Spring has officially sprung in Tallahassee, collegiettes, which is code for here comes the humidity. Gone are the days of a beautiful high of 65 as hot rainy days begin to take over the season. I love Tallahassee, but I do not love walking to class with 95% humidity. The weather cannot keep a good eyeliner day down though. To avoid sweating your hard work off before your second class, here are some tips:
- Moisturize: I know what kind of awful person would tell you to add grease to your face, but it’s really important to start with clean and moisturized skin so your makeup has a solid base. That being said, I recommend mattifying moisturizers that will have a lighter feel like The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Skin Mattifying Lotion or Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. Double check it with a patch test though before trying anything new. I’ve been there and done that whole being allergic to your moisturizer thing, and it’s not pretty.
- Prime: Primer is basically the children’s leash backpack of your face, it keeps your makeup from running away. Becca’s Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector and Covergirl’s TruBlend primer for oily skin will keep your grease in check.
- Foundation: This is probably the most obvious step in any girl’s makeup routine, but depending on your skin type, a foundation can make or break your day. Oily and combination skin have options like Maybelline’s Fit Me Matte + Poreless and Tarte’s Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Foundation. Dry and normal skin have options like Smashbox’s Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating foundation which is hydrating but oil-free and L’Oréal’s Infallible Pro-Matte foundation. If you’re ever unsure how a foundation will react to sweat, you can always swab it on your skin at Ulta or Sephora and then run some water from the sink over it. Keep an eye out for any powdery films the makeup gets after being in contact with water!
- Eyeliner/Eyeshadow: If you’re anything like me, you just somehow have an oily waterline. It took me years to find an eyeliner that didn’t make me look like Season 3 Jenny Humphrey by 11 am. That is, until I discovered that Makeup For Ever has a whole line of waterproof eye products including a sealer (used by Olympian synchronized swimmers) which can be used on non-waterproof products.
- Mascara: Waterproof mascara, although a pain to remove sometimes, is the holy grail of humid summer conditions. Too Faced’s infamous Better than Sex mascara now comes in waterproof. Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length Waterproof mascara is also a great alternative to expensive waterproof mascaras.
-
Blush/Highlighter/Bronzer: As a general rule based on everything Sephora makeup saleswomen have taught me, it is recommended to avoid powders in the summer. This doesn’t mean that you have to save your highlights for colder months but rather try liquid and cream products. For blushes, Smashbox’s L.A. Lights Blendable Lip and Cheek color has very buildable coverage. For bronzers, Benefit transformed its cult bronzer, Hoola, into a liquid while Nyx also has a sculpt-and-highlight face duo. Becca’s trademark highlighter shades all come in liquid options too!
-
Lips: Thankfully, we live in an age of lip products that live up to their promise of being basically cemented onto your lips until you choose to remove it. Kylie’s Matte Lipsticks and Nyx’s Soft Matte lipsticks both adhere to this promise.
-
Setting Spray: This is the finishing touch to every summer makeup look, the guacamole to your Chipotle burrito bowl. Urban Decay has two relatively new setting sprays, one of which is called “De-Slick” and designed for oily skin and the other is designed for normal to combination skin called “All-Nighter”. Nyx also has two setting sprays which come in different finishes such as Dewy and Matte to work with the look you built.
Power through these warmer months girlies and remember these are just some tips. You don’t need makeup to be beautiful!