Hot Weather Beauty Tips
The scorching, steamy days of the typical DMV summer have finally arrived.
Although you may spend most of your workday immured in a frigid, air-conditioned office as I do, you will likely encounter enough heat and humidity during your daily commute to wreak havoc on your coif and makeup. To help you maintain your fresh-faced beauty in the sweltering heat, I’ve compiled the following tips:
Face
I use a lot of natural products that I keep refrigerated to help preserve their freshness. One day it dawned on me that applying moisturizer taken straight from the fridge is highly refreshing. You can keep your moisturizer, primer and liquid foundation in the refrigerator for a delightful cooling makeup application.
And, I suggest using a light-textured primer with SPF and applying foundation with restraint only in areas where you need some coverage. Otherwise, heavy makeup can exacerbate summer’s biggest beauty-busters — sweat and excessive oiliness.
Try Tatcha Petal Fresh Aburatorigami Blotting Papers to keep your complexion matte and flawless. Made with abaca leaf, an Asian plant that’s similar to hemp, these highly absorbent sheets were used by Japanese geishas to maintain their perfect makeup.
A face mist is another summer beauty must-have. These toning and beautifying skin saviors soothe irritated skin, cool overheated complexions and help set makeup to prevent it from melting in the heat. My current favorite is Alteya Organics Rose Water Organic Toner Mist, which is distilled from Bulgarian rose. In addition to its uplifting scent, natural rose water preserves the skin’s pH balance, stimulates regeneration processes and calms acne and sunburn. I always keep one in the fridge, next to the Pouilly-Fumé.
When you’re ready to go from the beach to cocktails, you’ll want to wipe off the layers of sunscreen, sweat and salt. Two of the best facial wipes: Pacifica Beauty Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes, which rejuvenates your skin with nutrient-rich coconut water and Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths, which revive a tired complexion with its infusion of Icelandic glacial water and botanical extracts.
Eyes
Smeared, melting eye makeup is the bane of summer beauty. The best way to prevent this from happening is to first apply a lightweight eye shadow primer, such as Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base. I don’t recommend piling on the eye makeup during this time of year, but do use a good water resistant mascara.
I’m currently using Pacifica Beauty Aquarian Gaze Long Lash Mineral Water-Resistant Mascara. I’ve never been a fan of waterproof mascaras (too excruciatingly difficult to remove without scraping off your eyelashes), but this mascara comes off easily and doesn’t irritate my eyes or dry out my eyelashes.
To create a budge-proof cat eye, I suggest Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner. If you seek a versatile, long-lasting eyeshadow/eyeliner, look no further than Trish McEvoy 24-Hour Eyeshadow and Eyeliner, which really lives up to its name.
Lips
Spring/Summer 2015 is all about the atypically dramatic dark lip. Even so, heavy lipstick is not the way to go this time of year. Instead, go for a stain, which is best achieved using Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tar Matte. Applied with a brush, this intensely pigmented liquid lip stain dries to a matte finish and lasts throughout a long summer’s day (and night).
Next week: Summer hair strategies. Stay tuned as I discuss ways to keep your hair looking fabulous in the blistering heat!
A native Washingtonian, Beauty Blogger Lia Phipps is an interior designer with an irrepressible, life-long fascination with health and beauty. When she is not selecting fabrics and paint colors for clients, she occupies herself with trying new products and dispensing beauty advice to friends, acquaintances and anyone who is willing to listen to “Tips from Phipps”.