With the festive countdown well and truly on, our calendars are packed with social gatherings and events that warrant a glamourous makeup look that can withstand a little rocking around the Christmas tree...
After all, is there anything worse than stepping away from the dance floor or Christmas dinner table only to be met with patchy foundation, lipstick on your teeth and a smattering of shimmery eyeshadow migrating down your cheek? We've all been there...but as of 2023, we're officially kissing those troubles goodbye.
To save you from a beauty faux pas, we've rounded up all the tried and tested ways to party-proof your makeup, from the best primers to the setting sprays that won't allow even an inch of your best foundation to budge...
3 ways to party-proof your makeup this Christmas
Of course, how you do your makeup and how much product you use comes down to personal preference, however, there are a few known steps that can be easily incorporated into your routine that will boost the longevity of your beauty staples.
So, to ensure your makeup masterpieces survive the Christmas craziness, here's our guide to party-proofing staples you need in your beauty arsenal...
1. Use a primer base
RRP: £35
Woman&home's Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar, swears by this primer for its - as the name suggests - gripping power. Its silicone and oil-free formula means it's non-comedogenic and works to create a tacky base for your base products to lock onto - for up to 12 hours.
RRP: £29
This is one of the best eyeshadow primers among our beauty team thanks to its long-wearing formula that creates the perfect base for your eyeshadows. It reduces fallout, creasing and helps to prolong the vibrancy of your chosen shades. Ingredients like vitamins E and C also help to nourish your eyelids and ward off dryness.
RRP: £31
Our beauty team named this product as the best overall primer thanks to its pore-blurring magic. Its silky formula works to minimise the appearance of fine lines and pores, creating the perfect, mattified canvas for your makeup.
For Aleesha, primer is a crucial first step, "Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip Primer is my ultimate pick, as, not only does its gripping power very much live up to its name, but it contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to hydrate skin and is not drying at all."
A good primer creates an almost tacky layer to the skin that your base products, be it a skin tint or full-coverage foundation can latch onto. For a really flawless look, we'd suggest a pore-blurring primer or for our glow-lovers, one that adds radiance to the skin - like Saie's Glowly Super Gel.
2. Set your look with powder
RRP: £34
This powder is available in a range of shades, including a pink - which has been a popular, recent trend for brightening the undereye and masking dark circles. It's super fine pigments work to blur and lock in your makeup for a natural but flawless and long-lasting finish.
RRP: £20
This powder is a popular option over on TikTok for it's ability to set makeup for up to 16 hours and while it is mattifying, it's pearly pigments add radiance.
RRP: £38
If you're not a fan of loose-powders, Naomi recommends Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Finish for shine control on the go and its ability to set your makeup for a glowy but blurred look.
Setting powder isn't just for controlling shine, it can also help to lock in all of your base products - especially when used in tandem with setting sprays.
"I tend to apply a light dusting after concealer and foundation but before contour, blush and highlight, as I use cream formulas for the latter so like to let the texture show on my skin," says Aleesha. "I'd go for a loose translucent formula as it settles into skin really nicely - keeping makeup in place without looking too dry or powdery - and the lack of colour means that it won't alter your look."
Pro tip: If you're planning to wear your best red lipstick to your next Christmas soirée, Aleesha says as a final step to dust your lips with some powder and a spritz of setting spray for some extra staying power, but "just try not to move your mouth too much while it's drying!"
3. Finish with a setting spray
RRP: £30
Naomi Jamieson, woman&home's Digital Beauty Writer recommends the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray for a long-lasting but glowing look: "I use a few spritzes of this after I've applied my Flawless Filter, foundation and powder to help seal in that base. I then wait for it to completely dry before spraying a final time when my makeup is complete." continuing my routine."
RRP: £20
This lightweight setting spray offers a dewy finish whilst simultaneously locking in your makeup. It's hydrating thanks to its formula of Pea Peptides, which are rich in Amino Acids and work to prolong that freshly applied makeup feel for longer.
RRP: £26.67
This setting spray is a cult-favourite for it's weightless feel and ability to leave your makeup looking freshly applied for up to 16 hours. No matter the weather or temperature, a spritz of this will ensure your foundation doesn't budge.
If nothing else, a setting spray is the one product on this list that should become a permanent resident in your makeup bag. As the name suggests, they work to set your look into place, whether you prefer to use it right after your base makeup or as a final step.
When it comes to setting spray, Aleesha swears by layering: "I start off with a very light spritz of hydrating setting spray - like Illamasqua's Hydra Setting Spray - just to quench my skin slightly and keep it feeling comfortable all night. And then I finish with a long-lasting one like Urban Decay's All-Nighter to really set my look.
"My top tip though? Use the cold shot of your hair dryer to dry both setting spray layers to really set them in place before they have a chance to "melt off" any of your makeup!"
