CHENNAI : Summer is magical. It’s the time for the most wonderful things — cotton candy, carousels and whirlwind romances. It’s also known for melting make-up, smeared eyeliner, and humidity that takes you from bouncy waves to Medusa in a matter of minutes. The heat wave is coming in the way of my La Dolce Vita and I’m not particularly enjoying it. Sigh! I have said it before and I will say it again, I’m at that age where I’m always angry at the weather. Luckily enough, the only products I layer on this season are sunscreen and gin tonics.
It is all about skin care, and that starts with swapping out heavy moisturisers and serums for oil-free variants. Same goes for your sunscreen, which is all about reapplying. It is super difficult to do this when you’re on the go, and I picked up this nifty little trick on the way. Clean out an old liquid foundation compact and cushion with baby shampoo and dish soap, and soak up the cushion with your sunscreen. Voila! Dip a beauty blender into the cushion compact and you have your own on-the-go sunscreen.
This should go without saying, but skip the shimmer. It is going to happen regardless (thank you, sweat) so you should be all about matte-ing it down and avoiding make-up landslides. If you keep piling on radiance over more radiant products, at some point, you’re going to start looking like a glazed doughnut; not in a nice way.
As I always say, there is a fine line between looking like a Dewy Goddess and a Greasy Potato. Invest in some blotting papers, the Green Tea variant from Innisfree are a drugstore favourite. You can, however, give your grandmother a ton of anxiety by enhancing your tan instead. Bronze the high points of your face, and mimic the after effects of laying in the sun for too long.
Having said that, though, the only way to avoid creasing and caking is to go back to the age-old mantra: less is more. I’ve traded in all my foundations for lighter tinted moisturisers, BB and CC creams. Bonus points if they’re loaded with SPF. Complexion make-up tends to shift and move around, especially in the heat — so I would recommend that you stick to the creamy liquid waterproof formula.
Conceal the spots where you may want more coverage. Stick to one layer, and use your hands! Brushes and blenders can sometimes have your make-up “floating” on top of your face, especially if it’s waterproof or with SPF. I love using my finger to melt the product in, and remember to always blend outwards!