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I tried dunking my face in water for longer-lasting makeup — and it worked!

It’s a Korean beauty trick.
/ Source: TODAY

When it comes to makeup, I'm plagued with the same dilemma every day: it simply won't stay on throughout the day. It's either fading away, melting off or rubbing onto my clothes. I've tried everything — primer, powder, setting spray — and I can't seem to win.

That is, until I happened to come across some YouTube videos of people trying out a Korean beauty trend called Jamsu.

Jamsu, which literally translates to "submerge" or "dive," is exactly what it sounds like — dunking your face in cold water to seal makeup onto your face. To me, the process sounded like it would do the complete opposite and just be a makeup-removing technique. But based on what I saw online, I had to try it out for myself.

So, you just dunk your face in water?

Well, it's a bit more complicated than that.

After applying foundation and concealer, there's a magical ingredient that seals in your makeup: baby powder.

Warning: The baby powder step is incredible messy. Maybe I shouldn't have worn a black shirt.
Warning: The baby powder step is incredible messy. Maybe I shouldn't have worn a black shirt.

After caking on a very thick layer of baby powder (it's a lot messier than I imagined), I was ready for the next step of dunking my head into cold water for 30 seconds.

With a bowl of cold water in front of me, I held my breathe and took the plunge.

What happened after?

Yikes! That water is cold. If I keep doing this trick, at least it'll wake me up in the morning?
Yikes! That water is cold. If I keep doing this trick, at least it'll wake me up in the morning?

I emerged from the freezing cold water gasping, yet baby powder-free. The water had washed away every last speck of powder from my face, but my foundation was still on perfectly (gasp!) even after patting my face dry. In fact, my foundation looked better than ever. My pores were nearly invisible and my complexion looked smooth. What?!

I continued to apply the rest of my makeup as I normally would and headed out into the world. It was time to put this trick to the test in the real world.

Jamsu makeup trend
Before and after taking the plunge into a bowl of cold water.Max Bartick

Did my makeup last all day?

Test 1: Lunch

My makeup survived an extremely messy quesadilla ... even after it ended up all over my face. Many napkins later, I still had a fresh face.

Test 2: Working out

After sweating through a long run, my makeup miraculously stayed put. Test No. 2 was a success!

Test 3: At the end of the day

After 10 hours, my makeup didn't fade, melt or even smudge. It was remarkable. It looked as good as it did when I put it on in that morning. Taking it off was another story, however. It took three makeup remover wipes and two rounds of face washing to finally feel like I had clean skin.

Jamsu Makeup Trend
(Left) My makeup immediately after applying. (Center and right) Even after eating lunch and going for a run, my makeup didn't budge! TODAY

Would I do this again?

Absolutely! Actually, I already have for a few extra-special occasions. This is the perfect trick to use before a wedding or important night when you don't want to carry your entire makeup bag with you in a mini purse. All in all, I found that it's a quick process that has a big pay-off ... even if it's a bit uncomfortable in the moment.

This article was originally published on Jan. 5, 2017 on TODAY.com.