As the elegant lady that you are you start your workday with your makeup on point.
Your eyeliner isn’t smudged, your concealer is concealing, your mascara isn’t flaking off, and your lipstick doesn’t look dry or cakey.
It’s what happens after a few hours of meetings and presentations when things really start to get a little bit dicey. Especially so when some of those meetings are over a cup of coffee/tea.
So, the only way you are going to get through a long day with your makeup looking its best is with touch-ups.
With only a couple of tweaks here and there, you can help ensure that your makeup looks as amazing as it did when you applied it in the morning all day long.
Before we get to the specifics of how to touch up your makeup, here is a little trick to make sure you check your makeup regularly. And it is good for your health too.
Stay well hydrated. Your skin can get dehydrated quickly and drinking water throughout your work day will keep your skin fresh. Plus it will force you to go to the bathroom a whole lot more regularly and each trip to the bathroom is a chance to check and touch-up your makeup.
Follow our guide on how to touch up your makeup—and get over that midday makeup slump.
How To Touch Up Your Lipstick
Lipstick is one makeup product that can really tie your outfit together.
However, no matter what shade you select, everything from a nude lip to a dark purple lip will require a touch-up or two throughout the span of a day.
It is the one part of your makeup that you can be certain will need touching up. So going anywhere without your lipstick in your purse is simply irresponsible. As an elegant young lady, you always have your lipstick at hand.
Always reapply your lipstick is after eating lunch since at that point you can be certain your color isn’t as bright and bold as it was in the morning.
If you are wearing a deep red lip (or something similarly bold), it will make sense for you to check the color beforehand throughout the morning as well.
This may sound silly, but when drinking water or any other beverage, try to use a straw to help prevent any color from rubbing off. No matter how “color-fast” your lipstick, always retouch after a hot cup of coffee or tea.
How To Touch Up Your Foundation
You may notice your foundation getting a little shiny by midday. This is especially true during the warmer months of the year. Pop in the bathroom and use a face-powder to absorb excess oil and reduce shine on the skin’s surface.
A lightweight, matte, pressed powder is perfect to use throughout the day for quick touch-ups. Be sure that your shade of powder closely matches the shade of foundation that you use.
How To Touch Up Your Concealer
To reapply concealer all over your face can get rather time-consuming. This is not always practical, especially when you’re busy at work.
Instead of applying it all over, focus on just your eyes. Apply a touch of peach-colored concealer under your eyes to help conceal dark circles.
Follow that up with a waterproof, full coverage concealer in a shade that matches your skin tone so that any dark circles from your poor sleep the night before will remain your little secret.
How To Touch Up Your Mascara
Before we go any further, I need to check why you might need to touch up your mascara.
If your mascara is flaking off during the day the chances are that you are not using a lash primer in the morning before applying mascara.
I use L’Oréal’s primer/base. It is a pink-tinted primer. The pretty pink tint helps me see easily that I have full coverage of primer. Using primer helps to thicken my lashes and enhances mascara wear as it gives a better surface for the mascara to adhere to.
Apply the primer, then reach for your mascara. Again, you will know when you have got a complete coat of mascara when you can’t see any of the primer show through.
If I have meetings in the afternoon, I’ll swipe on another coat of mascara and be good to go.
If you’re meeting your friends or significant other for drinks or dinner after work, wait until the end of the day to apply your extra coat—that way your lashes will be at their most dramatic just in time for happy hour.
How To Touch Up Your Eyeliner
As the day wears on there is a good chance that your eyeliner will be starting to smudge.
The last thing you want is to look in the mirror and see raccoon eyes in the middle of the day.
Adding extra eyeliner over already smudged liner as a touch-up will not work. Your smudged eyeliner will make it look like you have dark circles under your eyes so you will need to deal with that first.
Before fixing your eyeliner, apply a full coverage concealer under your eyes. Choose a shade that’s one to two shades lighter than your skin tone to instantly brighten your eye area.
Then, go back in with a whole fresh coat of eyeliner.
How To Touch Up Your Blush
Don’t panic if you notice your flushed cheeks starting to fade during the day.
This is an easy fix. Keep a stick blush in your purse for a quick and easy touch-up. If you are wondering why I am saying that you should keep a stick blush in your purse rather than a compact powder blush then you haven’t had a powder compact open in your purse yet and ruin your bag, your phone case, and more.
Simply swipe on some blush shaping sticks, then blend the color out using a makeup blender or your fingers. If you use your fingers be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after so you don’t get makeup smudges on your clothes and purse.
I have a friend who often does her blush touch up with a little of her matte lipstick, but that only works with a select few shades of lipstick.
How To Touch Up Your Eyebrows
If your brows start looking out of sorts you should at the very least have a spoolie on hand to neaten them up in seconds. To find out what a spoolie is and how to use it, here is the article that I wrote for you.
You can go a step further and maintain perfectly shaped brows by keeping a brow mascara in your bag.
This eyebrow makeup product is super easy to apply. Just use the angled skinny brush in short, upward strokes to boost volume and build your brows to your desired intensity and shape.
Three Bonus Makeup Touch-up Tips
Just when you thought that there couldn’t be any more touch-up tips.
No Mirror Compact In Your Purse
If you don’t have a mirror compact in your purse and no access to a bathroom with a mirror, the easy solution is to use the selfie camera on your phone as a mirror.
Here are two products I recommend always having on hand for touch-ups.
Facial Mist
You know how having a cup of coffee can make you feel perked up when you hit an afternoon slump. You may feel more alert, but your complexion can still look tired.
Instead, spritzing on a facial mist is an easy way to perk yourself up when you hit that afternoon slump.
When used correctly, a facial mist shouldn’t affect your makeup. Some products have formulas that can even refresh it!
If you have dry skin, using a facial mist can also be a great way to add a little hydration. There is no way that you can apply moisturizer over your makeup. It will completely mess up your makeup, forcing you to start from scratch.
Oil-Blotting Sheets
Oil-blotting sheets should be your go-to product if you have oily skin.
These sheets are easy to fit into your purse. Therefore, you should carry them with you anywhere.
When you start to feel like your skin is a little bit too oily, simply pull out a sheet and blot.
Concentrate on your T-zone area since this is the area of your face that tends to be the oiliest.