A few weeks ago, my husband and I had a date night for the first time in over a year. Covid and having a baby really put a stop to regular dates so it was nice to actually interact with society again. The majority of the date was outside, in the heat, at a baseball game. Not to toot my own horn but my makeup looked BEAUTIFUL all night long. Was it perfect at the end of the night? Absolutely not because anytime you’re sweating, eating and drinking, your makeup is going to wear down. However, there are products that hold up better than others and I want to share my top picks with you today.

The product pictures may seem disjointed because I pulled them from their individual reviews instead of taking all new ones. I have reviewed almost everything I’m going to mention but there are a few that I haven’t.

Here is the look that I created for this particular date night! I will share every product that’s on my face and give a couple of alternatives. I’m also going to mention a perfume that I just bought, so I didn’t have it on this particular night, but it’s definitely what I would choose to wear now. Let’s get into all my essentials!

💕Primer, Foundation, Color Corrector & Concealer:

• My absolute favorite primer has been the essence Glow Boosting Primer. That is what I’m wearing above BUT essence decided to discontinue it😠 I was searching for a dupe and found the e.l.f. Matte Oil Control Primer. They have very similar ingredients but I haven’t tested the e.l.f. one yet so I can’t say for sure that it’s good. I don’t really have any other primer favorites so hopefully the e.l.f. one will be a great option. It is pricier than the essence one at $10.00, though. 
• J. Cat Beauty Skinsurance Max Coverage Foundation– This foundation, in the shade Soft Beige, is what I use when I want COVERAGE and want it to last all day. Even with it being so high coverage, it still looks natural on the skin. It also does a fantastic job of controlling oil and sweat. It has a beautiful satin finish and for $15.00, you can’t beat it. You can see my full review here.
• Milani Brightening Undereye Tint– This tint really doesn’t color correct because it’s not pigmented enough for that but it does do a great job of brightening the under eye area. I love wearing it on top of my foundation and under concealer. It blends seamlessly with a finger and can be worn alone or under other products. It’s $9.00 and you can see my full review here.
• J. Cat Beauty Staysurance Zero Smudge Concealer– This concealer, just like the foundation, is my favorite for when I want a full coverage look that will last. It is the most crease proof concealer I’ve tried. I wear the shade Custard. It is $8.00 and you can see my full review here.

💕Powder, Blush & Highlighter:

• J. Cat Beauty Luxe Pro Powder– This is hands down my holy grail powder. It looks so smooth, helps to blur pores and sets my makeup for hours. I wear the shade Porcelain. This powder is $7.00 and you can see my full review here. 
• e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder– I don’t use this powder to actually set my foundation because it’s not the best for that but it’s a GORGEOUS finishing powder. It gives the skin a beautiful glow. I like to mix the shades Light and Medium to get my perfect shade. It’s $8.00 and you can see my full review here.
• J. Cat Beauty Aquasurance Powder Foundation– I don’t necessarily like to put this all over my face because it can get cakey but it is wonderful for adding a bit more coverage on trouble areas. It’s also great for correcting makeup mistakes like smeared lipstick or liner. I wear the shade Ivory. This powder is $14.00 and you can see my full review here.
• Pacifica Cherry Bomb Cherry Cheek Powders– This is a beautiful quad of two blushes and two highlighters/blush toppers. The formula is just so easy to work with on the face and eyes. They’re more on the natural side but they’re easy to build up and impossible to overdo. In my look above, I’m wearing the shades Cherry Spirits and Pink Moon. This quad is $18.00 and you can see my full review here.
• Lorac Lux Diamond Golden Hour Palette– This highlighter palette gets used more than anything else in my collection. If you want a smooth, gorgeous highlight, this is the palette for you. I’ve also used this palette on my eyes more than any of my actual eyeshadow palettes. In my look above, I’m wearing the shade Capri. It’s $35.00 and well worth it. You can see my full review here.
• Pacifica Alighten Natural Radiance Powders– Just like the Cherry Cheek Powders, these are fantastic. It’s a quad with two highlighters, one blush and one bronzer; so you’re really getting a lot of versatility. I actually didn’t wear any of these shades in my look above but I wanted to include it because it’s amazing and would be perfect for a night out. This quad is also $18.00 and you can see my full review here.

💕Primer, Eyeshadow, Liner, Mascara & Brows:

• Profusion Cosmetics No Budge Eyeshadow Primer– I actually used the Urban Decay Primer Potion for this look but the Profusion Primer works the same and it’s $4.00 verses $24.00. It really doesn’t matter what primer you wear as long as it works for you. You can see my full review for the Profusion Primer here.
• Undone Beauty Curator Eye Palette in Soft– This is the palette I used for this particular look but I recommend any of Undone Beauty’s eyeshadows. The formula is just so easy to work with and the shadows are beautiful. Their larger palettes, like this one, are $14.00. I haven’t reviewed this particular palette yet but you can see my review for their Curator Eye Palette in Soul here.
• L.A. Girl Shockwave Eyeliners– These liners are easy to apply and almost completely budge proof. For this look, I’m wearing the liner in Blackout topped with a black shadow; if you put a powder shadow on top of your liner, it will last longer. They’re $4.49 apiece and you can see my full review here.
• Covergirl Full Lash Bloom Waterproof Mascara– This mascara doesn’t do anything spectacular for my lashes as far as adding volume or length BUT it does exactly what I want it to, stay in place. This mascara is completely waterproof so it’s perfect for date nights, especially ones that are outside. It is $6.00 and you can see my full review here.
• e.l.f. Wow Brow Gel– I use this every time I do my brows because it’s basically budge proof. I’ve never had an issue with it smearing and it’s super easy to use. It holds my brows in place and adds fibers to make them look fuller. It’s $4.00 and you can see my full review here.

💕Setting Sprays, Lippies & Perfume:

• Mario Badescu Rosewater Spray– Does this spray really do anything miraculous? No but I still love it. It’s not a setting spray but it’s perfect for making powders look less powder-y and making highlights really pop. I also love just spraying in on my bare skin. It’s a staple for me. It’s $12.00 and you can see my full review here.
• Catrice Oil Control Matt Fixing Spray– I definitely think setting spray can make a difference but whether or not it does totally depends on your skin type and the other products you’re using. I have combination skin and out of all my setting sprays, I feel that this one holds my makeup in place and actually helps to keep me matte. It is $8.00 and I’ll be fully reviewing it in a Catrice haul soon.
• Milani Ludicrous Lip Gloss– This gloss formula is the absolute best and I’m so annoyed because Milani has stopped carrying the majority of them on their website. They do have a few fruit themed ones available on the website that I love but as for the originals, I believe the only place they’re still available is Walgreens. However, they’re worth tracking down. They’re so thick that they last longer than any other gloss but they’re not sticky. I love them for date nights because while they won’t last the whole night, they fade beautifully and they’re easy to reapply. I’m wearing the shade Semi Charmed in my look above. They’re $9.00 apiece and you can see my full review here.
• Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Intense Perfume– I decided to splurge on a perfume for the first time. Since I had Covid last year, my sense of smell has been completely altered and most perfumes stink to me but this one is summer in a bottle. I didn’t own this perfume on that particular date night but it’s what I’ll be wearing from now on. It’s not too strong but it lasts all day and the scent fades wonderfully. It is $99.00 for 1.7 ounces and the key notes are:
  • Top – Pear, Strawberry, Bergamot
  • Middle – Jasmine, Rose Buds, Honey
  • Base – Benzoin, Moss, Vanilla, Musk

Final Thoughts:

Whether you have a date coming up or just wanted some makeup recommendations, I hope this was helpful. Let me know what your date go tos are! Thanks for reading and have a great day!