make Up For Ever Philippines. “Taking steps to ensure that your makeup won’t smear even with damp or humid weather will prevent you from doing unnecessary touch-ups.”
“Using waterproof makeup will get you through the rainy days. Invest in a few items that you will need in order to make your makeup last even when you get drenched,” he added.
Remember that it’s all in the base. As long as you get your base makeup (such as foundation and concealer) right, then you’ll have to worry a lot less when you apply color-based products.
When it’s raining heavily outside and you’re going out, apply foundation primer first, or a silicone-based foundation.
“Avoid moisturizing formulas that contain a lot of oil,” said Carlos. “They’ll slide off your face at once; use mattifying foundations instead. Also, if you need to touch up your makeup, use a silicone-based mattifying product instead of oil blotters to prevent your makeup from sliding off.”
Smallest amount
Wear the smallest amount of makeup possible if you’re planning to go outdoors on rainy days. But if you have to wear eyeshadow, pat on some concealer to make the powder adhere to your lids.
Don’t forget to use waterproof mascara to prevent unsightly raccoon eyes. For blush, a cream or liquid formula is best, as long as you apply it before setting your foundation with powder. A slight swipe of powder will make the color refuse to budge, resulting in streaky cheeks.
However, Carlos warned that waterproof makeup should not be used on a regular basis.
“Never use waterproof makeup every day,” he said. “At the most, you should use it twice a week because prolonged use of waterproof makeup can darken your skin, especially delicate areas like your lips.”
“Waterproof makeup strips the skin of moisture,” he explained. “For instance, waterproof mascara can make your lashes brittle and silicone can dry out your skin, so always moisturize properly and remove all traces of makeup afterwards.”
Also, disregard makeup when you don’t really need it. While it sounds like common sense to avoid using makeup in places such as the beach or while doing water sports, you’ll be surprised at the number of people who insist on using mascara, concealer and blush when they know they’re going to get drenched anyway.
So once in a while, ignore your overly kikay side and take a walk in the rain—sans makeup.
E-mail the author at biancaconsunji@yahoo.com
How to fix rain-smeared makeup
Don’t spend your entire lunch break fixing your makeup. If the rain made you look like a mess, here’s what you can do for a quick cleanup:
Runny mascara. First of all, don’t forget to use waterproof mascara if the weather looks overcast. Too late for that? With your ring finger, gently wipe away the smears (it should be easy enough to remove) and pat on some concealer and pressed powder over any smears that refuse to budge.
Streaky blush. Do not attempt to fix your blush by piling on more and more powder; it’ll only make the streakiness more obvious. Instead, wipe away the original layer with tissue and start anew.
Smeared eye shadow. With a sponge, blend the smeared portions so they don’t look like weird splashes of color on your lids. Then using a brush or your fingers, lightly dot fresh eye shadow onto your lids. Try to use neutral colors like cream, brown or pale pink so any mistakes will be minimized.
Caked powder. Pat, not rub, a piece of tissue over your skin. Then with a fluffy brush, swipe powder over key areas such as your T-zone. Avoid using a used powder puff, as this might contain oil deposits that might make your powder thicker.
