I Road-Tested Makeup Going 180mph

When I got an email asking if I wanted to get on a plane Memorial Day Weekend and fly from Los Angeles to Indianapolis to spend time with beauty brand E.l.f, I said “yes” immediately. My love for the brand’s products is well-documented, but as much as I love their products, I also love what they stand for. For those of you who aren’t yet aware: E.l.f is the first-ever beauty brand to serve as a primary sponsor of an entry in the Indianapolis 500, a 500 mile race that takes place every Memorial Day weekend in Indiana, and they sponsored the only woman driver this year, Katherine Legge.

In all honesty, the trip couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m going through a breakup and I needed to put some miles in between me and my ex-boyfriend. 2,062.27 miles, to be exact. When I got there, not only did I get the opportunity to chat with Legge, but also to ride in the back of an Indycar going 180mph. Yes, you read that right: 180mph. The fastest I would ever go in a car (hopefully).

During the Indycar experience, you get to do two high speed laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a two-seater Indycar driving at speeds I had never achieved in a vehicle (and probably never would again).

As I was getting ready for the day ahead, I started thinking about what makeup I was going to wear. I needed products that would last in the heat (it was going to be upwards of 80 degrees all weekend, with some potential rain storms), but also items that wouldn’t smear all over my face when I was driving fast as f*ck.

I started with my skin care, and then slathered my face in the E.l.f Power Grip Primer ($10), which is my tried and true formula whenever I want my makeup to last. It’s hydrating, and it clings to my makeup like I’m paying it an hourly rate. From there, I underpainted with contour, and then I went in with the E.l.f Halo Glow Liquid Filter Highlighter ($14), which I like to use all over my face like a foundation. I used the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Face and Under-Eye Concealer ($42) to brighten up my undereye area, and I set it using the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Setting Powder ($38).

For brows, I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil ($25) to fill in any sparse areas, and then I set everything in place with the Benefit 24-Hr Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel ($26). I don’t wear a ton of eyeshadow, so I decided to keep things fairly simple with the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette ($50), and I used a light brown color. Then, I curled my lashes and layered on the E.l.f Lash Xtndr Tubing Mascara ($7) because it’s great for lengthening and it stays in place all day.

I made sure I looked nice and bronze using the Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Bronzer Duo ($40), and then I added blush to my cheeks with the Nudestix Nudies Cream Blush ($35). I typically opt for cream products even when it’s hot because if I don’t, powder formulas tend to cling to dry patches around my nose and chin. To make sure everything would last all day, I set it all with the E.l.f. Power Grip Setting Spray ($10).

When we got to the track, we headed to a trailer where I got zipped and velcroed in a racing suit. The suit was thick and hot, and I thought about complaining, until I learned that they were fireproof and made to stop me from bursting into literal flames just in case the car, you know, crashed. That piece of information shut me up fast.

I took a quick selfie to assess what my makeup looked like. Zero smudges, zero cakey-ness — we were good to go.

We walked over to the track, and that’s where I got fitted in a head sock (this was the least attractive part of my outfit and made me realize I would absolutely not look good with a shaved head), gloves, and a helmet. The man helping me fit my helmet tightened the chin strap to the point where I thought my airway was going to get cut off, so I had another person in my group help me loosen it. (More on why that matters later.)

I was the first person to go in my group, and I won’t lie, as I was escorted onto the track and out to the car, my urge to pee was coming on strong. However, I wasn’t nervous. Two guys helped me climb into the back seat of the Indycar, and then they strapped me in. Then, we quite literally rode off at what felt like the speed of light.

The two laps took less than a minute to complete, but while we were going around the track I honestly felt euphoric. I wasn’t worrying about my ex boyfriend, I wasn’t worrying about whether or not I was going to survive, I was genuinely just having fun. To be honest, the only coherent thought my brain could form was wondering whether or not my helmet was about to fly off because it felt like the wind was going to pull it right off of my head. (We later found out from Katherine Legge that’s why they tighten the chin strap so much.)

When we came to a stop and I hopped out of the car and took my helmet off, I felt amazing — like I could climb freaking Mt. Everest. But first, I needed to check my makeup.

I walked over to the sidelines and opened up my front camera only to find that everything on my face had shockingly stayed in place. Even after the head sock that made my head look like the tip of a penis, even after the helmet, and even after the 180mph speed racing I had just done around the race track. My makeup was pretty much flawless. Even better? When I got home hours later, it still looked just as good.

If you ever find yourself needing long-lasting products that will last you an hour, eight hours, through a heavy make out sesh, or even through a casual 180mph car ride, please take notes.

Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.