With summer now in full swing, festivals and holidays are making their long-awaited return. And while you may be excited for sunny days and fun-packed schedules, with the warmer temperatures you may also be wondering how to keep your makeup in place all day and into the night.
Whether you’re applying natural, dewy makeup for a garden party or a bold eyeshadow look for your next festival, you’ll want your products to stay in place even during hot, humid days. To help you keep a cool head, natural skincare experts The Organic Pharmacy have shared their top tips on how to ensure long lasting, sweatproof makeup this summer.
Choosing the right primer
Quality primers might be more of an investment piece, but they are an incredibly effective way to make sure your makeup stays put throughout the day. They give your foundation more to cling onto while also smoothing the surface of your skin for more even coverage. To help absorb excess moisture and sweat, opt for oil-free for primers with natural astringents such as witch hazel. If you love experimenting with colourful eyeshadows and liners, then you may also want to invest in a designated eye primer. This helps to preserve your hard work and showcase the different pigments of your shadows by giving them a smoother, stronger base to adhere to.
Using a ‘summer’ foundation
When it comes to foundation, it’s best to stick to lighter products during warmer weather as full-coverage foundations can be too heavy and sticky on hot days. Lightweight bases with buildable coverage can be much more comfortable to wear in summer, as can serum foundations that sit somewhere in between foundation and tinted moisturiser.
However, especially if you have dry skin, you may want to switch to a tinted moisturiser entirely during the summer and just touch up any blemishes or dark circles with concealer. These can have a built-in SPF, but you should always apply your own sun cream underneath as well to be sure that you’re fully protected from the sun’s strong UV rays. Invest in a specially formulated face SPF as these are less oily and tend to have higher protection like SPF 50.
Opting for powders
Cream blushes and bronzers are having a resurgence lately, as they can add a beautiful, dewy finish to your base. As liquid blushes are more pigmented you can use less product to have the same effect, making them a more lightweight option for the summer. If you’re worried about it smudging, set your cream blush or bronzer with a translucent powder, as this helps to absorb moisture from your skin and keeps everything in place.
Even if you’re not normally prone to oily skin, it’s wise to add a sheer, translucent face powder to your routine during the summer. Especially when attending events, this can help to mattify and secure your makeup to avoid shine and smudges. As well as setting your liquid blush and bronzer, you can also set any pencil or gel eyeliner with a careful dab of eyeshadow in the same shade to help it last as long as possible. If you’re concerned about clogging your pores with powder, look for natural, sheer formulas infused with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid.
Using setting spray
A valuable part of any makeup artist’s bag, a good quality setting spray locks in your hard work and helps your products to stay in place all day (and even into the night). Simply spritz your face and allow it to dry completely before heading out.
However, setting spray can be more than just the finishing touch to your makeup look. Rather than wetting your foundation sponge with water, try moistening it with your best setting spray so that a small amount of this durable product gets worked into your whole base of foundation. Alternatively, you could try TikTok’s ‘backwards’ makeup routine: after applying your moisturiser, add a layer of powder and a spritz of setting spray before going in with your favourite primer. After letting it dry, start your normal routine of foundation and concealer and you’ll enjoy a durable, shine-free base all day long.
Remembering less is more
Finally, remember that the most effective way of minimising sweat and oil underneath your makeup is to simply wear less during summer. Using a lighter foundation, lipstick, and generally just fewer products overall means that there’s less to smudge and wipe off as you blot the sweat from your brow on a hot day.
Not only this but wearing less makeup (or none at all) means you’re more likely to jump in the pool or take a dip in the sea without worrying about your mascara running — which, let’s face it, is a much more enjoyable way to spend your holiday! It’s also good to give your skin a break from heavier, everyday makeup, as it allows your pores to breathe and gives any breakouts the time to clear up with the help of some sunshine and fresh air.
- Margo Marrone, Co-founder of The Organic Pharmacy comments:
“During the summer, our makeup can have a hard time staying put. Weather you’re dancing the day away at a music festival or seeing the sights on holiday, sweat and humidity can all interfere with your normal beauty routine, leading to oily skin and smudged makeup. Quality primers, lightweight foundations, and translucent powders are all invaluable products that can make your makeup last as long as possible and help you avoid shine. Setting spray is also a warm weather must-have that can be used in a host of creative ways to hack the humidity.
“The best thing you can do in summer, however, is simply reduce the amount of product you wear by opting for lightweight foundations with buildable coverage, or using tinted moisturisers. As long as you remember your SPF, summer is a great opportunity to let your skin breathe and have a break from heavier, everyday makeup. It’s also a good time to refine your beauty routine by finding clean, natural products that are kinder to the skin.”