With temperatures forecast to reach 30C on my wedding day, I had one beauty objective: make-up that would last from the first photograph to the final dance, while still allowing my skin to look like skin. Heatproof, yes. Heavily powdered and devoid of luminosity, absolutely not.
Bride or guest, few occasions ask quite as much of your make-up as a wedding: tears, embraces, photographs, champagne, dinner and a lively dance floor. Throw in soaring temperatures and the expectations placed on an already hardworking beauty look rise even further. The answer, however, has less to do with applying more than it does applying smarter.
Below, beauty and skincare experts detail exactly how to keep your make-up picture-perfect all day (and night) long.
Focus on lightweight skincare products
Counterintuitively, preparing for heat doesn’t mean stripping the skin in hopes of resetting the skin’s shine balance. Hydration is still important, though there are caveats. Medical and cosmetic doctor Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe recommends avoiding anything “heavy or occlusive that’s just going to melt away”. Instead, prioritise mists and serums to maximise moisture, without creating an oil slick.
“I start with freshly cleansed skin, followed by a hydrating mist, eye cream and a lightweight moisturiser. SPF is my final step – it’s important to use one that applies transparently, and I’ll usually allow that to settle before moving onto make-up,” make-up artist Zakiyah Shani shares with me.
Build foundation and concealer in thin layers
“In heat and humidity, you have to work with the skin rather than against it,” make-up artist and brand founder, Samer Khouzami, explains. “I create a well-prepped but lightweight base by using thin layers and allowing each to set properly before moving on.” In very hot weather, a small fan will help set each layer as you apply it. For Shani, the key is gel and water-based formulas: “They perform particularly well in hot and humid climates because they feel lightweight on the skin.”
Use cream and powder
After foundation and concealer, Shani will layer cream bronzer and blusher, set them both with powder and then apply a powder bronzer and blush. This, she says, effectively “anchors” the cream formulas beneath, stopping the dreaded slide from happening. “I’ll set cream and liquid products with a finely milled loose or pressed powder, concentrating it only where the client tends to get oily or where make-up is more likely to move. This is usually around the T-zone and under the eyes.”
Know the difference between shine and sweat
Luminosity is not the problem; sweat mixed with excess product is. “Don’t assume your make-up needs to be completely matte to be heatproof,” Shani notes. When the first sign of sheen appears, try to resist the urge to immediately add more powder. “With shine, I always keep a powder puff on hand to gently blot and absorb any excess oil that forms on the skin.”
Sweat, however, requires a slightly different approach. “If you’re sweaty, try to cool down with a hand fan if possible. This allows the skin to dry before you attempt any touch-ups. You may find that you don’t need to add any more make-up at all.”
In other words: cool, blot, assess, and then add product where (and only if) needed.
Redistribute before reapplying
It’s been two hours in the sun, and your foundation is beginning to separate. The urge to apply more product – and quickly – is understandable. However, it’s not necessarily the right approach. Once the skin has cooled, Shani blots the necessary areas before using a hydrating mist to soften any powder build-up.
Then comes a particularly useful professional trick: “Using any excess product left on my foundation brush, I gently buff over the area, bringing the coverage back and blending any make-up that has separated.”
The same approach applies to fading blush. Try to redistribute what’s already on the skin before introducing more. If more product is necessary, Shani works a small amount into her brush from the back of her hand. This avoids depositing too much colour on the face and having to frantically try to sort it out. She’ll then finish with a light dusting of powder.
For serious staying power, Shani keeps One/Size On ’Til Dawn and Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray in her kit, while MAC Fix+, Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist or d’Alba Serum Spray help return a skin-like finish after powdering.
Plan for the 8pm touch-up
Heatproof make-up shouldn’t depend on remaining untouched for 12-plus hours. Instead, it should be applied in a way that allows you to recover it elegantly – and efficiently. Your emergency kit should be concise and laser-focused – blotting papers, pressed powder, concealer, your lip combination and a setting mist.
Perhaps we should think of a more useful definition of heatproof make-up: not a complexion that’s locked in place, but one designed to wear well over the course of the day. As Khouzami says: “It needs to move, photograph well, withstand heat and humidity, and still look beautiful hours later.” With the right groundwork, this is fortunately within reach, whatever the weather decides to do.
