Done with love and to hold the test of time. It’s the must-haves of makeup that will let your creative creation last the distance!

There’s something ecstatic about putting the brush down right after completing that perfectly applied face. Like a maestro stepping back to admire our work, we marvel at the artful liner flick, the sculptural effects of bronzer and the enchanting cupid bow that took hours of practice to get ‘just-so’.

So I can feel for your disdain when this vision ends up melting half way down your face, the victim of this season’s schizophrenic weather. Whether its beads of unpredicted rain or the shouldering of sweat from the unbearable heat, even the most professional make up job will not withstand the elements of summer living.

So whether you want a look that holds freshness as the day evolves from work to working-it, or remains put at the pool party, here are my picks of the longest wearing and lushest beauty savers to invest in – ASAP.

Tarte Glisten Cheek & Lip Stain

Hats off to the original stain that started it all. Tarte Glisten Cheek & Lip Stain boasts iconic status due to its fresh glowing lightweight formula and colour range. With a super easy, mess-free straight-to-cheek or lip applicator this complexion-loving stain penetrates the skin quickly and leaves a delicate flush of vibrant colour that’s genuinely built to last. I love being able to build the colour layer by layer, or touch up throughout the day on both the cheeks and lips with out it grabbing, getting muddy or, most importantly, drying out the skin.

Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro

With little time in the morning and even less room in our makeup bags (or in my kit) we all hold out for that beauty multi-tasker. I’m talking about those go-to products that travel well, work a myriad of ways and are a cinch to use. Well, Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro fits this bill to a tee and then some. A cream-to-powder-like formula you can use to fill brows, line eyes, colour in and even contour or smoke up the eyes. The effect? A high intensity colour with instant hold. With 9 shades that range from a nude beige to black – including a khaki, gold and terracotta red – there is not much you can’t do with these little beauties. Gorgeous, dynamic and easy to use.

Urban Decay all nighter Makeup Setting Spray

This product has also reached ‘cult’ status for a reason. This light mist works like a dream, leaving your makeup firmly in place and keeps dreaded shine at bay well into cocktail hour. Designed to keep your makeup at a lower temperature so it doesn’t melt, it also halts skin’s production of excess oil. The spray delivers a super-fine mist that goes on so light that it doesn’t feel sticky or tight on your skin, like so many other sprays have. Now, whether the promise of “lowering the temp of your makeup” is true, I do use it regularly on location… particularity when it’s hot and I’m shooting directly under the sun!

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencils

This stayer superstar is designed to make the eyes pop by attracting and reflecting light off the luminous particles. Lustre is infused throughout the 8 thoughtfully selected signature shades that contrast against pretty much every shade of the eye colour there is to brighten and magnify! The result is a game-changing, super-long-lasting colour that holds up to 10 hours. Here’s a clever trick: to maximise the colour-stay results of your existing eyeshadows, use you favourite Chameleon as a base colour before laying your shadows over the top. My go-to shade for this is Champagne Diamond.

Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer
Unlike the rest of the face, the skin around your eyes does not get oily. Rather it sweats, as beneath the skin there is water, which surrounds the eye. The point of this biology lesson is that this water causes our eye shadows (or in this case, concealers) to move or crease. Lancôme, being brainier than I, have managed to overcome this issue and master a formula that is not only gentle, but also sweat-proof. Effacernes Waterproof Concealer has a hydrating, light buildable texture that is perfect for all skin types – particularly dry or eyes prone to fine lines that normal concealers gather in. Its water-in-oil formula uses light-defusing technology to brighten that dark under-eye area, rather than relying on a heavier coverage to mask. Want another tip? Keep this in your bag all summer and use to hide spots all-day-long – it’ll even keep you covered when exercising at the gym.

Marc Jacobs Pout Liner Longwear Lip Liner Pencil

These gel-based, barely-there colours line, define and shape your lips to create a lasting canvas for your lipstick. The gel formula gives your lips a more plump feeling and the collagen-based formula and plummy gel-based texture fills in lines to prevent bleeding, feathering and colour fade. With a cream gel formula that glides on smooth for all-day wear, three hard working base shades remove the issue of matching or having to buy a pencil for EVERY colour of lipstick you own!

CREDITS

Photographer; Josie Clough for Maxmade.com.au @DLM , Product Reviews/Hair & Makeup: Max May, Written; Alina Berdichevsky for Maxmade.com.au, Model; Lena Marie @Chadwish Models.