5 Fast Fixes For Melt-Proof Makeup

How to keep your cool even on the hottest days of the season.

Summer Beautyphoto credit: shutterstock

Summer beauty tip #1: Join prime time

The secret to long-lasting makeup can be summed up in one word: primer. “It absorbs excess moisture and sweat, evens out skin tone and helps skin have a fresh look throughout the day,” says Anna Koniaris, national face expert at Caryl Baker Visage. Imparting a silky feel and applied after moisturizer before colour cosmetics, a little primer goes a long way. “It doesn’t create a heavy, cakey type of appearance. It’s not camouflage,” she says, “You can target primer if you’re oilier in the T-zone, but some women like the feel and look when it’s put all over the face because it gives a natural matte effect.” Koniaris swears by primer even on makeup-free days. “It gives my bare eyelids a youthful look,” she says. Noted.

As for the best melt-proof foundation? Check out this formula.

Summer beauty tip #2: Lighten up

You wouldn’t leave the house in a parka these days, so why reach for full-coverage foundation at the height of summer? June to August is the ideal time to try a lightweight complexion enhancer. “A BB Cream offers a natural tinted glow and a variety of benefits. (This face mist also works wonders for a healthy glow.) It’s sheer coverage, but it hydrates, protects and restores,” says Koniaris, “If you have radiant, healthy skin then all you need to do is apply minimal cosmetics.” BB Cream’s velvety texture can be massaged into skin with fingers over your favourite SPF, so it earns points for ease of use, too.

Sumer beauty tip #3: Choose a soft filter

There’s a time and a place for a smoky eye — and a heat wave isn’t it. When you try something dramatic, and you start to sweat, then you really notice it, says Koniaris. Capitalize on simple ways to wear strong tones, like a wash of a single colour on lids or a trace of eyeliner. (These are the best eyeliners for acing the perfect cat-eye.) Or dial down the brightness. “If you choose a naked or neutral palette it’s easier to apply the colour, and if colour starts to fade because of moisture or excess heat it doesn’t look bad,” she says.

Summer beauty tip #4: Get glossed

Koniaris’ ultimate summer beauty recipe is one part hydrated skin, one part full brows and one part colour. “I love lip gloss for a pop of sheer colour on the lips, it’s simple and inexpensive,” she says. In heavy rotation this season are coral and purple, but her fan favourite is Caryl Baker Visage Lip Gloss in Watermelon. “It’s a cool pink that complements every skin tone. As with any gloss, you can wear it on its own, use a lip liner to give lips more definition, or apply it over lipstick on the center of the mouth to accent a pout.” You can even try making your own lip tint this season, using just these 4 ingredients.

Summer beauty tip #5: Make a convenient arrangement

Despite the use of waterproof formulas, sticky temps can still undo the work put into creating defined eyebrows and lashes. If you want to reclaim your time in front of the mirror without sacrificing those face-framing details, it’s worth considering a longer-lasting solution. “Before I went to Greece last summer, I booked Caryl Baker Visage treatments to have my brows microbladed and lash extensions done. All I needed was BB Cream and lip gloss for the whole trip; whether I was at the beach or going out for an evening I was good to go,” says Koniaris. Here are more tips to achieve your summer beauty look in 3 simple steps.

Originally Published in Best Health Canada