First Blush

Primer, Powder, Papers & Eye Shadow that POP!

All year long I yearn for summer’s arrival. It’s the perfect season for so many things—backyard barbeques, eating al fresco and festive fireworks. Everyone has an extra spring in their pedicured step from the sunshine and long days.

However, once we round the corner into the oft-blistering August heat, each of us looks forward to cooler weather, and no longer having to deal with our makeup literally melting off our faces.

As a makeup junkie, I often find myself struggling in the summer months when it comes to my cosmetic routine. I want to look as polished as usual, but often find my typical regime to be too much in the muggy humidity and temperamental climate. Now is the time to ditch heavy layers of makeup. August can be one of the most brutal months of all, so you’ll want to keep your makeup nice and light. The last thing you want is a muddled, caked-on look that’s sliding by noon; and the more makeup you put on, the more is at risk of melting off.

While most of us know how to treat our skin during the far more forgiving climate of autumn, keeping your makeup in place during the scorching heat of summer seems impossible. But follow my tips for the stay-in-place essentials you’ll need to give your makeup a fighting chance withstanding soaring temperatures, and you’ll be sure to beat the heat.

Wear Primer

I started using primer on a regular basis for a more polished finish to my makeup, and summer is when primer is most certainly not an option. Primer is the key to long-lasting foundation and color, and all you need is a peasize dot of a lightweight, oil-free formula to help blot away oil and prevent sweating. Try MAC Prep + Prime Skin, a skin protecting cream with SPF 50 for the rays—it’s specially formulated with oil-absorbing powder for the heat and humidity. Other favorites include Smashbox OilFree Primer, which keeps skin from looking flaky if yours tends to be on the dry side; or L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Color Correcting Primers, available in three oil-free formulas for different skin types. Apply to moisturized skin before concealer and foundation and set with powder for a flawless, airbrushed finish.

Use Powder

If you’ve done your makeup but then run down the street for a coffee, you can expect a thin sheen of shine to ruin your handiwork. This is where miracle-working translucent powder saves the day. Translucent powders provide shine control without adding any noticeable color or texture while absorbing excess oils, setting makeup, and reducing shine. Use a large fluffy brush to dust a translucent loose powder across your T-Zone. Because it’s colorless, it will absorb oil while still maintaining that fresh, dewy look. Dust some loose powder on your nose, chin, upper lip (my personal sweat spot), and the center of your forehead. Keep a light hand to ensure the rest of your face remains glowy.

Use Oil Blotting Papers

Trust me, I get it. You’re probably thinking that you’ll be re-powdering approximately every fifteen minutes throughout the day with this season’s record high temps. This constant adding of extra layers will leave you with product buildup and looking a cakey mess, which is almost worse than a sweaty one!

Instead of applying more and more powder each time you spot yourself getting shinier, use an oil blotter to get rid of excess shine. If you’re feeling fancy, try Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Blotting Papers. If you’re a loyal drugstore junkie, try Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets. Stash these babies in your desk, purse, glove box—heck, anywhere! All it takes is a quick dab over your face to soak up excess oil without messing up your makeup.

Choose Creamy Cosmetics

Protecting your makeup is really as simple as choosing the right formulas that will keep your color locked in place. When sweat and powder products mix, the result just isn’t pretty, so opt for a cream version of a product when you can. Cream formulas of eyeshadows, blushes, and bronzers are the way to go. Sheer cream shadows tend to cake less in hot weather, and they look so pretty when glistening in the sun. For eyes, try a highly pigmented eye color that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish that is long-wearing without weight, caking, or creasing.