Whether your skin type is dry or oily you HAVE to adjust your makeup routine to adapt to the seasons. The winter season can make your skin extra dry, while the summer heat can make your face oils extra pronounced. If you change your before makeup skin routine or certain aspects of your makeup routine in itself, you should definitely consider changing something. You could change your foundation shade to be a bit darker as you tan over the summer, or add more waterproof materials to bounce back at sweat, or even ditch face makeup altogether, whatever works for you and your skin type.
The number one product that should be included in your makeup bag all year round, but especially in summer, is SPF (sunscreen). Whether your skin type is dry, oily or a combination, SPF should be in your morning routine. Currently, multiple makeup companies are including SPF in the ingredient list in their products. Some makeup brands (that don’t test on animals) with effective SPF incorporated products are Tarte, It Cosmetics, Milk Makeup, Laura Mercier and Dermablend. Even if your face products have SPF mixed into the final product, you might want to consider incorporating SPF into your before makeup routine, right after moisturizer, so the last step before applying makeup. Many doctors recommend SPF 30 for all skin tones.
Summer Makeup for DRY Skin
People with dry skin often experience confusion and uncertainty when it comes to putting together their summer makeup routine. While it’s definitely more difficult to maintain in the wintertime, the summer weather can cause the makeup to almost melt off your face. Because you’re using so much moisturizer in the morning to escape the pressures of dry skin in the summertime, this could cause the makeup to fall right off before the end of your day. Small, disproportionate dry spots could also pop up during the day and mess with the powders you might’ve applied in the morning. So, if you find yourself with dry skin as the summer months approach, don’t be scared! Just be open to coordinating a new makeup routine to adjust to the weather changes!
The first step to making your dry skin happy in the summertime is by supplying it generously with a hydrating primer. This hydrating primer will work with the moisturizer to humidify and breathe air into your skin all day long while avoiding dry patches. A hydrating primer that also has a built-in cooling effect is e.l.f.’s Mint Melt Cooling Face Primer. This product is not only going to leave your skin feeling rejuvenated all day but also cooled and refreshed, playing against the harsh effects of the warm summer weather. In order to help strengthen that primer and give it the support it needs, make sure you are applying moisturizer religiously. One technique I’ve been using recently is applying a thicker moisturizer (First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration) at night to soothe my skin while sleeping, and then relying on a lighter moisturizer (Cerave Moisturizing Cream) in the morning after cleansing my face.
Next, foundation. Now, pretty much every makeup wearer I know tries to shy away from a full coverage foundation in the summer. Full coverage foundations can easily cause breakouts when combined with the sweat that the heat causes. I personally love to wear BB creams in the summer months, not only because they’re very hydrating, but because the coverage is significantly less intense than a regular foundation. A BB cream or a CC cream (the same as BB cream but with just a bit more coverage) are the most recommended form of coverage from dermatologists for the summer months. A BB cream that I recommend would be the Garnier SkinActive 5-in-1 Miracle Perfector BB Cream Oil-Free. Not only is this going to work with the dry and oily spots as the day goes on, it’s also going to provide a bit of protection from the sun with SPF 15. By using a BB cream you are also escaping a ton of acne caused by the combination of foundation plus a mask. Now the only problem with BB creams is that the shade range, well to be quite honest, it’s nonexistent. There’s usually only 2-4 shades; light, medium, deep. If you’re looking for more of a shade range, check out bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30, as this product supplies users with twenty different shades. One of the most important rules for people with dry skin wearing makeup in the summer is to have a good hydrated base. Make sure to invest in everything underneath your blush and powder before focusing on what goes on top.
Summer Makeup for OILY Skin
As someone with oily skin myself, I tried so many primers before finding the one. Hydrating primers make the makeup fall right off your oily skin, primers with not enough hydration don’t do anything. Then I discovered a putty primer. A reliable primer I suggest is e.l.f.’s Poreless Putty Primer. Not only is it super inexpensive ($8 from Target to be exact), it’s also proven to be loved by the beauty community time and time again. It’s also going to mattify and dampen your skin, playing against your oily skin type. The primer will help your makeup stay on all day long, through sweat, wind, face oils. Your makeup is NOT going anywhere. To escape full coverage in the summertime, I suggest using It Cosmetics Color Correcting Cream with SPF 50. This will provide the coverage you need while working with your oily skin type. Recently, I’ve discovered cream blush and cream contour and how well it surprisingly works with my oily skin type. If you find yourself looking for new blush and contour for the summer times, cream contour and cream blush products are super easy to blend, easy to layer, and great for oily skin as they blend into your skin, not layer on top of it. I currently am using Glossier Cloud Paint in the color Puff. This product works wonderfully with a BB or CC cream, working with the light coverage feel of my summer makeup routine. As far as contour goes, using a lightweight concealer can be such a blessing during the summer months. I’m using the NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Medium Coverage 12H Radiant Under Eye Concealer because not only does it blend seamlessly with the CC cream and blush, but it blends matte, supporting my oily skin type against the overwhelming shine.
One of the main issues I run across when wearing makeup with oily skin in the summer is shine. Powder quickly became my best friend. Having a small compact loose powder product in my purse last summer really provided security when I noticed my T zone and under eyes were looking quite oily. The powder I’m currently using is Range Beauty Smooth Out Translucent Powder. Range Beauty provides a steady and balanced amount of glow and matte finish. Make sure you’re always researching what beauty brands test on animals because even though some companies might produce beautiful powders, we as makeup wearers shouldn’t be supporting companies that openly take part in harsh production practices. This article can help you figure out what brands in your makeup bag might be testing on animals.
As we approach sunny skies, trips to the beach, barbecues and days by the pool, make sure you’re reaccessing your makeup routine, adding SPF when needed and moisturizing. The sun, however wonderful it feels, can be incredibly damaging to a body/face without SPF protection. So make sure as you apply sunscreen on your body, you’re giving your face the same amount of attention and protection against UV rays. Whether you’re wearing a full face of makeup or nothing at all, wear SPF as lovingly as you do sunscreen. Trust me, that’s how you can come home from the beach looking sun-kissed, not as red as a tomato. Show your skin some love this summer!