For anyone who wears makeup, the quest to achieve long-lasting, flawless makeup can be a daily challenge. While your look can be a form of artistic expression, subject to the occasion and your mood, we also want it to stay put.

The key? A combination of strategic application methods and quality products that align with your skin's needs. Read on for pro tips that will keep your look on lock 

1. Understand Your Skin Type, Tone, and Undertone

Everyone’s face and skin are different. Understanding your skin type—is it dry? Oily?—along with tone (think: your skin shade) and undertone (warm, neutral, or cool) are crucial to making sure you’re using the right products, in the right colors, for you.

If you have dry or oily skin, then you likely know it and are familiar with the frustrations that can accompany your skin type. To get ahead of uncomfortable dry skin and any related cakiness, make sure you have a heavy-hitting moisturizer that you’re using consistently, like our Miracle Cream. Combat a dull appearance with our light-reflecting superproduct, Miracle Balm, that adds back in color and luminosity. (Find the perfect one for you here.)

On the other end, oily skin types still need to add back in moisture after routine cleansing, but something lighter—like our Oil-Free Moisturizer. Tinted Face Powder is also beneficial at the tail end of applying makeup to set your products and take down shine, a common issue with oily skin.

On to skin tones and undertones: Your makeup won’t look complete if you’re using the wrong color to begin with; it can exacerbate patchiness or hyperpigmentation, even make you look sallow or muddy. We’ve written at length about finding your tones, which can change depending on the season and sun exposure, and undertones, which stay consistent. 

Once you learn your tone and undertone, you can pick your complexion-correcting products with ease. Take these quick quizzes to learn which shades of What The Foundation and The Face Pencil suit your coloring best.

2. Consider Your Environment

The environment can be makeup's ally or enemy. It can work with your skin type or against it. 

On days of intense heat, you might want to lean towards lightweight products. Humidity calls for water-resistant formulas, while rain demands sealed-in makeup. And, for sunny outings, don't forget protective measures. (Consistently reapplying SPF, for one.)

Environmental variations can exacerbate allergies, too. Keep a lookout for smudgy mascara and watery eyes.

3. Hydrate Internally

While keeping the skin's surface moisturized is important, your internal hydration levels are crucial in how makeup sits on your skin. 

Drinking sufficient water throughout the day ensures your skin remains plump and hydrated from the inside out. This helps to prevent makeup from settling into fine lines or appearing cakey. 

A well-hydrated complexion provides a smoother canvas for makeup application and can even enhance its staying power.

4. Prep Your Skin Properly

Remember: Cleanse, exfoliate (not every time), moisturize. 

Ensuring your face is thoroughly cleansed, gently exfoliated, and adequately moisturized sets the stage for impeccable makeup application. 

Use our Cleansing Stick to remove last night’s makeup or residue and follow up with the moisturizer best for your skin type. (A quick rundown, our options from lightest to heaviest: Oil-Free Moisturizer, Light Moisture Cream, and Miracle Cream.)

Consider building an exfoliation step into your routine—not every day, but occasionally. This is especially crucial for those with dry skin as exfoliating, whether physical or chemical, can improve texture and reveal healthier skin underneath.

5. First, Prime and Lastly, Set

For the most intense days or special occasions when your look really needs to stay put, consider building in priming and setting steps. Priming smoothes and sets your canvas so your flawless application can stay flawless, and setting will act as a protective topcoat, combating smudging, fading, or caking

You don’t always need specialty products, like a dedicated primer or setting spray. 

A lightweight moisturizer—one that adequately moisturizes and nourishes your base—can bolster your skin and prevent settling, creasing, or feathering. Consider Light Moisture Cream in this case; it’s a bouncy gel-moisturized hybrid that soaks in beautifully and smoothes out your complexion. 

When your skin is sufficiently hydrated, it is less likely to soak up your makeup, which means it adheres better and stays on longer. In short, the right moisturizer can do double-duty as a primer. 

If you want to set your complexion products (foundation, concealer), then reach for a powder. Before applying blush or bronzer, or any other products for color and dimension, lightly dust our Tinted Face Powder on with The Face Powder Brush to further unify your look and control shine.

6. Pay Attention to Order and Then Layer

How you apply your makeup products can significantly impact their longevity. The proper layering ensures each product has its maximum effect without disrupting the ones beneath it.

Start with a light hand and build. (It’s easier to add than take down any excess.) Instead of applying one thick layer of product, opt for multiple thin applications. For instance, two light and well-blended layers of our Face Pencil can offer better coverage and longevity than one thick application. This technique ensures each layer bonds with the one beneath it, providing extended wear.

There will always be variations depending on the components of your products and the look you’re going for, but this is a good rule to follow, when you’re figuring out when you’re putting your makeup on.

In this order: foundation, concealer, setting powder (should always be used after to lock your correction in place), powders for color, then emollients (like a balm or cream) for highlighting or glow. This ensures the formulas work together and not against each other. It’s intuitive if you think about it; putting powders over balms or creams may mess with the textures, making your base look less than smooth.

If you’re using Jones Road Beauty exclusively, here’s how that could look:

What The Foundation, The Face Pencil, Tinted Face Powder, The Bronzer and/or The Blush, Lip and Cheek Stick for additional color, and then Miracle Balm for highlighting/glow.

7. Mind Your Eyes

Natural oils, allergens, expired makeup, and other disruptors in our environment can cause smudgy mascara and eyeliner not to mention watery eyes. 

Take care to make sure you’ve sufficiently cleansed your eyes of yesterday’s makeup and that you’re not leaving clumps of mascara on your lashes, which will inevitably transfer to your eyelid or under eye area.

To help, we also recommend setting the under eye shade of your Face Pencil using the Eye Blending Brush and a dusting of Tinted Face Powder. Smudgy mascara can worsen the appearance of under eye circles, and keeping your corrective products in place can fight its presence.

8. Lock Down Your Lipstick

Achieving a perfect lip that lasts throughout your day involves a little strategy. 

Just like you would with your face, moisturize consistently. Dry lips flake off easily and absorb your color quickly. Exfoliating here and there is also a smart idea—but you don’t need a specialty product. Simply, and gently, rub a damp washcloth over your lips, and then top with an ultra-nourishing lip balm, like The Lippie Stick.

On the days when you’re wearing lip color, an all-over application of lip liner, like our Lip Pencil, before putting on The Lip Tint will create a barrier to prevent feathering and also keeps your color in place. (Our Lip Pencils come in a range of neutrals, and we recommend choosing the option that is closest to your natural lip color. You can also use it on its own, no other color necessary, for a barely-there look.) By the way, if applying lip liner is new to you, we have some easy tips to follow.

Look at the formula of your preferred color as well. Glossy, creamy formulas can—not always—smear and spread, while matte formulas stay in place more easily. For moments when you are opting for a highly pigmented look but know you won’t be near a mirror for touch-ups, consider lipsticks that purport to be “long-wear” or “long-lasting”. They may be liquid lipsticks that are constructed with polymers and silicones that are meant for extended use. 

Or, even more simply, reach for our Lip Tint. Applying is a breeze—it goes on smoothly and comfortably—and the color payoff is such that, no matter how much you’d like to build the color, you can apply and reapply on the go, no mirror necessary. 

9. When Necessary, Long-Wear and/or Waterproof 

There are moments when makeup needs to withstand more than just the test of time, and choosing products specifically designed to last can make a significant difference. (As we’ve touched on, these are usually products described as “long-wear,” “long-lasting,” “waterproof,” or even “setting.”) These are formulas specially designed to resist common challenges like sweating, oiliness, and the natural deterioration that happens during the day. 

For extreme situations: If you’re headed to a day at the pool or find yourself in an unavoidably humid situation, consider waterproof mascara or eyeliner. When you’re toasting at a wedding, a long-lasting liquid lipstick might be the move. You get the picture. 

10. Maintenance Throughout the Day

Even the best-applied makeup might need a slight midday tweak. Periodic checks can be beneficial, especially before important meetings or after meals. Carrying a few portable products can come in handy for quick fixes.

For days when you need to look your most pristine (formal occasions likely), keep some cotton swabs on hand in case you run into any smearing or errors when you’re touching up. Pro tip, straight from in-house makeup experts: Let mistakes dry first, then gently turn a dry cotton swab to grab the extra or misplaced product; if it’s wet, the swab can smudge or drag the error.

Also bring along the main staples of your look—The Mascara, The Face Pencil, and Tinted Face Powder—and any lip colors you've applied.

11. Nightly Care To Boost Next-Day Longevity

Remember to wash your makeup off every night. Ensuring every trace of product is removed allows your skin to breathe and preps it for the next day's makeup application. Invest time in a night skincare routine; a clean, nourished canvas can make a significant difference. (As we’ve mentioned, The Cleansing Stick is a worthy addition to your nighttime routine.)

Applying a deeply hydrating product like our Miracle Cream as a mask can rejuvenate your skin overnight. This routine not only keeps your skin healthy but can also boost the longevity and appearance of your makeup the following day. Add an eye cream overnight, too.

The Bottom Line

Makeup's lasting power isn't solely determined by the products on our vanity but by the techniques and care we can build into our routines. 

Start these strategies, play around with them and find what aligns perfectly with your personal needs. After all, makeup is as much an art as it is a science—and it’s meant to adapt to your preferences, with what fits into your lifestyle and personal style.