The condition of your skin affects your ability to buff your makeup onto your face, and how well it stays on. The smoother your skin, and the smaller your pores are, the better your makeup is going to look. Here are a few great products to achieve great skin on your big night.

1. Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

This is one of my favourite products! It is great for clearing out your pores so that pore minimizing products will work better. It really grips on to those nasty blackheads and pulls them out to clear out your pores very effectively. Trying to minimise your pores without cleaning them out is like trying to close an overly-stuffed suitcase full of dirty clothes (weird analogy, I know :/). Using this in conjunction with an exfoliator (not too frequently, or you will aggravate your skin! I would recommend using this once a week) will help clear out those nasty blackheads, whiteheads and oil seeds. This will prevent further enlarged pores, too!

The Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips retail for AUD 5.69 per pack of 6, so that works out to be less than $1 per pore strip!

2. Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing + Perfecting Mask

This mask is a great exfoliant and provides instant hydration to the skin. It clears away dead skin cells and helps clear out inflammation and scarring. Use this weekly about 2-3 weeks before your big night, and you will see a noted improvement in the radiance of your skin.

3. Simplicité Rosehip & Lavender Complexion Refiner

This is the perfect mask to use in conjunction with the Bioré Pore Strips! It helps to clear out congestion in pores, and leaves the skin looking brightened and glowing. I have been using this mask for 2 weeks now, and the results are amazing! I have bright, radiant, smooth skin. What's even better - after applying this mask, makeup seems to stick better and look better. This is a total miracle product!

4. Elixia Crystal Derm Exfoliator

This is a great exfoliant to use 2-3 times a week. A couple of weeks before your big night, up your exfoliation to 3-4 times a week. Do this only if you aren't using any other form of exfoliation. If you are using a form of daily exfoliation already, it's best not to use this (if you insist on using another form of physical exfoliation, limit it to only once a week, or once every other week). Clearing away dead skin cells helps the skin maintain its glow and helps your makeup grip on to your face.

Primer!

Primer is a great way to ensure that your makeup grips onto your skin and stays put. Oily skins tend to cause makeup to slip and slide around, so primers are a great way to avoid that.

1. INIKA Pure Primer

This primer is certified organic - so definitely one for your eco-conscious people out there, or anyone with sensitive skin. It works a treat, too. It keeps the foundation from melting off your face, and from personal experience, I can say that it helps a lot in humid weather.

2. Face of Australia Face Base Primer

This is one of my favourite primers - it is moisturising and oil-free, which is perfect for my oily skin. It is very easy to spread, and very easy to use. It does exactly what it is meant to do - keep the makeup on my face. Another big plus? For such a functional product, it is so affordable!

3. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

This is a little more pricey compared to the Face of Australia primer, but if you've got a couple of extra bucks to spare, then you should try this out. I might do a little product face-off between the FoA primer and this Laura Mercier one, just to see which one works better!

4. Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer

This is my favourite eye primer. I compared it to the Urban Decay Primer Potion in this product face-off post, and the results speak for themselves!

That's all for the first instalment of How to Make Your Makeup Last Longer! Check in tomorrow for more makeup tips :)