Why Your Lunchtime Makeup Touch-Up Often Looks Worse – And How to Fix it
Main image – Ohlamourstudio/Stocksy
Ruby Hammer MBE is a celebrity makeup artist, brand founder and regular Live That Glow columnist. She has been providing makeup education for more than 30 years. Here, she advises a reader on touching up makeup without making it look heavy. Got a question for Ruby? Send it to columnists@livethatglow.com for a chance to have it featured.
Makeup question – how do you touch up at lunch without getting that heavy, fake look? I just want to look fresh again, not like I’ve added a whole new layer.
Ruby says:
Touch-ups should restore freshness, not add another layer. The mistake most people make is reapplying makeup without first removing what’s already there. Blot shine first. Then press a small amount of concealer exactly where it’s needed – never rub.
If required, add the lightest touch of powder only to areas that need it to set in place. Avoid powdering the whole face – that’s when skin starts to look flat and overworked.
A hydrating mist can bring the skin back to life and help everything settle. Cream formulas are often more forgiving for touch-ups than powders.
A touch of lip balm or colour and a quick brush through the brows often does more than adding more base. When makeup looks heavy, it’s usually because too much attention has gone into correcting, rather than enhancing. A good touch-up should look like you’ve just had a moment to yourself – not like you’ve reapplied your entire face.
I keep a clean Magnetic Brush Set in my bag so that I can buff any areas that need correcting easily, or smudge creased eyeshadow. It is the smallest tricks that make the biggest difference.
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