Summer weddings are a blessing and a curse, in that they’re downright gorgeous but you also have to battle the heat and the sweat to look picture perfect. If you’re attending an Indian or South Asian ceremony, you’re in for long days of activities – from religious ceremonies to dances and receptions. Especially if you’re a bridesmaid, you probably won’t have time to redo your makeup in between events due to your bride squad duties.
So how do you keep your makeup looking fresh all day, with minimal lipstick touch-ups and nose powderings, during the hot, hazy summer afternoons? Here are 5 easy tricks any wedding guest – and especially a South Asian wedding guest – should keep in her arsenal when she’s getting ready for a summer event:
1. Light Moisturizer
Naturally, you’ll want to moisturize your face before applying any makeup on it – but it’s difficult to find a lotion that’s not too heavy or creamy. The creamier and shinier your lotion, the more likely your makeup is to just slide off – especially if you add summer sweat into the mix! Stick with a matte, lightweight lotion (preferably with SPF) to give yourself a proper base for face makeup.
Recommended: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 15, $14.99
(It even won Martha Stewart Wedding’s 2014 Big Day Beauty Awards!)
2. Primer
If you want your foundation to stay on all day, no matter the challenges, you’ll need a face primer. A primer will smooth your skin and apply a thin layer of moisture to it that the makeup can stick to and stay on. For long-lasting eyeshadow, you can get specific with an eye makeup primer that’ll keep your liner and pigments on through wedding events AND the dance-filled reception.
Recommended: bareMinerals’ Prime Time Foundation Primer, $24
3. Lip Liner
Your lipstick is most likely to need touch-ups throughout the day and night, but there is a trick to keeping even the cheapest drugstore lipstick on for longer: lip liner. Whether you buy a liner to match your lipstick or invest in an all-purpose, clear liner, make good use of the liner’s matte application. Line your lips, fill them in with the liner, and apply lipstick on top – your lips will be more even, so your lipstick will stay on longer without straying or feathering.
Recommended: ColourPop Pencils (Lumière), $5
4. Setting Powder
Liquid foundation is tempting for better coverage and even skin, but using a transcluent powder to set the makeup on top is the easiest way to flawless skin that won’t be susceptible to smeared foundation or clumping. Keep a compact powder in your handbag or clutch so you can touch up as needed – it’ll preserve your makeup and keep you looking fresh all day!
Recommended: Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder, $24
5. Makeup Setting Spray
The last and ultimate trick in the book is setting spray – a makeup ritual that the bride’s makeup artist herself probably uses to keep the look in place for hours and hours, through thick and thin. Setting spray involves spritzing your finished makeup with a water-less formula to ensure that it stays on for up to 16 hours. It essentially sprays a layer of protection on top of your carefully applied makeup, so that nothing – not even summer breeze or dance floor sweat – can ruin your perfect look.
Recommended: Urban Decay’s All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray, $30
With these handy bursts of knowledge, you can dance the beautiful summer’s night away without stressing over feathered lipstick or sweaty foundation. Go forth and enjoy the wedding festivities!