Graduation Makeup Tips

Graduation can bring on a lot of mixed emotions. You’ll be glad you are finally getting out of school but you’ll be sad to leave all your friends you’ve made. With graduation comes hundreds of pictures, and knowing which makeup to choose can be daunting. So I’ve come up with a few suggestions I think will help ease your decisions on what makeup to wear.

1.  Try to avoid a sunscreen in your foundation or moisturizer. SPF is meant to reflect light; this is why we wear it- to reflect the sun’s bright rays. Obviously, you’ll take pictures at graduation with your friends and of you actually receiving your diploma. Wearing a sunscreen can wash your face out in pictures because the flash from the camera will reflect back from the sunscreen and can make you look ghostly.

2.     Wear a moisturizer and a primer (choose one without SPF. Going without SPF one day won’t kill you.) You want to make sure your skin is moisturized so your makeup goes on evenly and stays on longer. The day of graduation can be long and drawn out. You want your makeup to last and don’t want to worry about how it looks every 30 minutes.

3.     Wear a waterproof mascara and eyeliner. It can be upsetting to see all the friends and memories you’ve made, walk away. You may get a little emotional and don’t need a total makeup meltdown. Avoid this by wearing waterproof mascara and eyeliner, so if you do get teary-eyed, it won’t run down your face. (I like L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Carbon Black.)

4.     Go for a more classic, pretty look. Avoid trying out a new trend when it comes to graduation. In pictures, a new makeup trend may not photo as well as what you had hoped for. My recommendation is to go for a smoky eye with a neutral lip.  Make your eyes the main focus. This brings me to my next tip…

5.     Avoid bold, bright lips. The last thing you want is to take pictures with red lipstick staining your teeth. It can be hard to touch up makeup when at graduation so stick with makeup you know won’t cause any major letdowns. Bold lipstick can be messy and can get everywhere. It can get on your teeth, smear on your face, or on other people’s faces, on your clothes or gowns… just don’t.

6.     Go for a natural or soft pink lip. To make your lipstick last, prep your lips by exfoliating them, and apply a lip moisturizer. Put on the rest of your makeup so your lips have time to soak in the product. After you’ve finished the rest of your makeup, wipe off any excess lip product and line your lips with a natural-colored lip liner. Also, fill in your lips with the liner to create a base for your lipstick. Apply lipstick, blot, and then reapply again. This layers the lips with thin coats of lipstick, which makes it stay on longer. Avoid tons of gloss. Adding lip-gloss will make lipstick wear off faster. If you feel like you can’t go without a little gloss, place a thin layer of gloss in the center of lips.

7.     Finally, use a setting spray. At graduation, you will say plenty of goodbyes and give hundreds of hugs. After applying makeup, use a setting spray so your makeup won’t transfer onto other’s clothes. No one wants his or her gowns to be stained with a smear of makeup. So avoid this by finishing your final look with a quick sprits of setting spray. (Try Model in a Bottle or Urban Decay’s All-Nighter.)

Have fun at graduation and reflect on the wonderful memories you had. Look forward to all the new people you'll meet and growing into your new adult life. Best wishes!