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When the weather turns humid with a vengeance, your make-up decides to make a run for it. Indu Saksena Bedi asks an expert how to stop it from all going south.

The temperature may be losing its bite just a little, but the humidity is as clinging as ever. Wrapping itself around you like a wet blanket, it makes a mockery of your make-up. Among the many reasons you should not sweat the small stuff is because looking like you did doesn't make you feel any better!

Friday speaks to well-known Dubai-based beauty consultant Malini Ohri for quick fixes during 'melting moments'. Following these easy tips will help you keep your look.

One of the first things to understand when combating melting make-up is that your skin's texture and quality differ from season to season, says Ohri. Normal skins may become drier or oilier during summer and oily skins may end up becoming more so.

The most vexing make-up issue in humid weather is that your foundation is shaken! And when the very base is affected, how can the rest of your make-up not be? Within a few hours of applying foundation, it begins to slide thanks to the humidity, making your face look tired and dull. The simplest way to keep foundation in its place is to gently blot the excess oil on the T-zone, cheeks and chin with a soft tissue paper. Besides blotting papers, always carry clean powder puffs. After blotting, apply a very light film of mattifying powder with the powder puff. Loose powder is best, as pressed powder can be too heavy on the face for touch-ups. Do not under any circumstances rub at your foundation otherwise you will have to reapply it from scratch.

A tip: Blot your face with a tissue at regular intervals through the day, even if you are indoors all the time.

Of course, prevention is better than cure so using a super-light, mattifying foundation to begin with is a better option. Heavy formulations are more likely to call for intensive damage control.

Dual-purpose foundations, which when dry act as pressed powder and when wet go on as foundation, are also a good choice.

Since the complexion tends to look darker when the foundation gathers grease and sweat, opt for a shade that is lighter than your normal one in hot and humid weather.

Applying a primer or a base is also important during this season. If the skin is oily, a mattifying or a gel-based moisturiser works well. For normal to dry skins, a light hydrating moisturiser will do, but skins that are very dry and mature need a slightly more nutritive moisturiser. On the other hand, if the skin is youthful and has just a few blemishes to cover, skip the foundation and use a tinted moisturiser instead. If only the under-eye area needs coverage, apply foundation only around the eyes.

The key is to blend, blend and blend till the product is fully absorbed into the skin and the effect is flawless.

In humid weather, it is advisable to use a waterproof eyeliner or a gel liner. If you prefer pencils, opt for lighter colours which, even if smudged, will not stand out. To set pencil liner well, apply eyeshadow of the same colour over it. But if using wet or gel eyeliner, skip this step. Kohl fix

While kohl looks entrancing at all times, it is a fickle thing, having a penchant to settle in large rings under the eyes. To keep kohl in control, wedge a soft tissue and gently wipe away the excess under the eyes in upward strokes. Then retouch the kohl sparingly to freshen up. The trick lies in not applying too much of it the first time. Another very effective measure is to 'shore' up the kohl by applying a line of grey-black eyeshadow just under the kohl line. This keeps the kohl in place. And yes, always carry ear buds to remove particles of kohl that get in the eye.

If you use the right mascara, it will not require any fixing during the day. Having said that, if sweat runs into your eyes, it could cause the mascara to run! How do you deal with smudged mascara? It's difficult but doable. Pat eyelashes dry with a tissue and clean up with an ear bud and pat dry again. Use a water-resistant mascara for comfort wear. Be careful you know the difference between water-resistant and water-proof. The latter won't budge even under a waterfall and needs a special remover. Sometimes, generous doses of olive or almond oil are also required to coax the mascara to leave your lashes and even then with residue!

If you are not careful, humidity can make your eyeshadow huddle at the creases. If that happens, dab your eyelids dry and re-blend the eyeshadow with a brush, a small sponge or an ear bud. Avoid using fingers as that deposits more grease on the lids. Cream eyeshadows are best avoided in humid weather, unless you are assuredly sitting in freezing temperatures.

Come hot weather and facial spritzers make for interesting standbys in handbags of many women. But should you use spritzers when the atmosphere is already laden with water? Yes, provided you know how and when to use them. First, the nozzle of the spritzer must be such that only a controlled amount of moisture is deposited on your face as mist. Keep the spritzer at least six inches away from your face while spraying. Floral waters such as elder flower water, orange blossom water and rose water are available at supermarkets or pharmacies and can be filled into old spritzer bottles.

n Touch-ups after spritzing: After the oiliness on the skin has been patted dry with a tissue, spritz for hydration and a dewy finish. Now pat-dry the excess moisture and then gently reblend the foundation with a sponge. Wait for the face to dry and dust a bit of translucent powder with a light hand. For very dehydrated skins, pat-dry, spritz and pat-dry again. Then with a clean sponge, re-powder the face using minimal powder. For lightly-done eyes, there's little fear of eye make-up melting due to spritzers, but in the case of heavily made-up eyes, cover them with a tissue and only then use the spritzer. Stay away from frosted finishing powders as they mimic the effect of grease and shine.

In humid weather, lipstick feathers more often than in dry, cold weather. Make it a point to reapply a fresh coat of lipstick when refreshing make-up. (Applying more colour on the existing patchy lipstick not only looks tacky, it makes the lip colour look uneven.) Wipe lips clean with a tissue taking care to take off the lipstick and not let it to settle outside the lipline and apply a fresh coat. Opt for matte lipsticks rather than glossy, as glossies melt and turn greasy, spreading around the mouth. Though considered passé this season, lipliners are always a good idea. Just make sure the colour doesn't clash with the colour of the lipstick and both are blended well.

The rules for refreshing gloss are the same as those for lipstick: apply a fresh coat after wiping off the old coat; apply a lipliner of a similar shade to keep the lipgloss in place. Apply just a hint of gloss to the centre of the lips and press lips together. Too much gloss will spread. Colourless lip pencils are a great way to keep the gloss or lipstick in place.

Humid weather and cream blush are just not made for each other, so choose powder blush instead. If your make-up is getting greasy, follow the steps above to refresh and stroke on a fresh coat of blush. In summer, it's ideal to apply a loose powder blush.