I have notoriously oily skin. Some say it means that my skin will look plump and youthful 'til I'm old and grey, and for that I'm grateful, but I do feel like in the meantime I'm left with insanely greasy-looking skin that is constantly in the mood for a wee bit of powder. I hate it. So, when I got the chance to chat to the one and only Patrick Starrr when he came over to the UK to celebrate the launch of One/Size in Boots, I was armed with questions all about how to actually to get the perfect base and make your makeup last from dusk til dawn.
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How to make your makeup last all day according to Patrick Starrr
Priming
Unsurprisingly, Starrr is a huge advocate for always priming pre-foundation. Depending on your skin type there are four to choose from, Oil Sucker Extreme Mattifying Alkaline Primer, Secure the Sweat Sweatproof Aluminium-Free Primer, Secure the Blur Makeup Magnet Primer and Secure the Glow Tacky Hydrating Primer. The one you go for depends on your needs, hence the super-prescriptive names. But what I will say is that all are pretty hydrating bar Oil Sucker, which does exactly what is says on the tin, creating a completely velvety, poreless base for foundation.
It's the one I opted for under my Patrick Starrr tutelage for obvious reasons. "It might turn a little bit white," Starrr warned me, which is true. It is a bit disconcerting, but it disappears easily under my foundation. He also says "once you put on your foundation, you'll feel it tighten slightly," and you do. It's like any fine lines and pores are sucked up so you are snatched to the gods when you come to foundation application but you still look like you. A snatchural look, if you will.
Base
The Turn up the Base concealer is already a staple in my makeup bag. I love how creamy and blendable it is and it doesn't pill or settle in my fine lines. I opt for Dark 3 for a slightly brighter undereye. Sadly, I haven't been able to get my hands on the Turn up the Base Foundation yet so I use my current go-to following Starrr's advice on application. When applying products with brushes or fingers, use significant pressure he says. This "massages" the product into the skin so it "becomes one" with your face according to Starrr, giving you the most natural look while remaining long-lasting.
Set
As someone with a viral setting spray, Starrr is understandably an aficionado on sprays and powders and yes he insists they can work with together without making makeup look too heavy and cakey. On til Dawn is the best-seller but the brand's new spray, Powder Melt, is for a glass-like reflective finish thanks to the glassy polymers. "At One/Size, you can layer," he says. So he advises that you powder (I used the Ultimate Blurring Powder), especially the centre of your face, and then set all over with your chosen spray immediately. Top tip, On til Dawn can also be sprayed on high collars to also avoid staining from transfer.
Verdict
Following Starrr's tips using a ONE/SIZE primer, concealer, powder and setting spray my makeup latest TWELVE hours without needing to be touched up. On an awful, humid rainy day I was so in awe. And in my humble opinion, I didn't look too full faced either, which I think is down to the massaging I did to melt my foundation in. Ten ten, would highly recommend.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
