What’s the best way to keep our foundation sweat-proof and intact in sunny, humid Singapore?

Prep & prime

The most important thing in making sure makeup stays on is all about prepping the skin and building thin layers with your essence to the lotion, serum, sunscreen and primer. Think of your skincare routine very much in the same way we put our clothing together in warmer weather. Instead of heavy thick layers, you want to have sheer, transparent layers that will allow breathability and allows skin to feel more weightless.

The great thing about the Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation, $88 (Ed’s note: a newly launched product that James helped to co-develop) is that it has actives like fermented kefir and niacinamide so it behaves like both a skincare and makeup product, allowing you to get away with minimal skin prep and still get a 12-hour wear that’s transfer-resistant, and crease-resistant with a beautiful glowing finish.

Spot treatment

Sometimes when we put makeup on ourselves, we’re not always objective. Instead of putting everything everywhere, think about areas where you need more coverage and build from there. Start with your fingers, warm up the product in your hands, and apply the foundation exactly how you would apply your favourite skincare product.

In the areas that need more attention, what I like to do is to use a brush like the Shiseido Daiya Fude Face Duo brush, $68. It’s a cool product because you have one side that’s a gel blender that behaves like your finger. Apply a little bit of foundation to the back of your hand, and use it on areas where you want more coverage. For most of us, this would be the centre of the face, around the nose and under the eye. When you get the desired effect you want, just flip the brush to the red side and give your skin a good buff and blend for a really seamless flawless look. That is going to help keep the product feeling more comfortable in really humid weather.

Finishing move

Although the foundation is long-wearing and has great benefits, it’s going to stay on even better if you set the surface of the makeup. I recommend using an invisible translucent powder in a matte finish, and really targeting the areas where skin is prone to get oily.

Personally, I use the Shiseido Hasu Fude foundation brush, $58, because it has a really flat surface and it allows me to really press that transparent powder into the areas of the skin where you don’t want to be shiny. Some areas to look out for include between the eyebrows, under the eye, the corners of the nose, above the lip, the chin, and the centre of the forehead. Tip: Make a straight line down the centre of your face with your translucent powder and keep the rest of the surface really glowing. That will make sure you look radiant, but not too shiny.

James Boehmer is the global artistic director for Shiseido makeup.