6 Tips to Keep Your Makeup Intact While Rocking Sunglasses

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Let’s set the scene: You’ve perfected your makeup look and are heading out on a bright summer Saturday. You reach for your sunnies and are on your way. Then you feel it: the little sweat beads followed by your best sunglasses gliding down your nose, and you know it’s happening—your makeup’s transferring. Instead of internally screaming and wondering what you did wrong in a past life, we spoke to leading makeup artists to uncover their tried-and-true tips and tricks to prevent summer makeup meltdowns, so you look your best while sporting your fave shades. If you’re like us, you will want to save this refresher list before your next long weekend.

Have a summer foundation wardrobe

LES BEIGES Water-Fresh Tint

Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation

HD Skin Hydra Glow Hydrating Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid

Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Natural Brightening Eye Primer

Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer with Fermented Arnica

Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer with Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid

Shape Tape Concealer

Sunglasses themselves don’t directly cause sweating, but wearing them in warmer temperatures contributes to increased dampness because they create a barrier that traps heat around your eyes and on your nose. Sharon Becker, SB Beauty makeup artist, shares that when the temp heats up, you need to switch to “a long-wearing primer, matte foundation, and concealer because these products will adhere to the skin and provide less chance for transfer.” To prevent your face from looking flat and cakey, look for formulas that contain moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and non-comedogenic oils—this will keep your skin hydrated while minimizing slickness.

Be prepped and ready

Vinopure Oil Control Moisturizer

The Moisturizing Matte Lotion

The Light Cream

UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++

Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60

Hyaluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion

Pink Juice Hydrating Face Moisturizer

The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer

Good news: The right skin care can be the difference between sweating your makeup off and staying matte all day long. A matte moisturizer and an oil-free SPF under the makeup will help if your skin leans oily or combo because it guarantees no extra oil is added to the area and can continue to maintain an oil-free surface. If your skin is on the dry or sensitive side, look for water-based formulas as they’ll keep you hydrated, but remember the finish is lighter and reapplication will be needed. Pay close attention to your formulas and make sure you’re staying in the same family, meaning all water-based products, oil-based, or all silicone-based products. A quick scan of the labels will tell you—the first ingredient listed in any product will always be the base of the formula, meaning if the first ingredient is water, it’s a water-based product. The last ingredient means it’s the one that the formula has the least amount of. Don’t forget this rule applies to your SPF too.

Choose the right tools

Total Coverage Angled Sponge

Pure Luxury Makeup Sponge Duo

Original Beauty Blender Makeup Sponge

The Base Foundation Brush

Liquid Touch Foundation Brush

KAB Concealer and Color Corrector Brush

Creating a smooth, even base is essential, so if you’re using “silicone or oil-based products, apply with a brush and not a damp beauty sponge because it can break or lift the product. While water-based products apply better with a damp sponge and brushes can sometimes lead to streaks or lines,” says Maria I. Rincon Djuro, KIKO Milano makeup artist.

Less is more

Loose Setting Powder

Easy Bake and Snatch

Un Powder at Nordstrom

Ultra Setting Vaporizer

Airbrush Flawless Makeup Setting Spray

Hydro Grip Set and Refresh Spray

Always Sharp Longwear Waterproof Kôhl Eyeliner Pencil

Master Pigment Pro Eyeliner Pencil

PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil

And while you may have a favorite foundation application technique, to withstand the heat, Djuro recommends stippling your product in and avoiding rubbing and blending, which can work against you, even impacting how much coverage your makeup provides. On the nose and cheekbones, start with an eye primer on the areas where the glasses will sit. Eye primers are grippier and follow with a light base layer to minimize transfer. Let that completely dry, then use a powder puff to press in a translucent setting powder and finish with a setting spray. Make sure to pack it in your bag for touch-ups throughout the day. If you’re opting for a brow look, skip powders, as they’re most likely to rub off, and instead use a longwear pencil with a low-oil formula,” Dani Kimiko Vincent, Celebrity Makeup and Brow Artist and Founder of KIMIKO, explains.

Never reapply makeup to wet skin

Powder Puff

Power Pocket Puff Dual Sided Powder Puff

Pink Powder Puff Face Soft Triangle

Blotting Paper

Oil Absorbing Sheets

Aburatorigami Blotting Papers

You’ll be tempted to fix your makeup when you feel yourself sweating, but to avoid a patchy base, you’ll need to wait until it's dry. Start by taking a blotting paper to the areas that are damp and gently press and lift until the oil is absorbed—never rub. “Once your face is dry, stipple using a sponge, puff, or your clean ring finger if you forgot your tools (it has the least strength out of any fingers, so it will apply lighter pressure), stipple any smudging and touch up any foundation if needed, only with the smallest amount possible. Then set again with your setting powder puff and setting spray,” says Djuro.

Set your sunnies

Once your face is set, it’s time to give the same love to your eyewear. To start, you’ll rub the nose pads with alcohol; not only will this help stop your makeup from transferring, but it will also prevent contamination from old leftover oil from previous wears. “Next, apply a little bit of your powder to the same nose pads and the areas of your glasses that touch your face,” says Kat Dorn, makeup artist at LRN BEAUTY. The final step before putting your glasses on is to apply a setting spray directly to your frames—this will keep them from sliding and creating imprints on your face.

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