Q: I feel great when I leave the house in the morning, but a few hours later, when I look in the mirror, my makeup seems to have practically disappeared!  How can I ensure my makeup lasts all day (and all night) long?

A:Does your eye makeup crease and your foundation fade, and you find yourself having to touch up your makeup for too often during the day? Makeup products that last the longest are the formulas that are “long wearing” or “waterproof”.

To start, top your moisturizer with a primer that will help your foundation go the distance. The best water-proofing primer is Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. Use long-wearing liquid foundation such as MAC Pro long Wear Foundation, or a powder mineral foundation such as Bare Minerals Ready Foundation.

If you are using a liquid foundation, always set it with a finishing powder, or a little of the powder mineral foundation. An important tip that helps your makeup look flawless is to always use a concealer under the eyes. This brightens the whole eye area and makes you look more awake and youthful. The key is finding one that doesn’t budge.

I’ve tried many, and my favorite is Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer. Eye makeup tends to be what fades the most, so an eye primer is a must-have. Not only will it stop the creasing; it helps increase the vibrancy of the eye shadow applied on top of it. Two of the best eye primers are, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer and Bare Minerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer.

Lipsticks now come in long-wearing formulas that do not dry out your lips as they did in years past. Try Make Up Forever Aqua Rouge Waterproof Lip Color and Make Up Forever Aqua Lip pencils. Spend less time touching up your makeup, and more time looking fresh and fabulous all day long!

NOTE: This article originally appears in Fresh Vancouver magazine on page 17 of Issue #17 published in March/April 2013. View the original article here (PDF).