No product in your kit will survive monsoon humidity if your skin prep is wrong. This is the step most people rush or skip, and it shows within two hours.

• Cleanser: a gentle, non-stripping face wash that removes overnight sebum without over-drying. Over-dry skin produces more oil as compensation.
• Toner (optional): a niacinamide or AHA toner to control pore size and reduce surface oil. Skip heavy hydrating toners in monsoon.
• Moisturiser: a lightweight gel moisturiser, not a cream. In 85% humidity, your skin does not need a thick barrier moisturiser. A gel hydrates without adding occlusive oils that increase slippage.
• Sunscreen: do not skip this step. An SPF 50 broad-spectrum, non-greasy sunscreen that dries matte or to a satin finish. Apply and let it absorb for 3 to 4 minutes before the next step.

A good primer does more work in the monsoon than at any other time of year. It creates a grip layer between your skin and your makeup, locks down excess sebum, and gives your foundation something to bond to rather than sliding on oily skin.

This is where most monsoon makeup routines go wrong. The instinct is to apply more foundation for longer-lasting coverage. The opposite is true in humidity: thinner, buildable applications hold better.

• Skin tint or sheer-to-light foundation: lightweight coverage that allows skin to breathe. Look for non-comedogenic, water-resistant formulas like the Face Anything Luminous Skin Tint.
• Matte finish foundations: in the monsoon, matte formulas outperform dewy or luminous ones because they have stronger film-forming agents that resist water and oil.
• Oil-free or oil-control formulas: water-based foundations hold better in monsoon conditions than oil-based ones.
• Avoid: full-coverage cream or stick foundations applied all over. They sit on top of the skin and move as a unit when moisture gets underneath them.

In the monsoon, use concealer only where you need it: under eyes, over blemishes, on redness. Applying concealer all over the face adds unnecessary layers that will crease and crack in humidity.

Look for long-wear, transfer-resistant concealer formulas. Avoid thick cream concealers that do not set. Set any concealer with a pinpoint application of translucent powder using a small brush or beauty sponge.

Setting your base is more critical in the monsoon than at any other time. Two-step setting delivers the best results:

• Setting powder: apply translucent setting powder only to the T-zone and oily areas using a pressing motion with a powder puff, not a brush. This packs the powder into the skin rather than dusting it on top.
• Setting spray: after powder, mist a waterproof or long-wear setting spray across the entire face. Hold the bottle 20 to 25 cm away and mist in an X and then a T formation. Do not touch your face for 60 seconds.

Eye makeup is where monsoon failure is most visible. Smudged eyeliner and running mascara are the hallmarks of a monsoon makeup disaster. The solution is simple: only waterproof formulas for everything on the eyes.

Cream blush and cream bronzer are beautiful products, but not for the Indian monsoon. The cream formula sits on top of the skin and, in humidity, tends to move, streak, and bleed into your foundation.

In the monsoon, use powder blush and bronzer applied over a set powder base. Choose long-wearing, highly pigmented formulas so you get colour impact without needing to pack on layers.

Glossy lip products and creamy bullet lipsticks do not survive monsoon conditions. They transfer on masks, cups, and collars, and bleed into lip lines in humidity.

What works: a liquid matte lipstick in a transfer-proof formula, or a long-wear lip tint applied over a lip liner. A lip liner applied all over the lip first, not just the edges, dramatically increases longevity for any lip product worn over it.

For Indian skin tones, warm nudes, terracotta, brick red, and deep berry tones in long-wear matte formulas are the best combination of practicality and flattery for the monsoon season.