Congrats: you’ve managed to contain your bursting bladder during the epic line to the toilets. After you’ve pushed through the stalls and stumbled to the sink to wash your hands, you catch a glimpse of your face in the mirror: hello, panda eyes, creased foundation, eye shadow smears, and blotchy lips. Fortunately, the heavenly Makeup Gods presiding over sweaty clubs everywhere have taken Scary Club Face into consideration, and in their infinite generosity have bequeathed us mortals with long-lasting, durable makeup that can withstand the gauntlet of perspiration, weather, time, and (if it’s a particularly boozey, dramatic evening) tears. Take these nightlife-friendly product suggestions to heart, ye consumers of glitter and gloss, lest you send the jaded bathroom attendants running for the hills.
Lancôme’s L’Extreme Waterproof Mascara
The leather-clad, jet-setting European women strutting down W. 27th St don’t have charcoal mascara blotches on their lids for a reason—French and Italian filles have long recognized that upscale makeup empire Lancôme has cornered the market on arresting, dramatic products. While most waterproof mascaras leave lashes brittle and dry, L’Extreme elongates and plumps feeble stubs without feeling goopy to the touch. For maximum theatrics, close your eyes and dust the lids with a little finishing powder before swiping on a tube of L’Extreme on your lashes for lasting staying power and extra volume.
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Bobbi Brown’s Gel Eyeliner
Makeup artists who gloss the faces of red carpet Oscar-winners swear by Bobbi Brown’s potted eyeliner that comes in 15 colors, from the classic neutrals to a smoky violet and deep blue. A quick sweep over the lash line with a slim brush leaves a wet-looking flash of color that stays dry all night. Oscar-winning starlets have trusted this eyeliner to stay put while they weep at the podium, so we’re pretty sure that standing in line on a rainy night won’t do much damage.
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Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion
One makeup pet peeve shared by women everywhere is when shadow congeals in a slashed crease on their eyelids. Sadly, anyone who applies powder to their oily, constantly blinking lids is asking for it! Start out with Urban Decay’s Primer Potion, a product that absorbs excess moisture on the eyelids to ensure that your smoky bedroom eyes will look just as nice at the bar and on the dance floor as they did before you left the house.
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Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Foundation
Given the varying consistencies of skin types, we wouldn’t usually dole out our foundation suggestions in such broad strokes, but nights spent bar-hopping and dancing are bound to make even the coolest girls sleek with sweat and oil. With that shine-inducing consequence in mind, an oil-absorbing foundation works best to keep faces matte. Estee Lauder’s Double Wear foundation stood the test of many a packed Delancey St club by not sweating off in unglamorous rivulets down our faces.
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Vincent Longo’s Lip and Cheek Stain
Normal lipstick won’t withstand multiple sips from the same wine glass, and most long-standing varieties leave lips feeling both oily and dried out at the same time. Lip stains don’t pretend to moisturize—they literally just stain your lips with bright, unglossy hues that mimic your mouth after it’s been otherwise, er, occupied. Needless to say, the stain won’t budge after it dries, no matter what business you have planned for the evening. Added bonus: stains mask those incriminating mulberry-colored “wine-lips” stains that can get on the outer corners of a Cabernet-lover’s mouth.
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Max Factor’s Long-lasting Makeup Remover
Girls, girls, girls: the only thing scarier than wearing makeup not meant to endure clubbing and sweating is falling asleep while still wearing long-lasting makeup. No need to scrub off stay-true beauty potions with your weak run-of-the-mill remover—Max Factor carries a special solution that gently removes the makeup without leaving skin and lashes raw or overworked.
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