Tired AF? Here’s How to Look Put Together in 5 Mins (Even When the Commute Is Brutal)

Calling all my girlies in their career or student era! Raise your hand if you’re tired of your makeup giving up before your day is even close to over.

We’re talking about those marathon days that start with a commute, fly through classes or a 9-to-5, and end with dinner plans. When you’re out for 12+ hours, you need your makeup to be a real one and last just as long.

That’s where these beauty cheats come in. They’re all about helping your look survive long workdays and that killer MRT sweat. The best part? You only need to add five minutes to your routine. Seriously, that’s it.

These Beauty Hacks To Survive 12-Hour Workdays Will Take Up Only 5 Extra Minutes

You may already be doing some of the steps below when incorporating beauty hacks to survive 12-hour workdays, but it’s worth it to go down the list to see if you’re missing anything or doing differently that might give you better results. From the essentials to the extras, these beauty hacks are practically beauty life savers.

1. Don’t Skip The Moisturiser

Let’s start with the essentials: moisturiser. Many choose to skip this part, especially for those with oily skin, but moisturising is actually essential if you want your makeup to last all day. If your skin is not well moisturised, it will tend to absorb moisture from any source available, including from the makeup on your face. So get a good moisturiser suitable for your skin type and never skip it before applying the next step: primer.

Time to apply: 1 minute (including drying time)

2. Invest In A Good Makeup Primer

A makeup primer gives more stickability to your makeup! Choose one based on your makeup goal – be it to look glowing, flawlessly matte or natural, and make sure that the formulation sits well on your skin. After your moisturiser has been absorbed, apply primer all over face, including on your eyelids if you’re wearing eye makeup and don’t want it to smudge.

Time to apply: 1 minute

3.Your Eyelashes Need A Primer, Too

Meanwhile, when it comes to the makeup itself, there are some ways to make them last longer. This includes using a mascara primer to make sure your mascara glides on more smoothly, avoiding clumping, and that it lasts until the end of the day. Of course, it’s better if the mascara you’re using  is waterproof or sweat-proof as well. 

Time to apply: 30 seconds

4. Prep Your Lips and Layer Your Colour

Just like on skin, colours apply better and last longer on lips when the surface has been prepped and primed. Start with buffing away dead skin cells on dry lips with a lip scrub, and then apply a layer of  lip balm to hydrate. Then, line and fill your lips with a longwear lipliner for a layer of colour under your lipstick.

One tip we have seen from Taylor Swift’s makeup artist back when she was starting out is to apply your lipstick as usual, then take a piece of folded tissue and blot the colour by pursing your lips with the tissue in between. Then follow with another coat of the same lipstick. This locks the colour into the surface of your lips so that even as the top layer fades away from eating or drinking, your lips will still have some colour while you wait for a chance to reapply, avoiding looking  like death with pale, colourless lips.  

Time to apply: 1 minute 30 seconds 

5. Set Your Makeup With Translucent Powder

Get a big powder brush or powder sponge, swish on some translucent powder and dab lightly all over face to set your makeup. A light coating will do, as you don’t want to look powdery even though it’s colourless. This is also why you should only put on any dark-coloured clothing after applying makeup to avoid the powder showing up against your top. 

Time to apply: 30 seconds

6. Lock It All In With A Setting Spray

This is the “secret” to making sure makeup stays put through sunny days, dirt, oil, smudging, face-touching and rush-hour MRT sweat. It’s really not a secret for makeup artists who use it on their clients for shoots under bright lights on long days, but many normies skip this, thinking it’s unnecessary. Well, it is necessary, and will only take a few seconds to apply. Just hold the spray about 6 to 8 inches away from your face and spritz all over, aiming for a smooth, thin coating. Allow it to air dry for a bit, before heading out the door to take on the day!

Time to apply: 30 seconds 

Which Moisturiser Is Best For Humid Weather?

If you’re on the lookout for the best moisturiser for your skin suitable for Singapore weather, here are some recommendations based on skin type: 

For Oily Skin:

Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel

Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator 

Supergoop! Triple Prep Weightless Multitasking Daily Moisturizer SPF 40

For Dry Skin:

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Emulsion

Tatcha The Dewy Milk Moisturizer 

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

For Normal or Combination Skin: 

Kiehl’s Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream

Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF 50++

For Sensitive Skin: 

KraveBeauty Oat So Simple Water Cream

IT Cosmetics Confidence In A Cream Transforming Moisturizing Super Cream

Caudalie VinoHydra Gel Moisturizer

Is Aloe Vera Good For Humid Weather?

You might see a lot of products containing aloe vera or its extract, aloe barbadensis, extracted from the plant’s stem-leaves. When sliced open, the clear gel inside is cool and viscous, hinting at its moisturising properties. The aloe vera extract contains polysaccharides that retain moisture and form a protective film on the skin, containing the vitamins A, C, E and B, zinc, copper, magnesium, copper and amino acids that all help the skin become healthy and hydrated. Applying aloe vera gel on skin may also help to tighten pores and absorb excess sebum. 

With all these properties, aloe vera products are suitable for both oily and dry skin, and certain formulations may even help with acne-prone skin as well. As aloe vera is usually lightweight or in gel form and is quickly absorbed into skin, it’s definitely suitable for humid weather such as in Singapore, while keeping all skin types well hydrated.  

If you’re looking for aloe vera products that help keep your skin cool in the hot Singapore sun, consider any one of these:-

The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution Serum

Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater

Evereden SPF 30 Tri-Water Cooling Sun Stick

Whether you’re putting on full-face makeup or going au naturel, you can definitely keep cool (and keep your makeup intact) in our humid weather with the right products. Sun and sweat should never be in the way of us looking good and feeling good, so make use of these beauty hacks to survive 12-hour workdays so that you look and feel good all day, everyday.