Summer Make-up Series (Step 1)

I get a lot of questions about summer make-up. It can be tricky to achieve that happy medium between ghost face and looking like the Oscar® statue. It is also important to avoid wearing anything too heavy because when the heat gets to it, you’ll look like your face is melting off. I’ve decided to start a small series of tips on how to achieve a fresh, flawless, glowing summer look (I may add some hair and skincare tips as well, so stay tuned).

The first step with any make-up routine (after cleansing, toning, & moisturizing of course) is to start with the right foundation. Everyone’s skin is different and has different needs. Here are a few of my top foundation picks for the most common skin types:

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1.     Maybelline Fit Me ($6, available at Target and most drugstores)

-  Best for normal skin, light to medium coverage, comes in many blendable shades, oil free

2.     Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX ($38, available at Sephora and Smashbox.com)

-  Oil free, great for combination skin, lightweight coverage, SPF 15

3.     Benefit Play Sticks ($34, available at Macy’s, Sephora, and BenefitCosmetics.com)

-  Blendable cream to powder, great for flawless coverage of blemishes, contains green tea

4.     Bare Escentuals bare Minerals ($25, available at Ulta and Sephora)

-  Lightweight, sheer to medium coverage, airbrushed finish, paraben-free, SPF 15

5.     Neutrogena Skin Clearing liquid foundation ($12, available at Target and most drugstores)

-  Oil free, great for acne prone skin, contains salicylic acid, won’t clog pores, lightweight coverage… use with Neutrogena Skin Clearingblemish concealer to cover up stubborn pimples

If you are one of the lucky few to be blessed with naturally flawless, amazing skin, you can skip the foundation and may opt for a tinted moisturizer with an SPF of 15 or higher (such as this one by Neutrogena).

Apply foundation with a clean sponge (Every time! Never reuse make-up sponges because they hold tons of bacteria). Use the back of the sponge to dab off any excess product so you don’t look cakey.

Lightly set your foundation or tinted moisturizer with a pressed or loose powder using a large fluffy brush (a trick to reduce excess powder and avoid getting it on clothes: use a blowdryer on a cool setting to blow it off). You still want to have a natural glow, but eliminate shine. Some of my favorite powders that can be used with any foundation include Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder, & Smashbox Photoset Finishing Powder.

Choosing the right shade for your skin tone:

          Foundation - color should match the color of the skin on your neck directly below the jawline (which is usually a smidgen darker than the skin on your face).

          Finishing powder - choose a shade slightly lighter than your foundation because throughout the day your natural body heat will cause the powder to darken.