With December right on our doorstep, I am dreaming about poolside cocktails, sea salt in my hair and of course, sun kissed skin!
It is really now officially the festive, but also holiday season and soon we will all be in need of some update to the beauty wardrobe. With warmer weather upon us, even if you live in a humid, or dry area of Australia, shine and oil can be a big concern…
But, we can make it worse by not hydrating our skin enough, so here are some fab summer beauty tips to get your routine summer ready!
Let’s start with the skin…
Some of us who may experience an influx of extra shine during a typical summer season may reduce their moisture intake, thinking it will tame the oily shine throughout the day – Incorrect!
The shine is caused by the heat, yes, but if you decide to not hydrate at all, you will create more shine as the skin thinks it is dry, so more oil production occurs.
It is best to stick to oil free formulas, light lotions and hydrating options rather than nourishing during summer for a fresh glow, not a shiny shine.
One more thing of course that is essential this time of year is sun protection… It really does save the skin for future damage and with time being so poor these days, I love having a good SPF built into my moisturiser or BB cream/Foundation.
One product that I LOVE is the Ultraceuticals, Ultra Protective Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30+ – Mattifying (RRP $65)
I sometimes find having an SPF built into my hydration product can give a little extra shine, but as soon as I heard the word Mattifying with this product, I was sold. I also love how fast absorbing it is, very important for makeup application during these warm months – gotta have great prep!
I am such a fan of the BB cream formulas on the market now and 90% of the time; I am using these instead of foundations on all my clients.
Foundations still have a place for a very polished look and of course where more coverage is needed, but for summer, the lighter the texture the better it will be for long wear – No-one wants to see their foundation melting away, or worse, moving into expression lines throughout the day.
I am also finding that most BB cream formulas are less shiny than that of the typical foundation.
BB creams contain skincare properties with hydration being one element, but foundations tend to have a little more light-reflecting and dewy textures, which on some skins, can just look like a sweaty mess on a hot day.
MB Pro Tip – Apply your BB cream with fingertips, like you would a moisturizer -this will help spread the product lightly!
Always start application from the centre of the face, blending outwards – no one wants more coverage on an area that doesn’t need it.
For extra coverage, apply with a brush and in a rolling, dabbing motion, as this will layer the coverage for that little extra spot on your face – DO NOT apply the same thickness of any foundation type product all over the face; it’s just so unnatural.
I like two BB creams, both different price ranges, so they can fit anyone’s budget.
Rimmel 9-1 BB Cream SPF 25 (RRP $12.75)
And the Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35 (RRP $60)
These have been my favorite textured BB creams that tend to suit all my clients.
Both are long lasting and have some great shades – BB creams are so light that often you can upgrade your shade just one notch for a hint of colour.
*A great summer look is bronzed eye… A little copper highlight and a nude lip with contouring showing off your great bone structure.
With our wardrobe in summer seeing pops of colour everywhere, prints being a huge part of this summer and general fun with fashion, our makeup needs to be a little subtle when all this is going on.
If your fashion is loud, your makeup needs some balance and nude tones, but yes, not being to washed out.
Bronze, Bronze, Bronze… The magic word of summer!
Copper, neutrals, gold’s, taupe’s and a little smokey smudged liner is what we should be going for whenever in doubt!
These shades suit any outfit and with focus on lashes and the actual lash line, with a little colour on the lip, everything else should be kept fresh and crisp.
I love this summer look!
Hair pushed back from the ocean, beach, sea salt waves and a golden glow with a hint of colour on the lip.
At night, at a bolder lip, like an orange-based red and you are set to rock it this summer!
Get the Look
With our skin prepped and ready to go as above, it is ready for some contour!
– Contour
This is where any makeup you do can be upgraded to give that red carpet result by adding a little definition to your bone structure.
Start by adding some bronzer underneath the cheekbone, following it, so it becomes a little support system, showing it off more.
The same is great as a base colour or alone for the eye socket and general shading around the top and lower lash lines.
Bronzer, being deeper in shade than your skin tone hides or re-defines areas that need a little more structure and shape.
Shadow Wash
This is a fab and very quick way to get something happening on the eye, picking up a little light on the way – great focus point.
Once the base contouring has been applied with a bronzer, shaping and giving a little depth to eye, apply a metallic pressed or loose shadow in a copper shade across the mobile eyelid only.
This gives that summer vibe instantly and being metallic achieves a slightly wet finish to the eyelid.
NOTE – Leave the socket area free of metallics, so the matte bronzer is working its magic shaping the area – a metallic will do the opposite and bring forward the area, which for some eyes, can make them appear puffy!
*I love the Napoleon Loose Eye Dust in Copper Element (RRP $35)
Lip Stain
A fun way to jazz up any summer look is with the lips!
I love this soft nude pink… It just gives a bit more to the look than a beige nude, it contrasts, therefore lifts the face – WIN!
For night, go a bold option – orange is a big lip colour this season, from orange-based reds, to a neon coral.
A summer lip needs to last and look like a stain – so it looks like it’s apart of your lip, not like it has been placed on top.
Try applying the lip colour with your fingertips, not a brush, as that will automatically layer the lip, giving it a placed finish, whereas your fingertip, dabbing will press the pigment into the lip.
NOTE – If your skin tone is yellow based, try and go reds and cool pinks more than orange.
If your skin tone is very pink, try orange and warm reds.
This soft nude pink shade pictured above is divine and try my pick from Clinique Chubby Sticks, Mighty Mimosa (RRP $35), to re-create this fab lip shade!
So ladies, if you are thinking summer beauty, think protection, hydration, light finishes on the skin, not full foundation (the most common mistake) and bronzed, contoured makeup with a hint of colour on the lip!
Keep things simple, with shades that suit your skin tone, normally go the opposite to what you see.
Enjoy the fun season that is upon us with bright fashion and contoured beauty!
Model image: Vogue – MFW Gucci Spring/Summer 14 show