Boy Proof Your Makeup

Oh boy. Date night. Hmmm... what to wear? What to do with my hair? Damn, I forgot to paint my nails. Should I shave my legs? Uh, maybe I'll just wear pants. So many things to think about! 

I wanted to share with all of you a few tips on how to make your makeup "boy proof". And just making sure you're paying attention to the right things when it comes to your beauty routine. I personally always find it's best to keep yourself looking as natural as possible. Less is more. You want your date to be looking at you, not your makeup. But, at the end of the day; if you're the girl that wears liquid liner and red lips everyday, just go for it. I think it's more important to be yourself and if that's how you feel comfortable looking, then who cares about anyone else! Anyways, I'm no expert, but these are the things that I've come to learn:

Lipgloss. As much as I love lip gloss and want my lips to be shiny and lustrous, too much of anything aint a good thing. Like when it looks like you're melting. Yuck! If you're going to wear it, be sure not to over apply. If I'm going to wear a lipgloss, I also won't reapply after that first initial wear off. Why? Because if you want to reach in for a kiss or even a peck on the cheek at the end of the night, that is not the feeling you want to give off. Sticky! Avoid the gloss and your boy with be thankful. 

Lipstick. This is tough because we want to make our lips look good. Obviously. But, if you're wearing a bright/bold color, you're constantly having to touch up. You don't want to be worried about your lipstick wearing off in the middle of a good conversation. Or better yet, lipstick on your teeth! Good tip for that though is placing your index finger in your mouth like you're about to suck on it (I know, I sound crazy) and sliding your finger out. Any lipstick that was inside your mouth will come off on your finger and you should be safe from that rubbing off on your teeth. Back to the point though. Worst thing about lipstick, like lipgloss, is when you want to go in for a kiss. Enough said, right? Honestly, I would just keep my lips exfoliated (you can do this with a toothbrush or a lip scrub) and apply a lip balm. It's so much easier to not have to worry about any of this and just keep it super simple. But, if you really want to wear a lipstick, I've got you covered. Lip stains are a really good option for this. You'll get color impact that won't go anywhere. Revlon Kissable Balm Stains are nice and comfortable to wear. Or for a more saturated glossy lipstick look, YSL Glossy Stains are amazing. Very unique in that they look like a lipstick with lipgloss over top in one product and it totally won't go anywhere. I've had meals and everything with this stuff not budging. It is a specific texture so I would suggest sampling before buying. What you do is apply it to your lips once, allow it to dry and apply a second layer. That second layer intensifies the color and adds a ton of shine. Really cool. For a drugstore alternative, the  L'oreal  Colour Riche Caresse Aqua Lacquer Lipgloss (longest name ever!!) is virtually identical. 

Chipped Nail polish. I don't know why, but most guys I know seem to dislike it when girls have chipped nail polish. I guess it has to do with being well groomed? Who knows! I'd say, either make sure it's looking freshly applied or just skip it altogether. 

Hands and Elbows. This is kind of a weird one, but the easiest way to tell age is looking at these areas. It's also gross to look at scabby elbows and dry hands. Let's be real. So, make sure you moisturize these areas to keep them looking good.

Staying Power. OK, this one is my biggest pet peeves. For dates or general day to day - make up rubbing off! It's hard enough sometimes to keep makeup from disappearing off your face, but the worst thing is when you go in for a hug, pull away and half your face is on his shirt. Now you only have half a face of makeup and he's got to wash his shirt and hope it all comes off. Not a good impression. So, I would suggest going with either a very lightweight makeup like a tinted moisturizer or mineral makeup tends to not transfer as much. But, if you're a liquid foundation girl, try something that is nontransferable to keep yourself "hug proof". These are my suggestions:

• Revlon ColorStay (oily/combo or normal/dry): A good drugstore option. This foundation will not move. Keep in mind though that it is quite a full coverage. I would suggest applying your moisturizer on just before applying this to help it blend into your skin because it will set quickly and stay in place. If you're slow at applying makeup, try working in one section at a time with this foundation.
•  Estee Lauder Double Wear Light: This is one of my favorite foundations and most trusted. Although it says "light" in the title, I would classify this as more of a medium to buildable coverage. I love this because it literally stays in place all day! It doesn't move. It doesn't transfer. And it lasts all day long! It also has a matte finish so you won't need to powder or anything after applying. 
• M.A.C Face and Body: This is good for a lighter coverage. It could be buildable to a certain extent by layering and blending really well. But it could be applied lightly just to even out the skin tone and it's created specifically for face and body so it's made not to transfer. 
• Setting Spray: This obviously isn't a foundation, but setting sprays can be sprayed over your makeup to help keep it in place. Skindinavia or Urban Decay (these are also made by Skindinavia) make great ones to keep your makeup locked into place. They have a ton for different purposes and preferred finishes (matte, dewey, etc). Just find the one that works for you!

Stick with what you know: My last tip would be - Don't try something new for the first time. It is not the time to experiment. The last thing you want is to be trying a new product and find out that it doesn't work well for you in the middle of a date. Bad timing! Night before/day of, stick to what you know works for you. 

Any other tips and what not you've figured out along the way?

Until next time,