Makeup to survive the rains

CEBU, Philippines - The sun is an anathema to makeup, and so is the rain. It's hard to say which one is the worse. Both can spoil a woman's looks, especially the face.

Alexandra Owens of www.allure.com relates an unfortunate experience with makeup gone bad in the rain: "Last week, an unexpected, epic hail storm hit right as a coworker and I were leaving a photo shoot to come back to the office. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere without a cab or subway - or umbrella - in sight. As we ran for 20 minutes in the pounding rain, our mascara was streaming so badly that a man actually stopped us on the street to tell us it looked like we were 'crying black tears'…  [and] he was right."

It's easy to tell that Ms. Owens is in the fashion or advertising business. And her experience is indeed terrible. But - to everyone's knowledge, of course - such experience is in no way exclusive with her and her coworker. Any woman would have been in a similar situation at least once or twice, so the experience is not at all foreign to women. 

And now that the rainy days are here, for sure women are once again on a defensive mode - looking for some effective techniques for their makeup to survive in the rain. Fortunately, Heather Jensen of http://makeup.allwomenstalk.com, has just the right ideas:

Tinted moisturizer

When you are dealing with rain, Ms. Jensen says, you've got to make sure that your foundation is waterproof.

For her, what she has always used and one of her favorite makeup techniques for rainy days is all about the tinted moisturizer. She explains that just a thin, thin coat of tinted moisturizer actually lasts a lot longer than your own foundation, especially if you are out in the rain!

Waterproof mascara

Ms. Jensen emphasizes that when it comes to water and mascara, waterproof mascara is a must! After all, you don't want to end up with mascara tracks running down your face, she cautions. So to keep your lashes locked down with that perfect color of mascara, Ms. Jensen suggests to make sure that you check the box and see that it's waterproof before stepping out into the rain!

Cream blush

Another makeup technique for rainy days from Ms. Jensen that is a lifesaver for her is using cream blush. She agrees that powder blush is great - when you are out in the dry, crisp air. But she warns that when it's raining, you want something that is going to show up and something that is going to stick. And that's exactly what cream blush will do for you!

So she encourages the ladies to invest in the right shade of cream blush for when the rain starts to roll around!

Good quality lipstick

Certain lipstick brands claim to work for any temperature, and many women believe it. But, ladies, that's not true, according to Ms. Jensen. If you are looking to make sure that your lips look lush and colorful while the rain is falling, she suggests one makeup technique for rainy days that you should take into consideration - investing in high quality lipstick. It works wonders, Ms. Jensen assures!

Primer

Another makeup technique for rainy days from Ms. Jensen all revolves around primer. Makeup primer, she says, can be a lifesaver and can actually ensure that your makeup stays in place.

Just as she stresses that tinted moisturizer will ensure that you have the correct coverage, primer can actually help ensure that the tinted moisturizer stays on and won't melt off!

Concealer

If you having a lot of blemishes or even just imperfections, Ms. Jensen tells the ladies not to worry - one makeup technique for rainy days that can be used all of the time is concealer! She says just to make sure that you're matching your concealer to your skin color or, if you have red blemishes, to get a yellow-tinted concealer to kick that red out.

Moisturizing mask at night

Finally, girls, Ms. Jensen points out that the rainy days can actually dry your skin out, so you want to make sure that you are using a great moisturizing mask on your face before bed. That way, she says, your face will stay hydrated and look beautiful all of the time! Her own routine, she says, is just to put a little extra moisturizer on her face and make sure that it is all rubbed in.

So, the rains need not melt away a girl's good looks. There are, after all, ways to keep it intact despite getting caught in the rain. (FREEMAN)