About 18 miles into the 2025 New York City Marathon, I hit a wall. My back ached. My thighs quaked. My left knee ominously popped with every other step.
I knew from months of training I’d need some extra motivation by this point in the course. The race was more than halfway over, but there were challenging hills and an entire 10k of distance ahead. I’d even programmed a Taylor Swift pump-up playlist for this moment. It still wasn’t drowning out a little voice in my head saying I couldn’t shake it off.
But I was about to find the last bit of hype I needed to keep going. At a break in the crowd of spectators along Manhattan’s First Avenue, I locked eyes with a friend who was ready to cheer me on with some choice compliments. “Halie! You’re doing it!” she shouted over the barricades. Then she paused and did a double take, “And your makeup looks perfect!“
I assumed she was just trying to make me feel better about the gallons of sweat pouring off my forehead until we snapped a quick selfie. The makeup I’d applied with full-body jitters at the Staten Island starting line hours before hadn’t moved an inch. I might have hit a wall, but my marathon lipstick and matching glitter were photo-ready. I couldn’t help but smile back at my reflection—and then keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Before the New York City Marathon officially began, I stretched and applied my marathon-proof makeup routine.
(Image credit: Halie LeSavage)
At 5 a.m. that morning, I’d woken up with Maybelline lipstick and volumizing mascara packed in my starting-line bag, right next to marathon wellness essentials like energy gels, body glide balm, and extra hair ties. Running in makeup was always part of the agenda. As an editor, there’s a science experiment element: a long race is the perfect controlled environment to see just how “water-proof” and “sweat-proof” products really are.
Doing a full face beat was also my way of celebrating the work that I had done. I’d spent four months preparing for the starting line: sacrificing sleep, plans with friends, and a generally “fun” way of living to train this summer and fall. I felt jubilant about the progress I’d made to make it to race day—and the prospect of running alongside so many other people with the same goal in mind. Slathering my cheeks in glitter and swiping on a pink lip was the most “me” way to turn the course into a party. I felt like I was sparkling on the inside; I wanted that feeling to be evident to anyone I ran past.
Plus, I’d be running by more than two million spectators, according to some estimates. I wanted to look good even when the distances started to hurt.
Here I am at mile 8 on the course, running and getting compliments on my marathon-proof makeup.
(Image credit: Halie LeSavage)
I didn’t spend the entire race triple-checking my reflection. But when I stopped to take photos or scarf down a banana, I was happy with what I saw: mauve lipstick that hadn’t faded or transferred to my teeth and mascara without a single smudge. The miles stacked up, and the effort I exerted increased, but my makeup seemed truly marathon-proof. One fellow editor even shouted out my “incredible” look (her words!) for her thousands of Instagram followers.
Finish line! I made it all 26.2 miles without needing to re-apply my lipstick or pack on more glitter.
(Image credit: Halie LeSavage)
By the time I was reuniting with my family outside Central Park, my body was ready to shut down for the night. My makeup, on the other hand, looked like it could last for another World Major.
Forget hitting a goal time—completing the race with my confidence-boosting products in place was the real win for me. (But, for the record, I did PR on this race in spite of the mile-18 wall.) Ahead, see the marathon-proof makeup routine I used to feel my best, from entering the corral to crossing the finish line.
My Marathon-Proof Makeup Stack
Maybelline
Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick – Lover
I’ve had versions of this lipstick in my makeup organizer for several years: for dance competitions and recitals, for nights out in college, for the wedding guest circuit. It’s never failed me at all those events—how much different could a marathon really be?
True to its promise, this long-wear lipstick did not budge. I swiped on two coats of the mauve-pink “Lover” shade, to complement the pink long-sleeve top and sneakers I wore for race day, before I started running. Even though I carried my lipstick in my water bottle’s pocket for all 26.2 miles, I never had to reapply it.
“Your lipstick is stronger than I am, ” a friend joked. I wouldn’t go that far—but it’s definitely the toughest on the market.
Maybelline
Unstoppable Mechanical Eyeliner – Onyx 10
My eyes are my favorite feature, so you’ll rarely find me without top-liner and mascara—even when I’m up at 5 a.m. for a bus to the starting line. Once again, I chose a tried-and-true waterproof eyeliner. Smudges or fading? Nowhere to be found by mile 26.
Maybelline
Colossal Bubble Waterproof Mascara – Very Black
When I took a quick water stop at the 15-mile marker, I couldn’t believe what my camera showed me: eyelashes that were as individually defined and clump-free as when I left the warm-up tent. But this volumizing, waterproof mascara was holding strong. History repeated by the time I made it out of the finish line area and to the official step-and-repeat for race finishers. Sweat had been dripping from my hairline into my eyes all afternoon, but my mascara looked like it had just been applied. “Water-proof” is an understatement—it’s exertion-proof.
Supergoop!
Protec(tint) Daily Spf Tint Spf 50 Sunscreen Skin Tint
ICYMI: Marathons are long. Five-ish hours spent in direct sunlight can do some serious skin damage, so SPF in some form is a must.
This Supergoop tinted sunscreen was the base of my marathon makeup routine; I use it daily when I’m getting ready for work, too. It functions like a light foundation, evening out my skintone and covering up some discoloration without feeling too heavy. And, crucially, it’s SPF 50.
As the race went on, I pulled over to slather some pocket-sized SPF on my forehead, neck, and chin. (A few seconds added to my time were worth it for the sun protection.)
Angels Beauty
Body Glitter Face Glitter Gel
Instead of my day-to-day Rhode blush, I coated my cheekbones (and my nose, and my eyelids) in this glitter gel. It dried in a few seconds and, like the rest of my beat, didn’t slide off once I got moving. I’ve never worn this much sparkle outside of Halloween, but I’m glad I tried it: Everyone who saw me run by knew exactly how I excited I felt about race day.
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