Jaysus, the weather. As I write this, I'm on a visit to the UK, it's thirty degrees and my bum is stuck to an office chair in a particularly undignified manner. And it's not much better at home - I've checked.
Perhaps, as you read this, your makeup is melting in a slow and melancholy fashion all down your face. You're shiny all the time, your mascara is down on your cheeks, and you look like slightly wilted cabbage.
Well, Beaut.ie is here to help! We're not giving up the chance to wear a spot of makeup just because the weather has changed. No flaming ball of sky-energy is going to stop ME from applying mascara! Here's a super natural, summery look which will stay put in the heat.
In order to make this happen, we have to rethink the way we apply our makeup. You might be banging on extra primer, or extra powder in an attempt to get your slap to stick. Well, I say NAY! Less is more - by reducing the layers, you'll give your makeup more longevity. Follow me, and you shall never have melty-face again.
Step One
- Apply a light, oil-free moisturiser. We want to keep this as oil-free as possible. That's what will have your face still in place by dinner time.
- I say forget primer. More layers means more product to slip off your face in the heat. No product can withstand the sweating that intensely hot weather creates for very long.
- One layer that you CANNOT do without is SPF. If you're familiar with my skincare routine, you'll know that I won't go outside without my SPF. As you can see from the photo, I've had a freckle explosion, which indicates some sun damage. This has happened despite wearing SPF 50 every day, though obviously without it my skin would just have burned horribly! So don't skip SPF, no matter how hot and lazy the sun may make you!
(If you'd like to learn more about SPF and how it works, check out this post)
- I'm using Avene's Very High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50. This is essentially an SPF with a slight tint. It will even out the complection a tiny bit, but it isn't a tinted moisturiser or a BB cream equivalent.
- Next, grab your favourite liquid concealer. I'm using Nars' Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly. For an affordable dupe, try Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer. Apply a dab under the eyes, down the bridge of the nose, on the chin and either side of the mouth, as in the photo.
- Use fingers or your preferred brush to blend the concealer. Apply extra to any blemishes you'd like to cover.
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Left: Blush on the left cheek but not the right. Can you see the difference?Step Two
- Fill brows in lightly with whatever you like to use (or don't, if that's what you prefer). I'm using a little bit of Omega shadow from Mac on an angled brush.
- When you're happy with your blended concealer, apply some blush. Remember to keep it light - apply too much and the makeup will move in the heat! I'm using Clarins Multi-Blush in Grenadine. It's a silky cream that sets when applied - it's not going anywhere in this heat!
- Sometimes it's tempting to skip blush because you're so hot anyway. Don't - it adds definition to the face and won't make you look redder when properly applied.
- I'm topping off the face with some lip balm. BB Lips from No7 is my favourite casual lip colour - it's strongly tinted, silky in texture AND contains SPF. I love it. The shade is Ballerina.
- I'll then apply a very light coating of Mac's Studio Fix powder just to chin, nose and forehead. This adds a touch of extra coverage, and keeps everything in place. The fact that there's no foundation on the face means that the powder doesn't have to work quite so hard to keep you shine-free!
Step Three
- If you're feeling super casual, you can just bang on some mascara and leave it at that. Be sure to use smudge-proof, rather than waterproof, mascara. We use oil to remove our waterproof mascara at the end of the day, and sweat and sebum are both oily emissions of the skin. A waterproof mascara won't stay in place - look for a smudge proof one; they're more resistant to oil and sweat.
- Because a cat-eye is my go-to everyday look, I'm sticking with it for today. The NYX Curve Eyeliner (check out our review here) has not budged or bled for the last few days in thirty degree heat. I trust it in hot weather!
- I'm applying the liner in a classic cat eye (see how I do it in this tutorial).
- To top off the look, I'm adding a couple of coats of Smashbox's Full Exposure Mascara. I find it's pretty reliable in hot weather.
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And you're done! This look gives you coverage with a barely there look which I promise will still be intact by the end of the working day.
Will you be giving it a go? Let us know in the comments!
