Summertime Solutions-Taking The Heat Off Your Makeup

With the warmer months fast approaching, it may be time to review the contents of your makeup bag! The arrival of summer often brings with it makeup dilemmas; with perspiration, oil production and dehydration that a hot climate can bring to our skin. Cassandra, a Professional Makeup Artist, has a few answers to commonly asked questions about summer makeup.

“my foundation never stays on in summer. It becomes an oil slick by the end of the day.”

The heat of summer can send our skin into an absolute frenzy, particularly if it tends to be oily. Oil is an absolute enemy of perfect makeup! Choosing a good-quality stick foundation may help. Stick or cake foundations usually contain less oil than liquids and so have longer lasting properties in summer. Applied with a sponge, coverage can be as heavy or light as you wish. Opt to use a sunscreen each day which doubles as a moisturiser and saves you using both, reducing oiliness. Allowing it to absorb into skin before applying makeup may also help. Dabbing your face gently with a tissue can remove excess oil without ruining your makeup.

“how do I get rid of shine on my nose, chin and forehead?”

No matter which foundation you use, warmer weather almost ensures that your face will begin to shine throughout a hot summer’s day. Some women love a dewy finish to their foundation, whilst others absolutely detest it! Whilst there are no hard and fast rules about what your foundation should look like, if you prefer a matte finish to your base, face powder is the answer to combating shine. Powder can be a translucent loose powder, which will provide a light coverage, a wet-to-dry foundation or a pressed compact, which will provide the most coverage. Powder can be applied with a large, round powder brush, makeup sponge, or powder puff. A light dusting should be enough to reduce shine and may be touched-up during the day.

“I want minimal makeup. Which foundation can I use?”

Rising temperatures teamed with perspiration can make wearing makeup quite uncomfortable! However, there are solutions for minimal makeup with maximum effect. For a healthy, dewy glow, tinted moisturiser and/or bronzer can be applied (a little liquid foundation can be mixed with moisturiser/sunscreen as an alternative to tinted moisturiser). For a little more coverage, liquid or mousse foundations are an option, but try to find one with low oil content. These foundations can be applied with a brush or sponge. For minimal makeup with a matte finish, a light application of face powder without any foundation underneath should do the trick.

“my skin is patchy and flaky, foundation makes it look worse”

Dry skin can become really dehydrated in warmer weather and poses all kinds of problems with makeup. Whilst keeping your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water and exfoliating regularly to improve its condition, the appearance of foundation can be greatly improved with the use of a pre-foundation primer. Apply directly to your skin or after moisturiser, under your foundation. Apply over your entire face, including eyes, lips and neck. Primer will help foundation to glide onto skin, last longer and to appear smooth and flawless. It will also prevent powder and eyeshadow from caking in creases. It is wise to use a sunscreen each day or at the very least choose a foundation with sunscreen added.

“my mascara runs and smudges when I sweat or go swimming”

Waterproof mascara is an essential item to your summer makeup bag! Many mascaras available are not only waterproof, but also smudgeproof and non-flaking. If you intend to go swimming throughout the summer period don’t intend on getting your eyelashes tinted, then waterproof mascara may be the way to go. These mascaras tend to be difficult to remove, so you may want to invest in a good eye makeup remover.

“Is mascara the only waterproof makeup?”

No. If it was, Ursula Andress may not have looked so glam coming out of the water in James Bonds’ Dr. No (although I’m sure she still would have looked as beautiful!) Besides waterproof mascara, there are other waterproof products available on the market. These include eyeliners, oil-based foundations, crème eyeshadows, blushes and creamy lipsticks. Alternatively, tinted eyelashes and fake tan will keep you looking bronzed and beautiful in the water without makeup!

“my lips are so dry and my lipstick flakes off”

Unfortunately, dry lips are often part and parcel of a hot summer, as the skin on your lips has no oil glands. Keeping them protected with sunscreen balm is extremely helpful, as is exfoliating gently with a toothbrush. For hassle-free lipstick, apply foundation to the lips before using any lip colour. This will help lipstick to adhere to your lips and stay on longer (you may also wish to use a lip primer). Using a creamy lipstick will help to moisturise dry lips. For ultimate moisture, use a lip gloss instead of lipstick. Alternatively, mix a little lip balm with your favourite lipstick for a sheer lip stain.

“will my makeup melt in the heat?”

In the past I have had to store my makeup in an esky whilst working on location, to avoid melting! Creamy products such as lipstick, eye and lip pencils, stick foundation and concealor can most definitely melt in extreme heat. If in doubt, store your favourites in the refrigerator.

“my eyeshadow keeps creasing”

Moisture in your skin from perspiration can cause your eye makeup to crease in the eye socket. Applying powder underneath eyeshadow can help to smooth out creases and prevent this problem. A good quality powder eyeshadow is recommended too, which has more chance of holding its colour in warmer temperatures. A pre-foundation primer also preps your eyelids for eyeshadow and smoothes out creases.

“my skin has broken out but I don’t want to wear a full face of makeup to hide it”

Don’t feel you have to wear a full face of makeup all the time; sometimes less is more. Concealor works wonders to cover up under-eye circles, blemishes and uneven skin tone. Use one in a tone matching your skin as closely as possible. Applying concealor over your foundation (as opposed to under it) saves you work and product, as the foundation will do most of the concealing for you. However, you can simply apply concealor to only where you need it, rather than using foundation on your entire face. Apply concealor with a brush or cotton tip and be sure to blend well.

“do I have to use a darker foundation in summer?”

There is a theory that we must change our makeup with the seasons. This applies to foundation only if you tan. Foundation should always match your skin perfectly. So if your skin changes tone season to season, then it is advisable to change your foundation to match. This is also applicable if you fake tan.

Regards,

Cassandra Rae Ferguson - Professional Makeup Artist