Our top tips on styling a bookshelf that looks effortlessly cool
Our top tips on styling a bookshelf that looks effortlessly cool

Megan Burns

Stylist Jan Brierton on her favourite fashion finds
Stylist Jan Brierton on her favourite fashion finds

Sarah Gill

Explore fashion designer turned painter Petria Lenehan’s Wicklow studio
Explore fashion designer turned painter Petria Lenehan’s Wicklow studio

Nikki Walsh

September 25: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds
September 25: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Sarah Finnan

Melissa McDonnell: A week in my wardrobe 
Melissa McDonnell: A week in my wardrobe 

Melissa McDonnell

6 books, plays and podcasts to help you deal with grief
6 books, plays and podcasts to help you deal with grief

Grace McGettigan

This Galway home with a swimming pool and gym is on the market for €2.3 million
This Galway home with a swimming pool and gym is on the market for €2.3...

Megan Burns

5 trending boot styles to try this autumn
5 trending boot styles to try this autumn

Sarah Finnan

‘I wanted to create something that cut through the wellbeing noise on social media’
‘I wanted to create something that cut through the wellbeing noise on social media’

Amanda Cassidy

Real Weddings: Rebecca and Dave tie the knot in Portugal
Real Weddings: Rebecca and Dave tie the knot in Portugal

Shayna Sappington

Image / Beauty

Beauty hack: how to make your favourite foundation last for 24 hours


By Aisling Keenan
18th Feb 2020
Beauty hack: how to make your favourite foundation last for 24 hours

Making your foundation last doesn’t have to mean changing to a long-wear one. If your favourite foundation isn’t particularly long-wearing, this tried and tested hack will see you through a big day…


My foundation used to disappear from my nose, my chin and my hairline before I’d even left the house. I was enraged, and I used to think, well, I didn’t spend €48 on this for it to be gone by the time I reach my destination.

I researched and found some great long-wear foundations, but I wanted MY favourite foundation to stay on. I liked it and I paid for it and I didn’t want to reinvest.

Existing brilliance

Of course, there are plenty of long-wear foundations that are incredibly good. Three I would recommend for their longevity alone are:

foundation last

  1. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation, €11.99, from Boots
  2. MAC Pro Longwear Foundation, €36.50 from Brown Thomas
  3. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, €45, from Brown Thomas

The hack that works

I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would want foundation to last a full 24 hours. Your skin needs time to breathe! Wearing make-up overnight is a huge no-no. However, if you’re going to be at a wedding, getting made up at 9am and potentially still dancing the next morning, I will concede you need a long-wearing option.

Here’s what I do on days like that…

  1. Prep my skin well. Hydrate with hyaluronic acid and let skincare sink in.
  2. Skip primer — I don’t feel well-prepped skin needs it sometimes.
  3. Apply a thin layer of your fave foundation, leave it set.
  4. Move on to do brows or something similar, and then go back and do a second light layer.
  5. As you’re building coverage gently, it will dry down better.
  6. Next, apply a light layer of loose, translucent powder, followed by a spritz of setting spray.
  7. Then, do your eye make-up while that sets.
  8. Go in again with another light layer of powder followed by setting spray.
  9. Conceal and blush etc, and then do a third and final layer of powder and setting spray.

Your make-up will not budge. It won’t feel particularly weightless, of course, but it will stay and will still be the foundation shade and style you love.


Read more: Future Icon: My favourite SPF foundation just got even better

Read more: 8 excellent budget-friendly foundations for less than €20

Read more: Foundation hacks that will ensure an even more flawless finish

Photo from Jason Lloyd Evans