How I keep my makeup on for 12 hours without retouching

I like makeup, but I don’t like it when it melts off or is easily wiped off — which happens pretty often given I live in the Philippines.

When my makeup disappears into thin air, I feel like I don’t get my money’s worth, and the time and effort I put into my morning beauty routine is wasted.

My obsession to keep my makeup in place started when I was in college. It was deathly hot in campus, so my makeup would melt in minutes. I didn’t like that I had to keep on retouching in between periods.

Art by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas

As I got older, I had less time to do my makeup, but I could splurge on better makeup. Having a beauty routine that was as short and efficient as possible also became necessary because of my jampacked schedule. My “no makeup” makeup lasts throughout the whole day that I’m out until before bedtime.

My daily beauty routine takes five minutes, but it’s effective. I think the secret to my makeup staying put the entire day is layering products of the same kind that are meant for long wear. 

7 a.m.
I start with a pore minimizer (I use Benefit the Porefessional), which also acts as my makeup base. Then I apply liquid foundation (I use L’Oreal Infallible 24 Stay Fresh Foundation in Nude Beige), smoothen the base and keep everything in place with pressed powder.

I’ve realized that it’s wise to invest in good face powder, because it lasts longer on your face, and a good brand can last for almost a year and a half. I’ve used a lot of brands, but M.A.C. Studio Fix in NC25 agrees with my skin the most, and it keeps my T-zone from getting shiny all day. 

The common rule is to use all liquid products on your face, then creamy products, than products in powder form. As far as I know, this is to avoid any liquid products from getting goopy, or from caking on your face.

But I’ve discovered that when I apply my cream blush (Happy Skin Glisten Up Blush Cheek Stick) after my pressed powder, it stays on longer. Using a blush brush, I layer on two more kinds of blush, but in powder form (The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in Blush and Smashbox blush in Passion).

The things I work with

I’m not a contouring expert ala the Kardashians, but I try my hardest. I use a cream highlighter (Happy Skin Glisten Up Highlighter Cheek Stick) on my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose, and a matte bronzer powder (NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium) using an angled brush on my jaw line, sides of my nose, and a bit on the sides of my forehead. 

I don’t know how to apply eyeliner or eyeshadow properly, and I leave my eyebrows to the experts, so the extent of my eye makeup is to curl my lashes (love Shu Uemura lash curler!) and to put on a few coats of mascara (L’Oreal Miss Manga False Lash in Waterproof). Luckily for us, waterproof mascara is one of the most dependable makeup products that you’re sure won’t budge. 

I put on my liquid lipstick last, which stays on longer than other formulas for me, but it takes tons of practice and concentration to apply correctly. It stays on longer if you keep your lips dry, or if you put on a bit of foundation on your lips.

After years of searching for a longlasting lipstick, I finally got my hands on Beauty Bakerie Lip Whip in Versailles, which doesn’t move at all. It goes on liquid and dries up matte. A caveat: it’s impossible to remove without a makeup remover.

I finish everything up with three spritzes of my L’Oreal Infallible Pro Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray. One on the forehead, and one on each side of my face, and I’ve noticed that it feels like a thin film that protects your face. And that’s my entire routine!

Right after I've finished putting on my makeup at 7am

10 a.m.

Yes, I’m one of those women who wear a full face of makeup while in the gym. I try to head to the gym in the morning while my daughter is in school, so that’s usually around 9 or 10 in the morning.

For this particular day, I had Zumba at 10, and I’m glad to report that after an hour, my makeup was still intact. To think that I’m sweatier than other women! I took a selfie right after wiping the sweat off, and noticed that I didn’t need to powder my face. I love the natural flush in my cheeks that exercise gives!

I just finished zumba, and yet my makeup is still intact

12:30 p.m.

My daughter and I ate lunch in her favorite Japanese restaurant, and ordered our usual tempura, tonkatsu, and rice. I’m a huge fan of oily foods, but I’ve found out that oil removes lipstick quicker than any kind of food — even my hardcore lipstick specifically said to avoid eating oily food.

But look: even after a full meal and constant napkin dabbing, it stayed on. While other patrons whipped out their compacts to reapply their lipstick, I took mine out to check if I had any food in my teeth.

3 p.m.

I work from home in the afternoon, and like most offices, I’m in air-conditioned space, so I’m thankfully away from environmental elements that can break my makeup down. I had my afternoon snack of coffee and a pop tart, and still no lipstick removed.

When I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, I noticed my blush had faded a bit unlike when I just finished in the gym, but it’s still there. My lipstick was looking a little dry, but it was still true to its color, and was only obvious if you looked really closely — and who would look that closely, anyway?

5 p.m.

My daughter’s bedtime routine starts really early, so we eat dinner super early too —the table is set by 5 in the afternoon. When we started eating, my daughter asked me why I still had my lipstick on.

We had porkchops, rice, a bowl of fishballs, and a piece of chocolate for dinner. When I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I noticed that my makeup was still fresh enough to go for a night out. 

9 p.m.

It's the end of the day dare I say my makeup still looks great!

It’s a little more than half of the day and I'm so surprised: I’ve kept my full face on! My makeup of course isn’t as fresh as it was in the morning, but it still stayed on long and nice enough to make me look presentable throughout the day.

I was very tempted to powder my T-zone by lunchtime and put on lip balm to help my dry lips in the afternoon, but these concerns can only be seen by me, so to other people who are even a foot away from me, I still looked fine.

My current routine is the product of years of trial and error, and a lot about finding a “dupe”—a cheaper product that does the same fantastic job as your pricier product. I’ve discovered that most products, with the exception of lipstick and face powder, will always have dupes. And for someone who’s always budget-conscious like myself, dupes are always thrilling to find. — LA, GMA News