Let’s be honest. During the sweltering heat of the summer months, it is rare that most of us can be bothered to apply makeup everyday. And why would we, knowing that the dreaded makeup meltdown will start only a few hours into our day?
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We’ll share with you our top advice and product recommendations to make your look sweat and heat resistant, so you can stop worrying about your makeup and start enjoying the sunshine!
1. Set everything with powder
My top advice to ensure your makeup holds up throughout the day is to set any cream or liquid products with powder. Creamy foundations and concealers can be set with mattifying translucent or pressed powders to start you off with a shine-free complexion that will absorb oil and sweat as the day rolls on. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder ($12.95, available from Priceline) and Face of Australia Translucent Loose Powder ($11.95, available from Priceline) are cult favourites that are excellent for setting face products. Even cream blushes, bronzers and eyeshadows can be set with powder products in a similar shade ensure longevity throughout the day.
2. Bright colours stay vibrant for longer
Eye, cheek and lip products that are bolder and brighter tend to adhere better to the skin due to the increased pigmentation and staining ability of the products. By choosing more intense and richly-pigment colours as opposed to light, neutral tones will, by virtue of their nature, will last longer on the face during extreme weather.
3. Prime everything!
Face, eye and even lip primers are fantastic at meltdown prevention. Make sure they’re specifically designed to mattify and that they don’t dry down to a dewy or luminous finish, which can actually accelerate the look of an oily complexion. Face primers such as Rimmel Stay Matte Primer ($13.95, available from Priceline) and Loreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer ($29.95, available from Priceline) are fantastic at getting the job done. Luckily eye primers are more easily found nowadays from both affordable and luxury brands – I highly recommend Australis Eye Primer ($12.95, available from Priceline) and Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper Waterproof Primer ($20, available from Lime Crime). Cream eyeshadows like MAC Cosmetics Paint Pot ($35, available from MAC Cosmetics) and Maybelline Color Tattoo ($11.95, available from Priceline) can also serve as effective primers for powder eyeshadows.
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4. Read the label
Most face products with the words ‘stay’, ‘long-wear’ or ‘lasting’ are suitable allies against the heat. Take foundations like Revlon Colorstay Makeup ($34.95, available from Priceline) or Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation ($19.95, available from Priceline), or concealers such as MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer ($32, available from MAC Cosmetics) for example as outstanding sweat-proof miracles! Avoiding heavy cream foundations that are often oil-based is also a good idea, as they tend to become greasy-looking throughout the day.
5. Become friendly with the word ‘waterproof’
I often hear complaints that waterproof eye products are “hard to remove” – but that’s the whole point! Waterproof or water-resistant eye products are designed to not budge, crease or smudge throughout the day. I’ve been using Covergirl LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara ($17.95, available from Priceline) almost everyday for years and I still go back to it for flawless, I-won’t-creep-down-your-face lashes. Also, gel eyeliners are fantastic during hot weather as they are generally water resistant and don’t fade as quickly throughout the day as liquid or pencil eyeliners.
6. Touch ups
Even if you take all the right steps to prevent your makeup from melting, sometimes it’s just inevitable. And that’s where touching up is required during the day. Make blotting sheets your best friend, let your T-zone become well acquainted with a powder touch-up and carry along a finishing spray to keep your makeup looking fresh for a few more hours.
Images via shefinds.com and wellandgood.com
oh my gosh, I needed this!