School Makeup - Help!!

Okay, so I'm sending out a plea for help here! I'm 18 and in my final year at school. I normally really love applying and wearing makeup, and have spent a reasonable amount on products to get my look polished. 

However, no matter what I try, it completely falls to pieces in school. Our school is generally really warm and sticky, with a strange air-conditioning system which has the miraculous ability to turn makeup into a slippy, sticky mess within minutes.

I have quite bad skin, prone to redness and large pores, as well as the frequent spot, and it distresses me that I can't rely on my makeup in school.

At present, I use a Revlon primer, within 17 concealer, followed by Revlon Colorstay in Oily/Combination, and setting powder. I'm also pretty pale, which looks even worse when clumpy and shiny.

If any one has any tips or advice, or even products that could help me, I'd be soooo grateful!!!

Thanks!!!!

I've heard that blotting sheets are inexpensive and helpful for this problem (you can get them from E.L.F. for $3 I think, possibly less), although being on the drier side of the skin spectrum I can only speak from what I've heard others say. You may also keep a small bit of makeup on hand for touch ups during the day, especially powder.

 
Although it may not be the direction you want to take, wearing less makeup could possibly work well if nothing is fighting against the heat. Perhaps, just a bit of concealer, and a powder. It gives a lot less to melt, but may not look as "polished" as you'd like. 

It's all a big juggling act.  

Have you tried instead of using primer, using powder first? That way the oil is absorbed straight from the skin and not through the foundation. After using powder on your skin, then take the time to apply foundation in a patting/stippling motion with a buffing or stippling brush or your fingers. Use a smaller amount of foundation so your skin shows through but the redness is gone. Then apply concealer as needed very lightly and then build in light layers. The less on your face the less chance of it caking. Finally set a final time ONLY in the areas you get the most oil and with a very THIN layer of powder. Helps a lot for me.

If you are in a warm and sticky environment, you are going to sweat off all the liquids on your face unless you have something really tough setting it in place. I think less makeup might help as well. Also, a skincare routine that targets your issues will help a lot with your pores, redness, and probably oily skin since your makeup comes off pretty easy.

I really love the rimmel stay matte powder. I'm also very pale, but I just get it in translucent. It really does remove oil and mattify. This would be a great thing to keep in your bag. IMO, oil blotting sheets are temporary, but the powder will stay on longer and you might need to touch it up once during the day.

Hmm, fantastic advice from everyone! I find a lot of this depends on what works for you. Some can use a standard primer; others need the powder base. I would try all the strategies and see what works. I've been recently using DermaBlend (checking what it says on the tub) DermaBlend Professional Cover Creme. It's a solid cream rather than a liquid. I'm really thrilled with it as it gives very good coverage with less than a 1/4 mL of product. I use the spatula, scrape a small amount from the tub, and dab it on my problem areas (rosacea-type, some blemishes). Then I use my fingers to spread and blend (incidentally it conceals my pores well too!), and top it with a powder foundation << more coverage. The benefit with the Cover Creme is that it's more dense and opaque, so a thin coat gives better coverage than with other products and never ends up caking on me - I just don't need as much. I'm essentially doing double-foundation to get the coverage that I like. You could use blotting papers (which admittedly will remove a bit of coverage if you get really oily and sweaty - good if you're applying more) together with the powder foundation or a translucent powder throughout the day as needed to clean up shine. I'm happy with 6 hours of looking quite polished without touch-ups, but I'm not in a super humid environment.

I wish I had figured this out sooner! Dense highly pigmented solid cream/paste foundations (topped with a touch of powder) are definitely worth trying for a humid environment.

What are you using for your daily skin care regimen ? I really think you should go get a consultation done to get into a good skin care regimen, you will notice that once you get your skin in good shape your make up will apply & stay on a whole lot better. It will also look better as well.