How to not look a sweaty mess

[sealprincess]

I have to do a formal-ish work thing this week in the daytime. I’ll have to travel a fair way. How do I stop all my make up sweating off? What do I wear that won’t crease? (Obvs not linen!) Any tricks for sorting myself out in the 5 minutes between arriving & going on stage to speak?

Well, yes - linen. But it needs to be the weighty, expensive, tailored variety, rather than the opposite. A couple of weeks ago I saw an extremely high powered academic give a presentation, on one of the hottest days ever, in a cream linen trouser suit and white linen vest. She looked epic. And very cool, calm and collected.

Something from here would be the ideal:

https://www.margarethowell.co.uk/search?filter.p.m.custom.gender=Women&q=Linen&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

Also ideally you’d arrive a good half an hour / forty minutes beforehand and be able to cool down in the shade or an air conditioned room. But I know that can’t always happen.

(If it’s really hot I’d rather do (very minimal) make up once I’d arrived. And have something very, very cold to spritz over my face at the last minute.)

How are you travelling? By car - then air con will be your friend. And schedule your journey to arrive in good time. Public transport - I have a USB fan from John Lewis which is brilliant. Its handle can also be folded so it can stand on a desk or lectern to keep me cool when on stage.

As long as I have a comfortable, smart blouse from Uniqlo or La Redoute, I can stay cool. Trousers are not so much of an issue, I find. In very hot conditions, I wear the M&S wide leg tailored trousers and have been very comfortable and have looked smart and unruffled. No need for linen.

Thanks @Preciousssssss. I have to travel by tube & train & only have 10 minutes between arriving & speaking, half of which will be a sound check. So definitely no time for doing make up - it’ll have to be done in advance. If I spritz won’t it take the make up off or is there something I can spritz that won’t wash off my make up?
I am very very doubtful about linen. In my experience even the expensive stuff would crease horribly on a 2 hour journey.

thanks also @Daughn a fan is a very good idea! Do you have a link for the trousers you suggest?

I'd probably avoid make up in that case. Pop some lipstick on before you go on and be done with it.

And there's absolutely no way you can go earlier? What happens if your train is even 5 minutes late?

Clothing wise I'd probably be tempted to change when I got there, but again that's difficult if you've got no time. The weather is due to cool down massively on Thursday.

I can’t go earlier @Ineffable23 - they have booked & paid for my travel & I am travelling with other speakers. If the train’s late I guess they delay the start. But I certainly can’t delay things to go & do make up! Its a tight turnaround so they don’t have to pay for overnight accommodation…

Hmm …

Do you do this often?

For me, my priority when giving a presentation (or anything similar) is to arrange everything to be as stress free as possible. I no longer run a car, so if I’m reliant on trains I generally travel the day before and stay in a hotel or with friends. I simply cannot bear the anxiety of late or cancelled trains, and rushing through broiling tube stations at the other end. (And of course at this time of year a taxi will probably be no quicker.)

So I’m afraid, if it’s not impossibly expensive or professionally infeasible, I would decline the paid for, last minute travel and make my own arrangements.

I’ve already said I can’t change the arrangement…I am very much expected to come as planned & even if I wasn’t I also have childcare issues which make going the day before etc impossible.
Thats why I am really looking for S&B tips to help.

Get a lash lift and tint, then you don't need to worry about mascara and your eyes are done. I also find Clarins Eau Dynamisante very cooling, especially when you put it on the back of your neck.

Get one of those cooling neck pillow things to wear on the tube. And cooling wrist bands. They help a bit

Oh thank you @unsync & @AndSoFinally I think my mum has Eau dynamisante and a neck cooling thing so will see if I can borrow them!

In a similar situation the past I’ve taken a non creasing blouse in my bag with me, have a quick baby wipe of armpits, spray of deodorant and change in the loo ? Might not help on the make up front but you might feel a lot fresher.

L'Oréal do a setting spray in a red can that is absolutely bomb proof for stopping make up melting off your face. It is a dupe of the Patrick Ta One/Size setting spray. Not very pleasant to use but it works. I cycle everywhere and it stops my make up from disappearing.

Benefit The POREfessional Matte Rescue used to be my go to but it seems to have been discontinued. Might be worth if you have a big Boots asking if anyone does a similar product. Kept my make up in place during many a sweaty occasion in warmer climes.

Get a neck fan to wear on the train, minimal make up and a fixing spray, a hair do that won’t go frizzy.

perhaps a travel dress like this:
https://www.rohan.co.uk/womens-voyager-dress-true-navy/#main-content
dressed up with some kitten heel slingbacks and a posh bag and bright beads. Or something like this Hobbs dress https://www.hobbs.com/product/burghley-seam-detail-shirt-dress/0225-5949-1185L00-IVORY.html

perhaps travel in flip flops and take something else to change into.

Ive been using a rechargeable neck fan from Amazon, had it a couple years, and Evian face spray, won't ruin make up. It's so refreshing I won't go anywhere without them in a heatwave! Best of luck.

Thanks everyone for all this great advice!

These textured trousers are really lightweight and great for travelling in in the heat.
https://www.marksandspencer.com/textured-elasticated-waist-wide-leg-trousers/p/clp60730923?color=BLACK#intid=pid_pg1pip48g4r7c2

Pair with a lightweight top and jacket that can be removed. Add jewellery to dress it up. Choose very comfortable sandals. Comfort is the priority.

Stay calm, unhurried, eat very lightly. If the travel arrangements don't work then at least it's not your fault as they booked them.

tailored wide-leg trousers - these are the ones and I cut off the tab so I can wear a belt. Where are you travelling from? I can't believe they have only allowed 10 minutes between arriving and speaking, particularly when mics have to be set up as well. I would investigate changing to at least an hour earlier departure. Trains can be changed for an admin fee plus any difference in fare - then charge it back to the client.

Thanks for the trouser recommendations @Daughn
I wish I could change the travel but it’s not possible!

@sealprincess How did your event go? Any tips for future reference?

Oh thanks! It was very hot. In the end I wore a floaty maxi skirt & smart sandals & smart blouse - the skirt felt a lot cooler than trousers. I took a mini fan for the train & lots of water & kept v hydrated which helped. I did v minimal make up but made sure my eye make up looked OK (no eyeshadow as I thought it would just melt off but eyeliner & mascara & brow gel) then during the sound check I spritzed with Evian & then blotted with a tissue then just put some erborian cc cream over my face to smooth things out. Then lipstick just to look a bit more polished. And I asked for fresh (& cold!) water for during the event which also helped. Hope that’s useful & thank you everyone for the tips!

A good primer would help as well. My face sweats a lot, I've found the supergoop factor 30 really helps, and it has a slight tint to it so you can wear it alone or under proper make up.