how to wear makeup with a face mask

How to Wear Makeup with a Face Mask

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I am super excited to share this quick and easy DIY project with you all! This how to wear makeup with a face mask tutorial will show you how I hand craft a face mask that will NOT rub your makeup off for all-day wear.

This all started with me attending a wedding. As you can imagine, wearing masks was mandatory, but when it comes to eating and drinking for dinner, you have to take the mask off. When doing so, I do not want the world to see part of my makeup rubbed off, and I am sure not going to only apply makeup to half of my face for a black tie wedding. I recall once in the past I went shopping with a mask on and it completely rubbed the makeup off my nose, which is not a good look good. So, I decided I have to craft a solution to this issue.

I am really proud of this tutorial because I am creating this out of my own mind without doing research, simply using my makeup expertise and experience. I am happy to report that after a full-day trial of this method at the wedding, it is a success! For this tutorial I will explain the materials that you need, then I will take you step-by-step through the process.

how to wear makeup with a face mask
how to wear makeup with a face mask

The Makeup

Before I get into the actual how to wear makeup with a face mask tutorial, I want to talk about the makeup and skincare, because that is highly important to the success of your look. I have decided to go with my powder foundation makeup routine. I have an entire blog post dedicated to that, so I strongly urge you to read that as well. It is the sister, or companion post to this tutorial. Since I have already written that blog post, there is no reason here to re-explain the products that I use and why I use them.

My thought process with powder is that cream and liquid foundations have a greater tendency to rub off, but powder is much more resilient. Also, my powder foundation makeup routine is what I always wear for a long-lasting, bullet-proof look at all events, so I know it can stand up to the challenge.

Oil is another concern for my t-zone, as oil can definitely cause makeup to rub off. Powder foundation helps control that, but the moisturizer worn underneath is a major player there. That is why I recommend Clinique’s Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly in my routine, because it will control my oils. If you have normal or dry skin, you may want to consider moisturizes and primers that are more dewy.

Since my powder foundation routine does not include lip color, I need to discuss that here. A long-lasting lip is 100% a must because you do not want it rubbing off on your mask, and you need it to last through careful eating and drinking. I always go with a shade from wet n wild’s megalast Liquid Catsuit Matte Liquid Lipstick line, paired with one of their perfectpout Gel Lip Liners, period.


Related Post: Powder Foundation Makeup Routine


Supplies

For this how to wear makeup with a face mask tutorial, you will need a handful of supplies that you hopefully have around the house.

how to wear makeup with a face mask supplies


How to Wear Makeup with a Face Mask Tutorial

Step 1: Get a custom fit

The first step in my how to wear makeup with a face mask tutorial is to actually put the mask on and assess how it fits on your face. Pay attention to the areas where the face mask will be making constant contact with the skin because you will want to powder those areas on the mask later.

As an optional step, you may want to cut the mask to fit better. I am a very small person, and the top part of the mask always touches the bottom of my eyes, and I do not like that. Plus, I cannot allow the mask to start rubbing my eyes and take that makeup off. What I do is I take scissors and cut the top part of the mask off, right along the marks that look like perforations. Be careful not to cut any lower because that will open the material up and cause the metal nose piece to come out.

cutting face mask to fit better
cutting face mask to fit better

Step 2: Powder the mask

Next, you will apply powder foundation onto the parts of the mask that will have constant contact with your skin, as you discovered in step one. My thought process here is that powder on powder friction will not rub your makeup off. If anything, it will simply re-powder the face. I prefer to do this with a small, dense brush so that I can get the precision that I need, and quickly. I am using the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush, but you can use whatever you have.

For me, I need to apply the foundation along the top and bottom of the mask, and then hit the cheek/jaw area. I try to get under the folds if I can.

getting ready to powder the face mask
face mask powdered with powder foundation

Step 3: Glue some cotton to the nose area

Now you will take the cotton ball and unravel it (yes, you can do that!). Then, remove a small section similar in size to what I have pictured below. You will then hot glue that section onto the top of the mask where the metal piece for the nose is located. I am afraid to use a super glue or the like because I am not sure if you will smell the chemicals when wearing the mask. Finally, I rub the cotton ball directly into the powder foundation, then sweep the makeup brush over it to ensure it is evenly distributed and the product is pushed into the cotton. There will be no fall out.


Related Post: Bridal Makeup Kit


unrolling a cotton ball
unrolled cotton ball
hot gluing cotton ball to face mask
powdering the cotton ball

Putting On and Taking Off the Mask

There you have it! Below is a picture of what the completed mask should look like. You can also do this with a reusable/washable mask, but I prefer to not to ruin mine, so I always use disposable. Now, let’s talk about carefully putting on and taking off your mask.

The key here is that we do not want to wiggle or shift the mask over the skin when we put it on or take it off, to lessen the chances of your makeup getting rubbed off. Additionally, we want to minimize how many times we remove or put on the mask, so only do that when absolutely necessary.

To put the mask on, start by making sure it is fully opened, and the metal nose piece is already bent. Then, grab it by the ear loops and place the mask over the face so that it is fully in position. Finish by placing the ear loops over the ears.

To remove the mask, grab the ear loops and remove them from the ears. Then, pull the mask away from the face in a forward motion.

finished face mask

Bonus- End of Day Wear Check

Now that we are officially at the end of this how to wear makeup with a face mask tutorial, I want to share the results of me trying this out for the wedding. Below are some awful hotel photos, but I was working with what I had! You can see my DIY mask with virtually no lip color on it. Also, I cannot find any makeup rubbed off in the pictures or by looking the mirror in real life! My nose is super finicky, so this shocks me. I call this a rousing success!

Also, you can see that the lip color has some wear/tear, but it is mostly in tact, which evidences why I love the Liquid Catsuit line so much.

used face mask from my first trial

end of day makeup after wearing a face mask

end of day makeup after wearing a face mask

end of day makeup after wearing a face mask

Conclusion

We are now done with this how to wear makeup with a face mask tutorial. This is a great tutorial for special occasion makeup when you want… or even need a full face of makeup, but must wear a face mask. I cannot see this tutorial being done on a daily basis, as that would use up a lot of powder foundation. For daily makeup I would consider doing the eyes only, or even light makeup applied to the forehead. With this tutorial you will 100% have makeup that will not rub off, and I will definitely be doing this again in the future. The best part is, it only takes about 10 minutes to do. Until next time, continue to let your true beauty shine.

Do you ever wear makeup with your face masks?

Discover More Makeup Routines & Tutorials:

Lazy Makeup Routine Natural Bronzed Makeup Look Pears Soap Brows Tutorial Work From Home Makeup Routine
Powder Foundation Makeup Routine Skinimalism Makeup Routine Glowy No Makeup Makeup Look

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Amanda Vitale
Hi, I am Amanda Vitale, the owner of The Aesthetic Edge. I am a beauty and style expert who has been writing reviews and advice for 10 years. I have had the pleasure of testing hundreds of products, and I have published countless lookbooks. You can see my expertise quoted in top authoritative publications such as Bustle and Real Simple. I have also worked with your favorite brands, such as CurrentBody and AXIS-Y.
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