How to set your makeup…and give your powder staying power! 
This is an especially helpful post to help combat the ridiculous heat we are having that can often wreak havoc on your makeup!!! Powder can really be your friend in times like this….as well as any time that you want to make sure your foundation or concealer is set so it doesn’t move all over the place! So what is the secret to really setting your foundation with powder?
Ta da!!! The powder puff! You thought these babies were obsolete by now right? I have to admit…I have thrown a few of these away in my day….mainly because in the winter I tend to stick with a brush to apply my powder to set my foundation because I don’t need that much….Somehow you just seem to accumulate them, especially if you buy a lot of powder like me. Anyway-this is your key to maximum powder potential! Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you apply powder with a brush it seems like it is actually taking off your makeup instead of setting it? Often, this is because we are in a hurry and are using a back and forth motion to apply powder with a brush instead of a stippling motion. Essentially when you do this you are just wiping of some of your foundation! It is times times like this when a powder puff can be your best friend. This is how you do it:
1. Dump some of your powder onto your puff:
2. Push that powder into the puff.
3. Tap or flick the puff to get the excess powder off.
4. Apply your powder. You can do this using the whole puff by pressing it on or you can wrap the puff around your finger and press and roll it into the skin. (the same way we apply makeup with a sponge!)This method will really get the powder in there. (Sometimes when I am in a hurry I just pat the puff all over my face…so don’t feel chained to the press and roll method)
5. You may have excess powder on your face….this is when you can use your powder brush to dust the excess off.
You now have a flawless and perfectly set face!!! I truly believe that this helps to set your makeup better and make it last longer….pressing and rolling really gets it into the skin to set it. You control the amount of matte coverage you get with the amount of powder that you “grind” into the puff and the skin. If you still like your brush, which I also still use for some powder applications, just make sure you are tapping it on instead of wiping it on so that you don’t disturb the flawless foundation application you worked so hard on!!! After my powder application, I like to follow with a setting spray…I like that it kind of “seals” everything in and in a weird way it kind of blends the powder into everything!
Erin
2 Response to “How to set your makeup…and give your powder staying power! ”
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August 15, 2012 6:25 pm
Thanks Erin
Do you have a recommendation for a setting spray? Really appreciate the product reviews here too! Cheers!
August 20, 2012 8:41 pm
Ah I just saw this! Sorry for the delayed response
I use Urban Decay’s because it doesn’t create a high shine like some others do…Ben Nye has one that stays and really really works but it can make you look very shiny so I can’t use it on brides! Overall what I look for in setting sprays is something to spray on to kind of blend everything together and make the look less powdery but also has some alcohol in it to set things up!