Summer Beauty Prep For Long Lasting Make-up

Holiday season is here, which for most people equals a relaxing week or two in the sun. But no one wants to spend her relaxing break worrying about make-up meltdown in the hot weather.

And nailing your beauty preparation is the key to looking good all summer long.

Summer make-up choices

Before you leave the house each morning, make sure you prepare your face, skin and eyes for the day and weather ahead. Waterproof (and therefore sweat-proof) mascaras are ideal, particularly if you suffer from hay fever and watering eyes too.

If you’re using eyeliner, stick to liquid or gel liners in the summer, as these always last longer than pencil and aren’t as likely to smudge when the skin gets hot and sticky.

For blush, a gel, liquid or cream cheek satin are all highly pigmented to offer long lasting protection, and are better options than powder, which can get stuck in pore and clog.

But let’s go back to the start, as the makeup you use is really the last cog in the wheel. Your skin underneath it’s the most important thing to take care of. It needs to breathe, otherwise your pores will clog up and your make-up will simply slide off.

Prepping the skin

Firstly, it’s important to balance the pH in your skin by using an appropriate cleanser.

We need a bit of acidity to fight bacteria, and the skin’s natural pH is slightly acidic too, between 4.5-6.
If you have sensitive skin, it’s best to stay away from cleansers with strong ingredients, such as witch hazel or glycolic acids, as these can cause redness and irritation.

Pick a cleanser designed for your skin type and stick to it. Chopping and changing will only confuse your skin and cause break outs and dry spots.

Always rinse after cleansing so no residue remains.

If your skin responds well, you can exfoliate your face and neck to remove any dead skin cells, as these tend to trap makeup and excess oil. But if you find this makes your skin more sensitive or red, try doing it less frequently or using an AHA-based exfoliator rather than one with physical grains.

Even oily skins can find daily exfoliation too much daily so respond to your own skin’s messages.

After deep cleaning your pores during the exfoliation stage, the next step is to apply a serum to infuse additional rich vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C is a good ingredient to look for but it can make the skin more sensitive to light so use this overnight for repair.

Next up, it’s time to hydrate your skin – use a moisturiser that suits your skin type and offers day-long hydration, as well as SPF to protect you from the sun. This will give you a smooth, even surface for makeup application.

Primer – one of the best-kept secrets of the beauty world. Primer acts as a protective barrier preventing your moisturiser and natural skin’s oils from mixing with make-up. But it doesn’t stop with just a foundation primer.

We particularly love the genie in a bottle that is Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion that fulfils three of our most-wished wishes: Eyeshadow that lasts, colour that stays vibrant all day and no creasing.

Finishing touches

When you’ve applied your primer and followed with your make-up, set your T-Zone with a little translucent powder to help prevent shininess (you may like to use blotting paper during the day the keep any oil at bay).

Then sweep a little bronzer across the parts of your face that would naturally get a little sun-kissed and you’re good to go.

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