5 Makeup Survival Tips for Japan’s Rainy Season

The more you put on, the more your face will sweat.

It’s hot and humid (on top of raining all the time), and all that work you do to your face before leaving home goes down the drain when, as soon as you reach the office, your reflection in the mirror resembles the Wicked Witch of the West more than yourself. Yes, it’s not the perfect time of the year for makeup during Japan’s rainy season—but we may need it anyway.

So, if you’re using makeup despite the weather outside, here are five effective ways to keep your face on point during Japan’s rainy season, as recommended by professional makeup artists, including myself.

1. Minimize Your Morning Skincare Routine

© Photo by iStock: chachamal

Since this is an extremely humid season, it’s recommended not to focus on your morning skincare routine as much as usual because, well, you’ll most likely sweat anyway. Rather than packing on your morning routine, stick to your night routine instead, especially if you have oily skin.

In the morning, try using products that contain what your skin needs—for example, if your moisturizer isn’t SPF-based, replace it with one that is. Remember—the more you put on your face, the more your face will sweat. Stick to gel or light lotions that your face can absorb fast. If you need to use moisturizer, serum or a heavy lotion, skip the moisturizer and serum because using all of them will weigh down your makeup and cause it to slide off.

2. Priming Is Essential

© Photo by iStock: Kazzpix

Not priming your face is the first step of witnessing your makeup melt epically. A primer not only smoothens your base but also eases the makeup application and makes it stay on your face longer. Think of it as a type of glue that adheres to your base (foundation, BB and CC creams) and also works as a shield between your skincare and makeup. If you’re a heavy eyeshadow user, treat your eyelids with double eyelid primer—this will help the makeup stay on longer and prevent your eyeshadow from creasing. The same applies to other facial parts where you apply makeup.

3. Don’t Cake Your Face

© Photo by iStock: kumikomini

Sad but true: caking your face during the rainy season is a bad decision. There are higher chances for your makeup to crease and for your pores to get accentuated. Oil-based makeup products are more likely to melt off your skin and clog your pores. So, go sheer! Change your foundation to a high-coverage concealer or even a BB or CC cream. It’s your concealer’s job to cover your “flaws,” not the foundation’s.

Last but not least, avoid over-powdering your face. Luckily, many brands have developed powders that can actually stand some sweat, but overall, over-powdering and sweat don’t go well together. If you decide to use powder anyway, limit it to the T-zone.

4. Combine Cream & Powder Makeup

© Photo by iStock: misuma

Usually, cream-based makeup goes against all that I stand for—it simply won’t work with me if it isn’t humid. The irony! During the rainy season, however, cream makeup will stick better to your skin than powder because powder only sits on top of your face, while cream will stick to the skin. Combining the two will get the ultimate result: a long-lasting, no-touch-up look. It almost works as a primer!

5. Use Waterproof Makeup

© Photo by iStock: Stanislav Hubkin

Bless the makeup gods for this! If you haven’t given waterproof a go this season yet, it’s about time. You don’t need to change all your usual products necessarily but do so for your topcoats at the very least.

Having said this, however, avoid pencil and crayon-type eyeliners even if they’re waterproof. Pencils and crayons usually contain more oil, thus making it easier to melt when it comes in contact with your face. Consider changing to a liquid or gel eyeliner—or better yet, avoid it altogether until the rainy humid days are long gone!

Last but not least…

A bonus tip: buy a bunch of Gatsby oil sheets for men and use them to dry out your skin. You’ll like them more than your powderpuff this season, trust me!

Do you have any makeup tips for Japan’s rainy season?