As seasons change, so can your makeup routine. Perfecting your summer makeup look can be more challenging than in winter, as heat, sweat and humidity have a tendency to turn your look from healthy, dewy and glowy to flushed and flustered - while mascara can give you a serious case of panda-eyes - and not in a cute way. Here’s how to stay looking fresh in the summer heat - because the only thing that should melt is your ice cream.

Skincare is Everything

You wouldn’t wear a sweater in summer - so why would you use winter beauty products? Summer makeup means a summer skin care routine - using lighter, skin-quenching formulas with added sun protection. We’ve come a long way since the standard cleanse-tone-moisturize routines, curated skin care is all about giving your unique skin the best combination of ingredients to hydrate, smooth, cleanse and soothe. Skin can react to sudden changes - so when swapping out your winter products, go slowly.

Here Comes the Sun

Whatever your skin type (and whatever the season) - protection from uv rays is a must, especially if you’re using retinol (consider relegating this to nightly use only) - while a vitamin C serum helps prevent fine lines and pigmentation. Use non-comedogenic formulas - especially if you have oily skin - and don’t skip on the hydration - drink lots of water and stay moisturized. If you’re using a hydrating facial SPF to protect your skin, you may not need moisturiser - for drier skin, consider adding a light hyaluronic acid before you apply sunscreen.

Smooth Sailing

To ensure a satiny finish, gently exfoliate (paying special attention to elbows and knees, if you’re self-tanning). Mechanical exfoliation, like cleansing brushes, scrubs and flannels are effective - but be gentle and don’t over-do it. Chemical exfoliants like AHAs help slough off dead skin particles from the surface of the skin - consider a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) formula if you’re acne-prone.

All About that Base

While clean, healthy skin is the best form of preparation (both for your makeup and in general) - primer is the summer beauty hero that can save the day, providing your foundation has added staying power. Lighter seasons call for a lighter touch, so use sparingly where your foundation tends to fade - across the T-Zone, side of the nose, cheeks and chin.  Consider using a green colour corrector as well to combat any redness that might occur (hopefully not from sunburn).

The Perfect Formula

Consider lighter formulations: while heavier foundations may work in winter, they can leave summer skin feeling uncomfortable. The advice everywhere might be to go with a tinted moisturizer - but for those who prefer a little extra coverage, look for something oil free and light in consistency (like a highly-pigmented / full coverage cc or bb cream) - and in all cases, a “sticky” texture can help keep your makeup from sliding away.

Stick with it

If you love your lippy, and covet your cream eyeshadow, consider storing them in the fridge until things cool off (it’s also a great place to keep facial mists). Hot weather can cause waxy lipsticks to melt in your bag, wasting your favourite makeup. Instead, go with powder and liquid formulas (they have more staying power when the heat is on) and instead of heavy lipstick, try a gloss or a nourishing lip balm with SPF.

Shine On

When the sun is shining, sometimes our faces do too. To manage oily skin, makeup artists recommend using a light dusting of powder before foundation - it can be a total game-changer, giving you a smooth canvas to work from and helping your foundation to stay put.  For in-between touch-ups, blotting papers also help keep shine at bay.

Go for the Glow

Bronzer is a fantastic way to warm up skin in mere seconds - and it’s a much safer alternative to the real thing.  In terms of skin tone, fair-to-medium skins will benefit from pink, golden tones, while darker skin tones glow with warmer hues. Apply sparingly wherever the sun naturally shines. Bronzer is also a great way to add subtle contouring: pay attention to placement, depending on your face shape.

It’s a Cover Up

In the summer, straps and bags can produce sweat and sebum to accumulate, which in some cases can cause body acne. So pay extra attention to skincare from the neck down, and try using shower gel after washing your hair, as products like conditioner can cause breakouts. Keep clothing loose, and if you’re concealing, use a clean beauty blender and set with a touch of translucent powder and setting spray. 

It’s in the Eyes

The pandemic changed everything - including our makeup routines.  The use of facemasks has placed a great deal of focus on eye makeup - and SS2022 looks to be no exception. As with skin makeup, summer eye shadow also has a tendency to wander - so keep it in place with a primer before applying your base colour.  Finish with waterproof mascara to ensure your eyes stay smudge-free.

Set it - and forget it

Setting spray is the essential last step in any makeup routine (please don’t use hairspray, it’s full of chemicals and highly flammable!) - these come in various formulas to cool and hydrate (perfect for warm, sunny days) - so you can stay looking fresh all summer long.

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