Help your makeup to outlast any Christmas party

You’ve fashioned a flawless flick, perfected a killer pout and got your contouring just so only to find your blusher sliding down your cheeks and errant mascara on your lids before the canapés have even made an appearance.

With party season (almost) in full swing, the challenge is how to keep things in place without looking like you’ve labored over them. After all, life is too short for touch ups and – having missed out on a years’ worth of parties – every second counts this year. We’ve enlisted the help of makeup artist Sonia Deveney to give her top tips for locking in your look as well as some choice products that will stay put as long as you need them to.

‘Long-lasting products tend to emphasise any dry skin so prepping with a lip exfoliator such as Fresh’s Sugar Lip Polish or using a baby toothbrush to gently buff away any flakiness is key,’ says Sonia.

She suggests next applying a light balm to provide nourishment in cold weather, tissuing off the excess stop the lips from feeling uncomfortable when opting for long-lasting formulas. ‘Textures such as stains or super-matte lipsticks tend to be the hardest wearing but you can also apply a lip liner over the entire lips before applying your lipstick to give it more longevity,’ she says.

Finish by pressing one ply of tissue over the lips, dusting some translucent loose powder over the top then re-applying another layer of lipstick.

‘As with the lips, ensure that your skin is prepped and free from any dryness as this will be further emphasised by using long-wear foundations which tend to be more on the matte side,’ advises Sonia. ‘Primer is your best friend here and luckily there are so many options these days from pore refining to shine controlling.’

Some long-lasting foundations can be quite high coverage and tend to be more drying in texture so Sonia stresses that choosing the most compatible base to use with your primer and moisturiser is imperative. ‘If you still find it’s a touch too dry, apply with a damp sponge or add a drop or two of serum and mix on the back of your hand,’ she says.

Equally, any excess moisture will play havoc with maintaining a flawless finish so make sure your moisturiser isn’t too rich. ‘It’s all about finding that sweet spot between looking crêpey or having everything slip,’ explains Sonia.

To set your foundation in place as well as making it last longer and reducing shine, opt for a light dusting of translucent loose powder which can either be applied all over or just on the T-zone depending on your skin type. ‘If you really mean business, press onto the skin using a soft powder puff or buff in a foundation powder (such as MAC’s Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation) with a buffer brush for maximum coverage and hold,’ says Sonia. ‘Failing that, you can always set your entire face with a spritz of setting spray.’

‘I’m a huge fan of cream blush as it gives such a gorgeous, naturally healthy glow but it’s not generally known for its staying power,’ Sonia says. ‘To increase longevity, apply a cheek stain beforehand (such as Benefit’s Benetint). That way, if the cream blush moves while you’re out, you have the stain underneath as a back-up. Powder blush, like anything powder-based will give more hold.‘

These days there are no end of products that give a subtle creamy sheen but for a long night out Sonia suggests opting for the ones that ‘set‘ more on the skin (Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Beauty Light Wand) to avoid any slip. ‘It’s all about selecting the right texture,’ she says.

‘You can really go to town with the number of products that are available for brows these days but whatever you opt for, start by dusting loose powder over your brows first to extend the hold of anything you put on top and always go for long-lasting formulas,’ says Sonia. ‘One option is to apply a coloured brow powder to fill in any gaps and perfect the shape with an angled brush or you could use a liquid brow pen which tends to have superior staying power.’ Afterwards, simply use a clear brow setting gel or spritz some long-hold hairspray onto a brow brush before combing through to keep your brows in place all night.

‘If you’re pushed for time, opt for a tinted volumising fibre gel instead which adds a hint of colour to the actual brow hairs rather than the skin underneath,’ she suggests.

‘I love a not-so-perfect smudgy party eye and my go-to products are a 24 hour dark brown eyeliner to accentuate the lash-line together with Sisley’s Phyto Eye Twist all-in-one eyeshadow pencil, which is waterproof,’ says Sonia. She suggests using a touch of long-lasting concealer over the lids and a wash of matte-finish pressed powder prior to application (‘Yes, you can use a touch of powder under a creamy eyeshadow’) or an eyeshadow primer. Then, opt for waterproof mascaras such as Eyeko Sport Waterproof Masara.

‘There are some great liquid liner formulas around that boast serious, no-budge credentials,’ Sonia says. ‘Take MAC’s Dual Dare All Day Waterproof Liner – I once used it on a model who had just flown in from NYC on the red-eye and was blasted with a wind machine and metallic confetti for a cosmetic campaign and it didn’t move!’