Your Best Bet for Perfect Makeup for Long Days in the Sun:
**For a video version where I make derpy faces, click here!**
1. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS remember to protect your skin from the sun. Sun exposure is extremely damaging to the skin, especially on your face - it is the leading cause for both skin cancer AND premature aging.
- Use a sunscreen of AT LEAST SPF 30, which provides full protection from UV rays. The higher the level of SPF, the LONGER the sunscreen will last. You should be reapplying sunscreen throughout the day, every couple of hours or so. Even waterproof sunscreen will fade and lose it’s effectiveness throughout the day.
- Layering SPF does not increase the SPF value (so if you put on a sunscreen with SPF 15, and a foundation with SPF 8, you don’t get the protection of SPF 23)
- Use an oil-free sunscreen on your face to combat breakouts and for a lightweight, non-greasy feel.
2. Avoid heavy makeup products, such as liquid foundation, in the sun. Liquid foundations have a tendency to melt in heat and humidity, even if it’s a longwear formula. Using lighter products also lets your skin breathe, keeping it healthier and clear.
- If you choose to use a face primer, pick one that’s oil-free! You don’t want to add to the natural oils that your face produces throughout the day.
- Use concealer over blemishes, redness, and dark circles. Set with a good powder foundation, which will even out your face and make the concealer last all day. Powder gives the perfect amount of coverage and keeps your face from looking spotty. Powder will also absorb oil, keeping you shine-free for longer.
- Oil-free concealers tend to stay put longer, and are better for concealing blemishes.
3. Setting sprays are your friend in the summer! Setting spray is almost like a primer, but to be honest, I prefer sprays.
- Hold the spray about 8 inches away from your face, and lightly mist all over your face (several squirts).
- You can use setting spray in place of primer - spritz your face before you apply makeup, after you apply your moisturizer/SPF.
- Setting sprays will make your whole look last much longer, and will give you a dewy look (not greasy!)
- Apply setting spray BEFORE eye makeup, or it could cause your mascara to run!
4. Bronzer is key… not simply for giving your skin a sun-kissed glow, but to give definition and life to the face. SPF contains titanium dioxide and/or other ingredients that will give your skin a white cast, especially in photos (even if you’re wearing foundation). Bronzer will keep your skin looking full of life, when you could otherwise appear washed-out!
- Apply bronzer to the high points of your face, where the sun would naturally kiss your skin. This includes your cheeks, temples, the bridge of your nose, and your chin.
- Avoid orange-y bronzers! For obvious reasons. To avoid the orange, look for a bronzer that appears to be very light. For a sun-kissed look, pick one with a light sheen.
- When contouring, skip bronzer altogether - dark bronzers tend to look orange! Instead, pick a regular powder foundation that is a few shades darker than your skin tone. Foundation powders are matte and very blendable, so they will look completely natural, and never streaky.
DSP recommends ELF Golden Bronzer, $3 (above); Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips Bronzer, $8 (below)
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5. For your eyes, waterproof everything. Waterproof mascara, waterproof eyeliner… you can even get a mixing medium that will make your eyeshadows crease proof and smudge resistant!
- Pencil eyeliners tend to smudge and run in hot weather. There are waterproof pencils out there, but especially on the waterline, it’s almost hopeless. To make pencils last longer, set them with a powder eyeshadow in a matching shade.
- Skip on heavy eye makeup when you’re planning an out-in-the-sun kind of day. In the sun it will look harsh, plus the more you put on, the more will come off when you don’t want it to.
- Golds are the perfect shadow shades for summer… they compliment any skin tone, and any eye color! Apply a thin layer of cream eyeshadow first, and then boost the pigment with a matching powder.
DSP recommends Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liquid Eyeliner, $3 (above); ELF Lock & Seal Mixing Medium, $3 (below)
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6. Carry in your bag two things, at least… a translucent pressed powder, and tissues or blotting sheets for touch ups throughout the day. Remove the oil from your face and you will feel instantly refreshed, without ruining your makeup.
- Blot your face with a tissue first to remove excess oil, and then apply a light dusting of powder. The powder will keep your face shine-free for longer.
DSP recommends Hard Candy Welcome Matte Translucent Powder, $8 (above); Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, $6 (below)
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7. Don’t forget your lips! Lips can become severely chapped due to sun exposure, so keep a lip balm with SPF handy.
- Waxy lip balms are meant for protecting the lips from losing moisture, not for restoring them or making them soft. Pick one that has a more oily texture.
- For lipcolor, opt for a lip stain, instead of a stick or gloss. Lipsticks and glosses fade, and glosses will actually amplify the sun’s rays, making your lips more prone to damage! Lip stains provide long-lasting, natural color that feels like nothing on your lips.
DSP recommends Revlon Kissable Balm Stain, $7 (above); Nivea Kiss of Moisture lip balm, $3 (below)
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Also, check out DSP’s Summer tag for more hot-weather-related posts!
