Make-up that survives the evening: lips, powder and liner until the last glass

A summer evening is the toughest test for make-up: warm air, one glass after another, laughing, hugs, maybe a dance. Much of what looked perfect at 7 pm is on the rim of the glass, on a friend’s cheek or simply gone by 11 pm. The good news: with three products and the right order the look lasts – and the refresh takes three minutes.

Lips: colour that stays off the glass

Classic lipstick travels. It is creamy, which is lovely for the lips and bad for the glass. For long evenings a powder texture is the better choice: INCEPTION Powder Gloss sits on the lips as an ultra-thin matte layer, does not fade and does not bleed, even when it gets warmer. One layer is enough; the colour tends to get more intense over the evening rather than weaker.

How it lasts best: care for the lips with a wax-based balm first and let it sink in briefly, then apply the gloss with lip brush No. 11 from the centre outwards. To emphasise the contour, trace it with the same brush – no lip liner needed.

To the INCEPTION Powder Gloss

Complexion: set instead of adding

What shines in the evening is rarely too much foundation but too little setting. That is what loose powder is for: after foundation, work a thin layer into the T-zone and under the eyes with the large powder brush No. 1 and only dust the rest of the face. The depth matters: our loose powder comes in five depths from N100 to N500 so no pale cast appears on dark skin.

To refresh, do not powder again – it settles into fine lines. Instead blot with a tissue and re-powder only where it really shines.

To the INCEPTION Loose Powder

Eyes: a liner that stays

Eyeshadow lasts much longer over a thin layer of powder on the lid. For the line, the formula decides: INCEPTION Eyeliner is waterproof, deep black and lanolin-free – it survives heat, tears of laughter and a jump in the pool better than you do. For soft eyes, gently smudge the kohl along the upper lash line with pencil brush No. 9; it lasts better than a sharp line.

To the INCEPTION Eyeliner

The order that lasts

1. Light day cream, well absorbed – no rich cream under evening make-up.
2. Foundation thinly with foundation brush No. 4, full coverage only where needed.
3. Loose powder in the T-zone, blush on top – powder blush lasts longer than cream.
4. Eyes: powder on the lid, eyeshadow, liner, mascara.
5. Lips: balm, then powder gloss.

The three-minute refresh

Three things belong in your bag: a pack of tissues, the powder gloss and the 2-in-1 brush No. 14 with a little loose powder in the handle. Blot, re-powder nose and forehead, top up the lips – done. Everything else stays where it is.

Read on: lipstick for dark skin – how to find your red