Ahh, summer.
Weddings, barbecues, beach days, boating…..all things that we want to look our best for. But let’s be real – that can be hard to do when you’re sweating from places you didn’t know could sweat. And your makeup is facing a meltdown of epic proportions.
Personally I don’t wear makeup at all in the summer. I’ll fill my brows in and throw on some tinted lip balm – that’s about all I can tolerate. I can literally FEEL it on my face. But maybe you’re getting hitched. Maybe you have an event to attend. Maybe you’re just one of those people that no matter what, wants to be glam everywhere you go – and that’s awesome!
So I’ve pulled together a list of my tried and true products that I can PROMISE you will help you beat the heat! Check it out!!
PRIMERS
Photo Credit – Google Images
Primers are a necessary item when trying to lock in a look and defend it against the summer temps. Realistically, there is very little you can do about facial sweating, but if you’re the type of person who gets oilier than normal when the mercury rises, a good mattifying primer will be your new best friend. This is especially important if you’re an artist and you have a summer wedding – all bridal meltdowns should be strictly emotional, not makeup related! Two of my favorites are the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($54, Sephora) and the Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer ($36, ULTA). Both are oil free and not only mattify, but smooth the skin and fill in fine lines and pores as well, while still giving your foundation something to grip to. And as an added bonus, coming from someone who has super sensitive skin – these don’t irritate or break me out at all!
FOUNDATION
Photo Credit – Google Images
Probably the hardest thing about summer makeup is finding a foundation that ticks all the boxes – good coverage, long wearing, budge-proof, doesn’t break apart, doesn’t feel or look cakey.
And yes, while the product itself is important, so is application. And knowing what’s IN your products helps too; for example, if you use a silicone primer and a water based foundation, it’s guaranteed that you’ll start to see the foundation break apart and slide around on the skin. Oil and water don’t mix – right? So keep an eye on the ingredients.
Also, regardless of what you pick, the key is to work in thin layers. The idea is to even out your skin tone and reduce redness. You can always go back and spot conceal as needed. The best way method of application I’ve found is a light layer with a brush, and then going over it with a damp beauty sponge – this technique picks up any excess product but also helps to press it into the skin, and mimic the skins texture leaving you with a barely detectable base!
Some of the summer foundations that are must haves for me, especially when I’m freelancing, are Lorac POREfection Foundation ($38, ULTA), L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation ($10.97, Walmart), Marc Jacobs Re(Marc)able Foundation ($56, Sephora), and Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation (discontinued). The Revlon one in particular, if you can still find it anywhere, is AMAZING – it literally looks BETTER the longer you wear it!
CONCEALER & POWDER
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I’ve probably tried hundreds of concealers over the years – I’m not even exaggerating. And I’ve probably only been truly satisfied with a handful of them. Concealer is one of my desert island items – I need it to stay put, not oxidize, not crack, not settle, not cling to dryness. Most of the time, I’ll spot conceal where I need to and call it a day; like I said, I HATE feeling a full face of makeup in the summer. One of the concealers I’ve had the best luck with is the Ulta Full Coverage Liquid Concealer ($9, ULTA) – it’s got a pretty decent shade range with warm, cool, and neutral undertones, and good-for-skin ingredients like aloe, chamomile, and tea tree that help to heal as it conceals. Plus the wear time is pretty impressive – I’ve gotten a solid 9 hours without having to touch up. And while we’re on the topic, their color correctors are pretty great, too!
Some other great ones for long wear are the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer ($27, ULTA) and of course, MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($25, maccosmetics.com). Though I’ll say this; there’s something in the Tarte one that breaks me out, and it DOES oxidize a little bit (plan to go 1 shade lighter if you’re trying to match your skin tone) but it’s SUPER matte and long wearing – it really takes a lot to get this concealer to budge!!
Photo Credit – Google Images
In terms of powders though, there are only 3 that have every really impressed me, and for different reasons. The Coty Airspun Loose Setting Powder ($5.97, Walmart) is great for baking on a budget – you get a lot of it for a little bit of dough (get it? Dough? Baking? OK, I’m done…), and since it’s SO inexpensive, it’s not one of those powders that you have a mini-stroke every time you look down and see all the product that just fell off your face. I hate baking with an expensive powder because I know that like, 95% of it is just going to get dusted away. But if you’re just looking to set your makeup in place, stay matte, and blur your pores to porcelain doll status, then iT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Loose Powder ($29, Sephora), or it’s drugstore cousin NYX HD Setting Powder ($5.79, Target), are the sh*t! With a brush or a damp sponge, they both apply like a dream, and I promise you you’ll never feel your skin so soft as with one of these little babies. Beware of the NYX one though, to make sure you very thoroughly dust off any excess – that one can flash back pretty viciously in photos!
BLUSHES, BRONZERS, & HIGHLIGHTS
Ok, so this is where things can get a little dicey – because these are usually some of the first things to break down and fade away on a hot day. I don’t know about you, but my face will literally EAT these products; they’re freshly applied and looking fabulous, and then 15 minutes later I look like someone finally unzipped the forgotten body bag – no bueno, yo. While your prep, base, and application are all still SUPER important, so are your products!
The Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-HR Blushes ($29, ULTA) are great for beating that mid-day fade. I know, I know, I said that Tarte products tend to break me out. Listen, sometimes you gotta take one for the team. Another great option are the Morphe Blush Palettes ($22, morphebrushes.com) – these things are CRAZY pigmented! And they last! I remember when I first bought my 9B palette, and I was in love. But then, they dropped the 9N palette….a little more natural in terms of shades and finishes, and probably my favorite of the two. Hell, at that price, buy them both!
Bronzers and I tend to have a love/hate relationship. I like a neutral bronzer. Something not too matte but DEFINITELY not shimmery. And it was always a struggle to find the right one. But some years ago, L’Oreal dropped their Glam Bronze ($9.99, buymebeauty.com) line, which are 3 shades (light, medium, and dark) that have a beautiful, healthy sheen – no detectable glitter anywhere. Since then they’ve renamed it a few times, but the formula remains the same from what I can tell! No fade out here!
So I have sort of an unconventional highlighter here that will absolutely beat the heat. Hear me out – Ulta Tinted Eye Primer ($12, ULTA) in Champagne. 
YUP! So I got this as a freebie with something – might have been a gift with purchase, I don’t really remember. But I tossed it aside, until one day I was cleaning out my kit, and swatching things, and you guys….this is just beautiful. Such a pretty universal shade. Shimmery but not glittery. And then I tried to wipe it off, and it would. not. budge. It ultimately took some coconut oil and a little light scrubbing to remove it. So now, when I want a pretty glow and I need it to stay put, I apply a little with a small beauty sponge, and it’s just so gorgeous. If you wanted to amp it up some more, just apply your favorite powder highlight over it while it’s still tacky – it IS a primer, after all!!
SHADOW, LINER, & MASCARA
Typically in warmer weather, I tend to forego any eye makeup, but if you’re someone that feels your look isn’t complete without it, or maybe you’re attending an event, then you’re gonna wanna pay attention here!
Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo ($3 and up, Walmart) shadows and Revlon ColorStay Creme Eyeshadow’s ($4.99 and up, Walmart) are some of the best around. They go on beautifully, come in plenty of colors to suit any look you’re creating, and they don’t fade, crease, or smudge. I would advice to work quickly though, as they do dry down and set REALLY fast! But once they do, they’re not going anywhere!!
So whether you need a touch of liner to maximize your eyes, or you like a little wing action (or a lot!), I’ve got some reliable lines that have yet to disappoint. One is another Maybelline product (what? They’re sooo good!) – the Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner ($7.49, Target) (my fave is the shade ‘Blackest Black’). But if you prefer a liquid, the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner ($20, Sephora) and the NYX Epic Ink Liner ($9, ULTA) are both totally summer resistant! And between you and me, the only difference I can spot between the KVD and NYX is the price!
Mascara is one of those finicky things that while one works for one person, it may not work for another. I’ve tried so many different mascaras over the years. Only one has really left me impressed in both application and longevity – the Maybelline Volum’ Express Pumped Up! Colossal Volume Mascara ($6.79, Target). I actually never tried the waterproof version of this because the regular one wore so well for me with no smudging, smearing, transferring, or flaking that I never felt the need to stray. But the big, fat, full brush and Maybelline’s notoriously not-too-wet, not-too-dry formula are like the absolute best combination. You get full, fluffy lashes with great separation, but you can always comb through with a clean spoolie if you feel like you need just a little more. Guys. Put this down right now and GO BUY IT.
And if you want details on how to heat-proof your brows, check out my updated brow routine here, which is full of tips, products, and everything you need to keep them in place all day!!
If you ask any makeup artist, or even makeup collector, they’ll tell you that as important as good quality makeup is, so are good quality tools.
This comes in a clear plastic package with the Real Techniques logo printed on the front, and you’re able to see the sponge on the inside. Be careful opening it though; I’ve sliced into my fingers a few times on the sharp plastic. Honestly I wish they would improve that aspect of it.
Just as important as the technique is, so is using the right products and tools. If you can find an ‘HD’ loose powder, go for it! The 
In terms of tools, you can use a damp 
I noticed the other day that I have a pretty sizable patch of broken lashes in the center of my right eye. Don’t ask me how, but they’re there. So I broke out my trusty L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara – the primer side helps to add length before the mascara side seals it in, creating the illusion of thicker, longer lashes that last all day! Seriously, all day – getting this stuff off can be tricky (and damaging if you’re not careful!) but I use coconut oil, which breaks down the product and nourishes my lashes at the same time.
If you guys are looking for great quality, inexpensive eyeshadows, look no further than the Morphe palettes. If you average out this particular palette, you’re actually paying 57 cents per shadow! You can’t get a deal like that at any drugstore! This palette is entirely matte, with a mix of warm, neutral, and cool tones ranging from lighter skin toned colors all the way to browns and blacks, and even a couple pinks, oranges, and purples. If you want to build your own palette, Morphe also sells individual shadow pans for $2.29, which you can put in a Z palette or even the Morphe brand magnetic palette. I’ll be doing a full review with swatches soon!
While we’re showing some love to Morphe, I’m sure many of you saw my recent post about the Morphe Monthly Brush Club – basically the premise is that like any other monthly subscription box – Morphe picks a variety of brushes that value $30+ in total each month, and automatically ships them directly to your door for just $19.99!! Unfortunately it is currently sold out *sad face* but they are accepting people on a wait list! What I absolutely love about this versus other monthly subscriptions boxes is that you know you’re getting full size, quality products that you can use over and over again, rather than a box full of tiny samples and unheard of deluxe samples that you can only use a few times before having to purchase a full sized product. Personally I’m a brush junkie, and already knowing the quality of these brushes made me stalk the website waiting for this deal to drop like a crazy ex-girlfriend! Totally worth it! If you haven’t seen my ‘unboxing’ of the first month, click on over to the HAULS tab at the top of the page and check it out!
I don’t know what sort of hissy-fit my skin has been having lately, but my ordinarily oily skin has been super duper dry. Like flaky dry. Dull dry. This primer gives such a beautiful luminosity to the skin – however, if you’re oily you may want to avoid this unless you use it under a more mattifying foundation. I love this in the winter because I do tend to lean more on the dry side this time of year, but I hate my skin looking matte. I like to glow!! A trick I like to use is to mix a pump of this primer and a pump of my foundation on the back of my hand like a little cocktail, and then apply it – it shears out the foundation just enough so that you don’t get cake face, while the primer still helps it adhere to the skin.
One of the places I’ve been the most dry, oddly enough, is under my eyes. Which has made blending out concealer with my preferred method of the e.l.f. Studio Flawless Concealer brush impossible. So lately I’ve been reaching for my RT sponge, and it’s been a lifesaver. The dampness adds back just enough hydration, and picks up just enough excess concealer (because I can get a little heavy-handed with concealer, I’ll admit it) to blend it out flawlessly. It’s also a great tool if you’ve been struggling with (or afraid to try) cream contouring and highlighting! This is said to be the best dupe around town for the $20 Original Beauty Blender too – don’t worry, mine is coming in the mail soon because naturally, I have to see what all the hype is about, and I will let you know if its an acceptable dupe! I promise!
Affordable Gorgeous 