I may be a fashion and beauty blogger, but in the hot summer months, I like to keep my makeup routine as simple, clean and natural as possible!
With the humidity, dirt and dust of summer sticking to our skin and overactive sebaceous glands making us oily, we don’t want to further clog our pores with layers of heavy makeup.
Lightweight makeup and a solid summer skincare regimen will keep you looking fresh and clean all summer long!
This is Part 2 of my two-part summer beauty blog feature, all about MAKEUP! Check out Part 1 on Skincare to get your canvas ready for the pretty palette I’m about to share with you…
Once your skin is clean, exfoliated, moisturized and protected from the sun (always wear sunscreen ladies), you’re ready to apply your makeup. While you may not like to change your eye/lip colours, you should adjust your facial makeup in the summer months at a bare minimum. Heh…well bare is ideal, but we don’t all have flawless skin!
FACE: If you wear foundation in the cooler months, I recommend switching to a lightweight tinted moisturizer or BB cream in the summer. The latest formulas provide great coverage with all the benefits of skincare and the added bonus of full spectrum SPF. I also like mineral powder foundation with SPF because it’s soft, mattifying and can be layered to achieve the desired coverage for day or night.
Don’t let tired, puffy eyes ruin your summer glow – invest in a quality illuminating concealer to hide dark circles from those long summer nights!
Product Faves (pictured above): I always start with YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch to brighten the under eye area – it’s a bestseller world-wide for a reason! I’ve never been a fan of liquid foundations, but I love BB Creams, especially in the summer! My daytime fave is Clinique Age Defense BB Cream - loaded with antioxidants for prevention and SPF 30 for protection – it provides lightweight blemish coverage and can be used as a base as well. On days or nights when I want some additional coverage, I dust a layer of bareMinerals SPF 15 Matte Powder Foundation over my BB base for a smooth, shine-free finish. For that dewy look, I really like Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm with SPF 20 for its subtle, yet luminous finish. If you prefer tinted moisturizers over BB creams, the best one I’ve tried is Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 – but I think BB creams offer more bang for your buck with all of those amazing preventive skin care benefits!
COLOUR: I like to keep my summer colour palette simple, and neutral. I think a natural, healthy glow is the best accessory in the summer, so I don’t over complicate things with bright colours and heavy eyeliner. Dark, smokey palettes that look amazing in the winter are too harsh for summer – highlight that glowing skin of yours with light, shimmery eyeshadows and a pop of sheer coral/pink on the lips.
For that desirable sun-kissed finish, a touch of bronzer adds an instant glow that evokes warmth on every skin tone for an easy, breezy summer look. Pick a colour that’s about two shades deeper than your natural skin tone and brush it in a C formation starting at the temples and sweeping along the sides of the face and under cheeks for a natural glow. Don’t dust bronzer all over your face – it will make you look dirty! You can do the same with your favourite summer blush if you prefer a warm pink/coral glow instead.
Product Faves (pictured above): If you’re wearing eyeshadow, a lid primer is always a good idea, especially in the summer when our makeup tends to melt and crease even more. I love the award-winning Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion for all-day wear with absolutely no creasing. My favourite eyeshadow palette is the Urban Decay Naked Palette or Naked 2 Palette. It’s amazing all year-round for the pale and deep to matte and sparkly neutrals, but I especially love the lighter end of this palette for summer days and layering on some of the darker shades at night. I have very fair skin and like to keep it that way so I’m not keen on the super bronzed look, but I love NARS Highlighting/Bronzing Blush Duo with a light bronzer on one side (Laguna) and my favourite coral blush (Orgasm) on the other. This complimentary pair gives me that quintessential summer glow for my pale, pinkish skin tone all in one compact! My go-to product for my lips this summer has been the DaLish Coral Lip/Cheek Balm; it’s soft, smooth and provides a pretty hint of summer’s most popular colour. I also really enjoy Dior Addict Lip Stick in Dior Kiss for a hydrating and volumizing sheer pink colour and Korres Mango Butter Lipstick with SPF 10 in Coral for the added sun protection and glossy finish.
Of course anything goes at night – try a fun neon eyeshadow/liner and super lustrous bold lips! I like to use an illuminator like Benefit High Beam on the apples of my cheeks, the cupid’s bow of my lips and the inner corners of my eyes for night’s on the town. I also like to indulge in eyelash extensions in the summer months. Mascara tends to flake, smudge and melt in the heat, but eyelash extensions give me long, dark lashes with no fuss! I can go swimming and sweat without black streaks down my face and they really make my eyes pop without the need for any other eye makeup. I recommend Pretty in the City for lash extensions – check out my rave review HERE.
If shine is a concern for you, don’t pile on the powder – your skin won’t breathe and the problem will get worse. Try using blotting papers throughout the day. I like Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets – they instantly soak up oil without smudging my makeup and they fit conveniently in any purse! If that doesn’t cut it, try a matte primer. I don’t like to add more layers into the mix, but Dermalogica Clearing Mattifier works well and fights breakouts too.
Bottom line: Less is more when it comes to summer makeup. Clean, fresh skin is key and subtle, warm makeup should highlight that. Radiant skin, sparkling eyes and kissable lips – summer beauty perfection!
